Shoulder injuries can limit your arm movement on the affected side, which can make it difficult to drive, participate in sports, and do tasks around the house or at work. Depending on which shoulder is injured, you might also have a hard time writing and eating. Different kinds of injuries can happen to shoulder joints, resulting in mild to severe pain and other symptoms. These are some of the more common kinds of shoulder injuries that can occur.
Shoulder Strain
Putting too much strain or stress on your shoulders can cause pain to occur, as well as reduced flexibility. Shoulder strains are more likely to happen as you get older, especially if you try to do high-impact or intense exercises that you’re not used to. When you strain your shoulder, you might not be able to raise or move your arm without experiencing considerable pain.
Rotator Cuff Tears
Rotator cuff muscles and tendons help you rotate and lift your shoulder. When these tendons become torn, you might have trouble moving your arm without experiencing pain. Rotator cuff tears can occur due to wear and tear on tendons as you age. You can also tear these tendons while playing sports, lifting heavy items, or doing repetitive motions with your arms. When you have rotator cuff tears, you might have a hard time sleeping on the affected side or using that arm for any type of physical activity.
Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder occurs when you develop severe stiffness in one or both shoulders. This is more likely to happen when you reach your 40s, although you can get frozen shoulder when you’re younger. This type of injury can also occur in those who have certain underlying conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. Other causes of frozen shoulder can include keeping your shoulder immobile for long periods of time or having scar tissue from a previous injury that impairs shoulder movement. Frozen shoulder makes it hard to raise your arm or move it around.
Instability and Dislocation
Instability occurs when your shoulder joint shifts out of position, which is often due to ligaments and muscles being stretched too much. You can end up with shoulder instability when you put too much strain or force on your shoulder and stretch the ligaments, such as when throwing a baseball or tackling an opponent in football. This kind of movement causes the ligaments to stretch too much, leading to a feeling of weakness in the affected shoulder. If these ligaments tear, a shoulder dislocation can occur.
Impingement
Shoulder impingement occurs when your shoulder muscles rub against your shoulder blade too much, leading to inflammation. You can develop this kind of injury from playing sports or doing other activities that involve raising your arms frequently.
If you have a shoulder injury and need treatment, contact Huntington Orthopedics. We can determine the type of shoulder injury you have and effectively treat it, so you can move your arm again without pain.