Most shoulder problems cause pain with or without stiffness. Occasionally, the problem is weakness or instability. This section guides you through to find the most probable cause for your shoulder problem. Once you reach a conclusion on what might be causing your problem, you will be able to use this web site more effectively.
Occasionally pain arising from the neck is felt in the shoulder. If the pain in the shoulder is associated with pain in the neck and moving your neck causes the pain in the shoulder, but moving your shoulder does not, it is very likely that the pain is coming from your neck. If that is the case, this web site may not be helpful to you.
Shoulder problems may start following an injury, but most of the time, there is no injury. Sports injuries to the shoulder may result in Fracture , AC joint problem , Dislocation , Instability , Tendonitis , Rotator cuff or even a Frozen shoulder . Pain without an injury is most likely due to Impingement , Rotator cuff , AC joint problem , Frozen shoulder or Arthritis .
People's age tends to determine the cause of their shoulder pain reasonably accurately. People in their teens and twenties tend to suffer with instability caused by injury leading to Dislocation or AC joint problem . Pain without injury, particularly in young people who do overhead sports, may be due to Instability . People in their twenties and thirties who have pain after injuring the shoulder, without dislocation, are likely to have Tendonitis or Rotator cuff problems.
By far the most common cause of shoulder pain in your late thirties and forties is Impingement . Other causes of shoulder pain in that age are Tendonitis and AC joint problem . In your late forties, fifties and sixties, the most common shoulder problem is Rotator cuff and a lot less common shoulder problem at that age is a Frozen shoulder . The most common shoulder problems in your seventies and eighties is Rotator cuff and Arthritis .
If you are unable to lift your straight arm above shoulder height, you are likely to have Impingement , Rotator cuff , Frozen shoulder or Arthritis . If you are able to lift your straight arm above shoulder height but with pain, you are likely to have Impingement , Rotator cuff or AC joint problem .
Having read this page, click on the condition you think is most likely affecting your shoulder to find out if this is what is causing your shoulder problem and how it can be treated.
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