Pain in the Shoulder
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Reviewed By:
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedic surgery)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
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People with these symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
I have a pain in my right shoulder
Joint pain that is worse when moving the joint on your own, than if was moved with help
Shoulder hurts when trying to thread a belt through the back of my pants
Throbbing or stabbing pain in shoulder when sleeping
Cannot raise arm because of shoulder pain
Shoulder aches when using shampoo on hair
Shoulder pain on the right and left side
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Content updated on Jan 4, 2023
About the symptom
Shoulder pain can be on either or both sides. The pain may be pressing, sharp or dull in nature.
When to see a doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Neck pain / stiffness
Swelling of the affected area
Back pain
Abnormal sensation (tingling, prickling)
Numbness / sensory disorder
Recent weight loss
Possible causes
- Chronic pain
Pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months. This type of pain can continue even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or gone away. It interferes with daily life and can lead to depression and anxiety.
- Neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain is a type of pain caused by nerve damage or a problem with the nervous system. it's characterized by burning, tingling, sharp, or stabbing pain (even if touched gently) which can be continuous or intermittent (comes and goes) and worse at rest or night. Common causes of neuropathic pain include viral infections, cancer, vascular malformations, alcoholism, diabetes nerve pressure or nerve damage after surgery or trauma, neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
- Shoulder periarthritis
Also known as "frozen shoulder". This condition is caused by inflammation of the ligaments and tendons (cartilage) around the shoulder joint. As the disease progresses, patients find it increasingly difficult to move the shoulder joint. Risk factors include diabetes, advanced age, and injury to the joint.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Cancer pain
Related serious diseases
- Humeral fracture
Fracture of the arm bone. This can happen after falling down or sustaining injury to the arm.
- Myocardial infarction (MI) / Unstable angina
Questions your doctor may ask about this symptom
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom
Do you have shoulder pain?
Is it more painful to move joints without aid than with help?
Does your pain worsen when you move arms or shoulders?
Is the affected area red?
Is the affected area swollen?
Other Related Symptoms
Similar symptoms or complaints
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
References
Greenberg DL. Evaluation and treatment of shoulder pain. Med Clin North Am. 2014 May;98(3):487-504. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2014.01.016. Epub 2014 Mar 22. PMID: 24758957.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025712514000315?via%3Dihub
Burbank KM, Stevenson JH, Czarnecki GR, Dorfman J. Chronic shoulder pain: part I. Evaluation and diagnosis. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Feb 15;77(4):453-60. PMID: 18326164.
https://www.aafp.org/services/cq/aafp/link_out?pmid=18326164
Mitchell C, Adebajo A, Hay E, Carr A. Shoulder pain: diagnosis and management in primary care. BMJ. 2005 Nov 12;331(7525):1124-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.331.7525.1124. PMID: 16282408; PMCID: PMC1283277.
https://www.bmj.com/content/331/7525/1124
Shoulder pain
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shoulder-pain/
Reviewed By:
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedic surgery)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD
Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)
National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan