The pain seen at the points where the bone between the elbow and shoulder and the shoulder blade meet is characterized as shoulder pain. The socket on the outside of the scapula, called the glenoid, joins with the arm bone to form the shoulder joint, which allows the arm to move. The nest contains hard and fibrous tissues called labrum. Thanks to this layer, the upper arm bone can move in a stable and stable manner. In addition, the structure consisting of muscles and tendons is called the ratator sheath and allows the arm to move 360 degrees. The shoulder joint is one of the most flexible joints of the body, but it has an extremely complex structure. In addition, traumas in the shoulder region, which is extremely vulnerable to injuries, can cause pain by causing tears or injuries to the rotator sheath. Weak muscle development in this area or dislocation of the shoulder joint may also be seen. Infection, injury, impingement, calcification, metabolic diseases, cervical hernia and fibromyalgia are among the other factors that cause pain in this area.
What is Shoulder Pain?
The shoulder joint, the largest joint in the body, is connected and stabilized by many soft tissues. Shoulder pain is often caused by injuries to the soft tissue that surrounds the bones and allows the arm to move. The most common cause of shoulder pain is shoulder impingement syndrome. Generally, due to the reaching movements made by lifting the arm above the head level, the tendons in the shoulder region are squeezed between the bone structures in this region and cause pain. In addition to the pain originating from the shoulder joints, pain in different parts of the body is also reflected in this area. It is possible to feel pain in the shoulder area in some health problems that develop due to circulatory disorders, inflammation of the shoulder nerves, lung and heart diseases, systemic diseases in the internal organs, neck hernias, thoracic outlet syndrome, diabetes, tumor presence, fibromyalgia and tuberculosis.
Acute shoulder pain is usually caused by the wrong movement. In such shoulder pains, the shoulder should be rested by using it as little as possible and the muscle tissue should be relaxed with ice application before consulting a doctor. 15 minutes of cold pressing can relieve a significant portion of acute shoulder pain. In order to reduce the movements of the shoulder joint, suspension of the arm should be avoided. Because this can cause another condition known as frozen shoulder. Rarely, soft tissue tumors around the shoulder can be seen in shoulder pain that increases or occurs at night. When mechanical problems in the shoulder joint are not intervened early, it can lead to restriction of movements and this can interfere with the person’s daily life.
Causes of Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can be caused by problems with the shoulder joint or other diseases. Although shoulder pain is the most common type of pain among joint pains, the location, intensity and type of pain should be evaluated in detail together with other findings. In addition, the patient must provide the physician with an accurate and complete medical history before the examination. The most common causes of shoulder pain in our society are as follows.
Bursitis
Bursitis is also known as vesiculitis. It is caused by inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs between the bone and soft tissue that make up the shoulder joint and are responsible for reducing friction.
Fibrositis
Fibrositis, which manifests itself as numbness, causes pain due to the inability of the muscles to relax as a result of the shoulder joint remaining in a bad position.
Frozen Shoulder
Shoulder joint in frozen shoulder, which occurs due to restriction of shoulder movements pain is experienced as a result of the capsule hardening. It is usually due to the fact that the shoulder is not moved for a long time due to patients experiencing shoulder pain for different reasons.
Symptoms of frozen shoulder include shoulder pain accompanied by restriction in shoulder movements while dressing and undressing and difficulty in taking the hand to the back.
Shoulder Dislocations
Pain in the shoulder joint can be seen due to the strain on the ends of the bones that make up the shoulder joint.
Muscle Tear
Symptoms of a muscle tear include a stabbing pain when the arms are raised, difficulty lifting light objects, a sharp pain that can wake you up when changing direction at night, and a burning sensation in the shoulder when combing hair.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage in the muscles around the shoulder causes shoulder pain. These pains are also accompanied by weakness in muscle strength.
How is Shoulder Pain Diagnosed?
The most common cause of shoulder pain is damage to the soft tissues in the shoulder joint. In order for the shoulder joint structure to be evaluated in detail by the physician, MRI imaging may be requested after the physical examination. Because in order to fully detect shoulder pain, the joint bones and other tissues in the shoulder joint should be examined in detail. In some cases of shoulder pain, computed tomography and X-rays may also be sufficient. Some shoulder pains need to be exhibited in order to be diagnosed. While EMG should be performed for shoulder pain seen after trauma, in order to diagnose shoulder pain caused by different diseases, the causative disease should be determined. For this reason, a multidisciplinary approach is taken in the diagnosis of shoulder pain.
Shoulder Pain Treatment
Shoulder pain, which can happen to almost everyone, usually occurs due to incorrect movements and goose strain. For this reason, it may disappear spontaneously. However, in the absence of improvement in shoulder pain that lasts longer than two days, it is necessary to consult a physician. In addition, shoulder pain caused by traumas requires urgent intervention, so you should consult a doctor immediately. The methods to be applied in the treatment of shoulder pain vary depending on the factors that cause shoulder pain. In some cases of shoulder pain, simple painkillers are sufficient, while in others a multidisciplinary approach is required. For this reason, shoulder pain treatment is planned specifically for the patient.
The main principle in the treatment of shoulder pain is to eliminate the factors that cause shoulder pain. However, hot or cold presses can be applied to relieve shoulder pain caused by strain on the shoulder joint or after a heavy exercise. For shoulder pain seen in those who work at a desk for a long time, shoulder pain can be prevented by doing neck and shoulder exercises during the day. Physical therapy applications, cortisone injections and surgical interventions can be used in shoulder pain resulting from injuries.
How to Prevent Shoulder Pain?
The main reason why shoulder pain is seen in a large part of the society is due to the movements in daily life without paying attention to the shoulder joint. In order to prevent shoulder pain, the following points should be considered.
- Exercise several times a day with arms on the back and neck,
- In the sitting position, the arms should be supported by the elbow area,
- Prolonged movements that require keeping the arms above head level, such as picking up objects from a high place, should be avoided,
- Care should be taken to prevent the air conditioner from directly hitting the body, especially when other air conditioners, especially in-car air conditioners, are blowing cold,
- Movements that strain the shoulder should be avoided,
- Heavy loads should not be carried,
