We have a number of patients tell us that they struggle to lift their arm over their head, but what if discomfort develops even before you try the overhead reach? What if your discomfort develops when you raise your arm up to the side? What could be causing this discomfort, and perhaps more importantly, how can you treat your symptoms? In today’s blog, we look at the causes and treatment options for shoulder pain when lifting your arm to the side.
Shoulder Pain When Lifting Arm To The Side
If raising your arm to the side causes discomfort, you’d be wise to discuss these symptoms with your primary care doctor or a shoulder specialist. You raise your arm to the side many times throughout the day, so if this action is causing distress or pain, each day is going to be full of discomfort. And while many different issues could be at play, in many cases your shoulder discomfort is tied to a condition known as shoulder impingement syndrome. Shoulder impingement syndrome occurs when soft tissues in your shoulder become inflamed. This inflammation means there is less space for structures to move unimpeded, and when you lift your arm to the side, this space can further narrow. The inflamed tissues can rub against bones and other structures, leading to pain, weakness or difficulty moving your arm in certain directions.
Connecting with a physician is important because a few different issues could be causing your shoulder impingement syndrome, and it’s necessary to hone in on the specific cause to ensure you get set up with the right course of treatment. In most cases of shoulder impingement syndrome, a patient’s rotator cuff tendons or the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) in the joint become inflamed and get compressed between the upper arm bone and shoulder blade during certain arm movements. This inflammation tends to be caused by repetitive strain, natural wear and tear over the years or the development of bony overgrowths known as a bone spur. Learning if arthritis or bone spurs are leading to shoulder impingement syndrome helps your doctor chart the right course for care.
Your doctor can usually come to this determination after one quick visit. They’ll begin by asking about your symptoms, your overall shoulder health and which actions cause discomfort or relief. Next, they’ll likely have you perform some simple movements to see how your shoulder responds to different stress patterns. Finally, they may order an X-ray or MRI to get an inside look at the structures in your shoulder.
Treating Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
If your doctor believes that shoulder impingement syndrome is making it challenging for you to raise your arm to the side, they’ll walk you through a standard course of care. In the vast majority of cases, that means you’ll start with weeks of conservative care. Although your specific care program will be tailored to your needs, most patients being treated for shoulder impingement syndrome will pursue a combination of the following treatments:
- Rest/Specific Activity Avoidance
- Physical Therapy
- Stretching Programs
- Manual Therapy
- Anti-Inflammatory Medications
- Ice/Cold Therapy
- Corticosteroid Injections
Even if inflammation is being triggered by the presence of bone spurs, you can calm inflammation and strengthen the shoulder joint through a conservative care plan, so surgery isn’t a certainty. That said, for patients dealing with larger bone spurs or for those who do not respond well to weeks of conservative care, a minimally invasive surgical procedure may end up being the best option. Your surgeon can discuss these procedural options with you should it progress to this point, but most patients make enough progress with conservative treatments that a more invasive surgery is not required.
Contact a Knoxville Shoulder Surgeon
Don’t go through the day avoiding lifting your arms because you know that it will bring discomfort. Instead, take the first step in restoring more normal shoulder function by connecting with Dr. Holloway and his talented team. They are confident that they can improve your shoulder function and get you back to performing daily activities with ease. For more information, give Dr. Holloway and his team a call today at (865) 410-7887.
