If you fall off a ladder or are involved in a vehicle collision, it’s pretty easy to understand why your shoulder is hurting. You may not know exactly what’s going on with your shoulder, but you can at least explain to your doctor that the acute trauma from a specific event contributed to your discomfort. But what happens if your shoulder pain develops without an obvious cause? In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the shoulder issues that may develop without an obvious cause.
Shoulder Pain Without Injury
If you begin to experience shoulder pain, or you’re finding that your shoulder lacks flexibility or strength and there is no obvious reason for these symptoms, you’ll want to connect with your primary care physician or a shoulder specialist. They’ll begin by asking about your symptoms and performing a physical examination, and they may conclude by ordering imaging tests. Here are some of the more common conditions they may discover if you present to their office without an obvious reason for shoulder pain.
- Arthritis – Arthritis is an incredibly common condition that affects more than 50 million Americans, and it involves degeneration of one or more joints in the body. When protective cartilage wears down or supportive tissues become damaged, the joint can’t function as efficiently, and this can lead to bone on bone contact and inflammation. Arthritic degeneration occurs slowly over the course of many years, and while it can be sped up by acute injury, it tends to appear slowly over time, especially in older adults. Shoulder arthritis is one of the most common causes of shoulder discomfort without obvious injury.
- Rotator Cuff Tendonitis – If the tendons that help to support your rotator cuff become damaged or inflamed, you may develop an uncomfortable case of rotator cuff tendonitis. Oftentimes rotator cuff tendonitis occurs as a result of repetitive strain on an area, so while your shoulder may not have outwardly suffered acute trauma, it could be dealing with some internal structural breakdown if you put a lot of repetitive stress and motion on the joint. Rotator cuff tendonitis usually responds well to conservative treatments like physical therapy and stretching techniques.
- Frozen Shoulder – We’ve talked about frozen shoulder more in depth on this blog, but it is a condition that involves significant mobility restrictions in the shoulder area. If you suddenly find it hard to move your shoulder or arm in certain directions, you may be dealing with frozen shoulder, which is caused by a thickening of the shoulder capsule, which ends up restricting normal movement. The condition is caused by inflammation of the shoulder capsule, and this inflammation can set in due to complications from diabetes, a poor recovery following a previous shoulder injury, or due to hormonal changes. Frozen shoulder usually ends up resolving on its own, but this process may be sped up with the help of rest, anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy.
- Calcific Tendonitis – Calcific tendonitis is another condition that we have talked about in depth on this blog in the past, and it involves the formation of calcium deposits in the muscles or tendons of the shoulder. It is thought to be brought on by wear and tear on the shoulder, and it doesn’t need a major trauma on the area to set in. Surgery to treat calcific tendonitis is rare, as most specialists can help a patient find relief through a combination of non-operative methods.
If you are dealing with shoulder pain and you didn’t suffer trauma to the area or sleep on it wrong, set up an appointment with a shoulder specialist like Dr. Holloway. As we mentioned above, most of these conditions respond well to conservative techniques, so long as they are caught before they can snowball into a larger problem. To get started on treatment and put your shoulder pain in the past, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
