SHOULDER PAIN AND EXERCISES

Hi Friends

There is a saying "No pain no gain", it's true but for hardwork not for body's Anatomy. Sometimes a continuos stress and pain may leads to severe injury or disease like pain in muscles, ligaments, bones etc.

A strain or sprain may occuer in any muscles of body due to heavy workout, doing wrong exercises, sleeping one side for whole night and lifting a heavy weight at home or while doing work on job.

So today we will discuss about a common problem which occurs in daily life of people i.e shoulder and neck pain due to strain in msucles and its exercises to reduce it.

• Shoulder pain is a common problem
• There are many things that can cause shoulder pain
• For most people, it will improve over time with appropriate treatment.

CAUSES OF SHOULDER PAIN 

There are many causes of shoulder pain and not all of them are due to problems of the shoulder joints or associated structures.

Osteoarthritis: cartilage is a smooth, cushiony tissue that covers the ends of your bones where they meet in a joint. Healthy cartilage helps your joints move smoothly. Over time cartilage can become worn, or it may become damaged due to injury or an accident, leading to the development of osteoarthritis.

Inflammation of the shoulder capsule

• Synovitis is when your synovial membrane becomes inflamed. It can occur as a result of another condition  or it may happen as a result of an injury. Or the cause may be unknown.

• Frozen shoulder is a condition that occurs when your shoulder capsule thickens and becomes inflamed and tight. There may also be less synovial fluid to lubricate the joint. As a result your shoulder becomes difficult to move. Frozen shoulder may occur as a result of another condition (e.g. diabetes), if the shoulder has been immobilised (e.g. due to surgery or injury), or the cause may not be known.

Injuries and sprains

• Ligaments are soft tissues that connect bones to bones. They provide stability to your shoulder by keeping the bones where they’re meant to be. If the ligaments are injured or sprained, they can cause short-term pain. This may be the result of the humerus coming partially out of the joint socket (subluxation) or if the humerus comes completely out (dislocation).
• The flexible tissue that helps keep your shoulder joint in place (the labrum) can become torn. This is called a labral tear. This can occur as a result of an injury (e.g. falling onto your outstretched arm) or repetitive actions (e.g. throwing sports such as cricket).
• A direct blow to your shoulder can result in the acromioclavicular joint being sprained. This type of injury often occurs in people participating in contact sports such as football who take a blow to the shoulder. It can also occur as a result of a fall.
• Rotator cuff: this group of tendons and muscles keep your shoulder stable and positioned correctly for your shoulder and arm to move. Tears to rotator cuff tendons may occur as a result of an injury (e.g. a fall, broken collarbone) or happen over a period of time as you age.

Neck and upper back: 

Problems with the joints and associated nerves of your neck and upper back can also be a source of shoulder pain. The pain from your neck and upper back is often felt at the back of the shoulder joint and/or through to the outside of your upper arm.

Injury to the axillary nerve: 

This nerve can be injured if you dislocate your shoulder or break your humerus. This can cause weakness when moving your arm outwardly away from the body.

Symptoms of shoulder pain

There are many causes of shoulder pain, and they all have their own unique set of symptoms.

Depending on the cause of your shoulder pain you may experience:

• pain deep in the shoulder joint, in the back or the front of the shoulder and the upper part of the arm. Sometimes the pain in the shoulder can be described as a ‘catching pain’. The location and type of pain is likely to relate to the structure causing the pain
• reduced movement, and pain when moving your shoulder.
• weakness of the shoulder/upper arm. Depending on the condition, there may be a sensation of the joint slipping out and back in to the joint socket, or the shoulder can become completely dislodged (dislocated)
• sensations of pins and needles (tingling) and burning pain. This is more likely to be associated with nerves from the neck than the shoulder joint itself.
• lack of movement after a shoulder dislocation. This is usually due to pain. Complete rotator cuff tears and injury to the axillary nerve both cause weakness in moving the arm away from the body. These problems require close clinical examination.

Symptoms of shoulder pain

There are many causes of shoulder pain, and they all have their own unique set of symptoms.

Depending on the cause of your shoulder pain you may experience:

• pain deep in the shoulder joint, in the back or the front of the shoulder and the upper part of the arm. Sometimes the pain in the shoulder can be described as a ‘catching pain’. The location and type of pain is likely to relate to the structure causing the pain
• reduced movement, and pain when moving your shoulder.
• weakness of the shoulder/upper arm. Depending on the condition, there may be a sensation of the joint slipping out and back in to the joint socket, or the shoulder can become completely dislodged (dislocated)
• sensations of pins and needles (tingling) and burning pain. This is more likely to be associated with nerves from the neck than the shoulder joint itself.
• lack of movement after a shoulder dislocation. This is usually due to pain. Complete rotator cuff tears and injury to the axillary nerve both cause weakness in moving the arm away from the body. These problems require close clinical examination.

