When one of your shoulders starts to bother you, you immediately notice how often you move your shoulders. For example, when putting on your coat. Or when combing your hair or lifting the shopping bag. Those daily activities are made difficult by the pain in your shoulder. But where does this shoulder pain suddenly come from? There are several causes of shoulder pain. We have listed the three most common shoulder complaints we see within our practice for you.
What can cause shoulder pain?
Per year, about 31% of the Dutch population suffers from shoulder complaints. Our age plays an important role in this. Young people often get shoulder complaints as a result of sports. These complaints are then related to instability of the shoulder, for example. As we get older, irritated tendons are often the main cause of shoulder complaints. But how exactly can such shoulder complaints arise? We give you some causes:
- You overexerted yourself with an activity where your arms were above your head (painting the ceiling, trimming trees or hedge)
- You lifted or pushed too heavily
- You made the same movement for a long time
- You experience a lot of tension and stress
- You suffer from wear and tear (osteoarthritis) in the joint or joint inflammation due to arthritis
- You have a shoulder injury (e.g. due to sports practice or a fall)
- You have neck pain
What are the symptoms of shoulder pain?
Shoulder pain greatly affects your daily actions. The most simple movements are made difficult by the pain. For example, in the introduction we already talked about putting on your coat, carrying the shopping bag or combing your hair. But shoulder pain also often prevents you from sleeping well because you cannot lie on your shoulder. If you have any of the following symptoms, we recommend you contact our practice for a diagnosis:
- You have a nagging pain around the shoulder joint
- You have pain when moving the arm
- Your shoulder feels stiff
- You have pain when stretching the arm fully, laterally and/or forward
- Every movement gives constant pain
What are the most common shoulder complaints?
The shoulder is a very complex joint. It is also a special joint because it allows 360-degree rotation. This makes the shoulder injury-prone. The most common diagnoses for shoulder problems are:
- Tendon disorders: The tendon is a connection between the muscle and the bone. Here you can think of tendonitis, tendon degeneration (a reduced quality of the tendon) or tendon rupture (the tendon is partially or completely torn).
- Bursitis: a bursa acts as a shock absorber in a joint and is located between bone and muscle. The bursa also reduces friction between different tissues. Bursitis can occur due to overuse or after an accident.
- Trapping or impingement syndrome: a tendon, muscle or bursa can become trapped somewhere in the shoulder, causing pain in the shoulder.
What can you do yourself if you suffer from shoulder pain?
We advise you to move your shoulder and arm regularly, even if it hurts. By keeping moving, you ensure that your shoulder pain does not get worse and that the shoulder does not get stuck. You will thus reduce the risk of a frozen shoulder.
Of course, make sure not to strain your shoulder. So do not lift or push heavy things or work beyond your means. In addition, you can try to relieve the pain by cooling or warming the shoulder. You can decide for yourself what works for you. At thuisarts.nl you will find nice videos with exercises for your shoulder that you can try in advance.
When to see a physiotherapist with shoulder pain?
If your shoulder pain persists, you can contact our shoulder specialists. During an intake, we will look for the exact cause. On the basis of a physical examination, possibly supplemented by ultrasound, we can make a diagnosis. The treatment of your shoulder pain depends on the type of condition in your shoulder. Different treatment techniques are possible, such as shockwave, EPTe, dry needling and manual therapy.
You can reach our shoulder specialists at 085-5000333. or by sending an email to info@friskfysio.nl. Or submit an callback request in via our website.
