A lot of additional stress is placed on your shoulder joint when you lift your arm above your head, which is why this movement is painful or even impossible for a number of people dealing with shoulder discomfort. But what underlying conditions could be causing those discomfort when lifting your arm, and moreover, what’s the best way to treat it? In today’s blog, we look at some of the common causes and treatments for shoulder discomfort when lifting your arms.
Shoulder Pain When Lifting
Your inability to comfortably lift your arm can be caused by a few different underlying causes, but oftentimes they can be grouped into three categories: Pain, a nerve problem or direct trauma to the area. We’ll take a quick look at each:
- Pain – In most instances, a person’s inability to lift their arm above their head is caused by pain and discomfort. Obviously you’ll have pain if you suffer acute trauma to the shoulder region, but pain from non-acute trauma can make lifting your arm very difficult. You may experience pain in your shoulder caused by issues like tendonitis, bursitis or frozen shoulder.
- Nerve Problem – Neurological problems can also make it hard to lift your shoulder above your head. For example, damage to the brachial plexus nerve, either from trauma to the area or another issue like brachial neuritis can severely restrict natural motion in the shoulder joint. Damaged or compressed nerves in the shoulder or neck region can make normal arm movement next to impossible.
- Acute Trauma – Finally, acute trauma could be the cause of both pain and nerve damage, but it deserves its own category. If you fall off a ladder and land on your shoulder or you take a direct hit during a football practice, you can suffer cartilage damage or tendon tearing. This damage can limit the functional capacity of your shoulder while the structures heal, making it difficult to perform normal actions with your arm, like raising it above your head.
How To Treat An Arm You Can’t Lift
As you might imagine, the first step in treating a shoulder problem that is making it difficult to lift your arm above your head is to figure out the root cause of your restriction. The easiest way to do that is by consulting with a shoulder specialist like Dr. Holloway. He’ll review your medical history and talk with you about your symptoms and how they first developed. He’ll also likely touch and manipulate the shoulder joint to see your restrictions in person. From there, he may also order imaging tests in the form of an X-ray, MRI or CT scan to get a closer look at the bones or soft tissues in the shoulder area.
Treatment will depend on what is seen during the diagnostic process, but for many of the causes listed above, active conservative treatments can help you regain normal range of motion and strengthen your shoulder joint. For example, inflammation, nerve compression and tendon tearing can all respond well to targeted physical therapy and gentle range of motion exercises. The goal here is to strengthen the supportive tissues in the shoulder and help restore as much function as possible. Treating the symptoms with rest and ice may make life more comfortable, but in order to regain your ability to lift your arm above your head, you’ll have to strengthen the joint with PT, exercises and stretching techniques.
If conservative methods fail, Dr. Holloway may be able to restore more shoulder joint function with the help of a minimally invasive corrective procedure. He can decompress nerves, strengthen torn rotator cuff muscles or even perform a total shoulder replacement depending on your needs. We’re confident that with an accurate diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan that we can restore as much normal shoulder function as possible.
So if you are having a hard time lifting your arm out in front of you or over your head, know that treatment is only one call away. For more information, reach out to Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