Diagnosing shoulder pain

Health practitioners who treat shoulder pain are trained to investigate and identify the exact cause of the condition or injury causing the pain. They will do this by:

• asking about your shoulder pain, including potential causes (e.g. recent injuries, other health conditions), if you have had shoulder pain before, things that make your pain worse, things that make it better
• conducting a thorough physical exam.

From this information they can work out the likelihood of particular structures in the shoulder being involved. Sometimes they will suggest that investigations or tests may be needed.

It’s important to know that many investigations show ‘changes’ to your shoulder that are likely to represent the normal passage of time (even by age 45), not ‘damage’ to your shoulder. An experienced health practitioner can help you to understand the difference.

X-ray

X-rays provide images of your bones and joints. They can show any changes caused by arthritis in the shoulder joint (e.g. bone spurs, narrowed joint space) or fractures. However x-rays don’t show any changes or problems with your soft tissues (e.g. muscles, tendons).

Ultrasound

Ultrasounds are typically used to investigate your rotator cuff tendon for inflammation, tears or rupture. While it can be a helpful tool to use, and can provide clues to identify the source of your pain, a diagnosis can’t be made using the ultrasound alone. If an ultrasound is ordered, then an x-ray should also be arranged. Both tests will provide more complete information about the state of your joints and the tendon.

CT and MRI

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are usually not the first test used to investigate shoulder pain. They may be used when a fracture is suspected or an accident is involved. These scans will help determine the extent of injury and whether further assessment and treatment by a surgeon is needed.

Treating shoulder pain

There are many treatments for shoulder pain:

• physiotherapy – one of the first treatment approaches involves physiotherapy and modifying your activities that make your pain worse. Physiotherapy will aim to fix problems such as stiffness and weakness. It will also include retraining the movements or activities related to your sport, work or everyday activities that were aggravating your shoulder so that wherever possible, you can get back to what you were doing.
• Heat and cold packs – may help provide you with temporary relief of pain and stiffness.
• Medication– such as paracetamol and low dose anti-inflammatories can be helpful in controlling pain while you work to maintain and restore movement and function. If you have high blood pressure or cardiac or kidney disease, you should talk to your doctor before using these medications. Medications shouldn’t be considered as a long-term solution for your shoulder pain. If your pain persists, you should discuss other treatment options with your doctor.

• Self-management 
• Most people  with shoulder pain will recover from their condition. For many there will need to be a commitment to an exercise-based rehabilitation program. It may also be necessary to make modifications to your lifestyle and work practices that aggravate shoulder pain. Talk with a physiotherapist and occupational therapist for advice.

Few exercises to reduce shoulder pain are as follows 

1

Upper Trapezius Stretch

• Start standing or sitting tall, and place one hand on your lower back, the other hand on the opposite side of your head.
• Pull your head toward your shoulder, looking straight ahead, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.

2

Quadruped Thoracic Rotation Stretch

• Start on all fours, with your hands stacked under your shoulders and your knees stacked under your hips. Engage your core and maintain a flat back.
• Place your left hand on the back of your head, so that your elbow points out to the left side. Rest the hand lightly—don't put pressure on your head or neck. This is starting position.
• Slowly rotate your head and shoulder toward your right hand on the floor.
• Then, reverse the motion and rotate to the left and up so your elbow points toward the ceiling. Hold for a few seconds.
• Return to starting position. Continue this movement for 30 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.

3

Child's Pose

• Kneel on your mat with your knees wider than hip-width apart and your feet together behind you.
• Sit back on your heels (as best as you can) and fold forward, resting your belly on your thighs. Extend your arms out in front of you and rest your forehead on the floor. You'll feel this stretch in your shoulders and back, in addition to your hips and glutes.
• Gently press your chest and shoulders toward the ground to deepen the stretch.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds

4

Thread the Needle

• Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and hips over your knees.
• Reach your right arm underneath and across your body with your palm facing up.
• Bend your left elbow as you gently lean into your right side; you should feel a stretch in the back of your right shoulder.
• Hold for a few seconds then return to the starting position and repeat.

5

T-Spine Windmill Stretch

• Lie on your right side with your knees stacked and bent at 90 degrees and your hips bent at 90 degrees. Stack your arms and hands together on the floor, extended out to the right. This is starting position.
• Slowly open up your body, bringing your left arm up and over to your left side, to form a “T” with your arms. In this position, both shoulder blades should be planted on the floor.
• Slowly reverse the movement to return to starting position.
• Do 5-10 reps. Switch sides and repeat.

Doing exercises may give you temporary or permanent solution but if problem persist than consult your doctor.

Ignorance of any problem may leads to severe results .

Stay healthy.