Pain in the Shoulder
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Painful shoulder
Shoulder pain when raising arms
Shoulder pain when sleeping
Moving shoulder causes pain
Pain worsens when moving arm/shoulder
Shoulder pain when moving hands behind my back
Shoulder pain when changing clothes
I have pain in both shoulders
Shoulder pain when attempting to style hair
Cannot raise arm because of shoulder pain
Shoulder injury
Rotator cuff injury
About the Symptom
Shoulder pain can be on either or both sides, or deep within the joint. 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
Generally, Pain in the shoulder can be related to:
- Adhesive Capsulitis
Also known as "frozen shoulder". This condition is caused by inflammation of the ligaments and capsule around the shoulder joint. As the disease progresses, patients find it increasingly difficult to move the shoulder joint. Risk factors include diabetes, thyroid conditions, age, and injury to the joint.
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of unknown cause. It typically affects women more than men over the age of 50. Classic symptoms include pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, upper arms and thighs.
- Neuralgic Amyotrophy
Neuralgic amyotrophy is a nervous system disorder characterized by sharp, constant pain in the arm, shoulder, and/or neck. It can be either hereditary or idiopathic (unknown cause). The exact disease mechanism is unknown but could be autoimmune (immune system attacks the body's own tissues), genetic, or external factors (e.g., infections, medications). It's more common in men.
- Cervical Spondylosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Peri-/Post-Menopausal Symptoms
- Migraine
- Slipping Rib Syndrome
- Tension Headache
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Pain in the shoulder may be related to these serious diseases:
- Humeral Fracture
A break in the upper arm bone. This can occur from different types of injuries, and has different patterns depending on the mechanism of injury and location in the bone.
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you have shoulder pain?
- When did you first notice your shoulder pain?
- Do your joints hurt more when moved without assistance?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how severe was your shoulder pain at its worst?
- Does moving your arms or shoulders make your pain worse?
Reviewed By:
Kent C Doan, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr Doan Graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine and completed residency training in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado. He completed additional fellowship training in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at the prestigious Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado. He is a practicing Orthopedic Surgeon who specializes in complex and revision knee and shoulder surgery at the Kansas City Orthopedic Institute. He also holds an assistant professorship at the University of Kansas City.
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedics)
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.
Content updated on Jan 30, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
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FAQs
Q.
How Can I Relieve Pain in the Shoulder Blade?
A.
Relieving pain in the shoulder blade can be achieved through a combination of rest, physical therapy, pain management techniques, and lifestyle modifications. Identifying the underlying cause of the pain is essential for effective treatment.
References:
Zufferey P. Diagnostic et prise en charge des douleurs de la région scapulaire [Diagnosis and treatments of scapular pain]. Rev Med Suisse. 2011 Mar 16;7(286):576, 578-80, 582. French. PMID: 21510340.
Holmes RE, Barfield WR, Woolf SK. Clinical evaluation of nonarthritic shoulder pain: Diagnosis and treatment. Phys Sportsmed. 2015 Jul;43(3):262-8. doi: 10.1080/00913847.2015.1005542. Epub 2015 Jan 26. PMID: 25622930.
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.
Q.
Why Do I Have the Pain Only on My Left Shoulder?
A.
Pain in the shoulder is often due to issues in the joints of the shoulder or neck. Less commonly, left shoulder pain may be caused by diseases of internal organs such as the heart or gallbladder.
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.
Littlefield A, Lenahan C. Cholelithiasis: Presentation and Management. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2019 May;64(3):289-297. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12959. Epub 2019 Mar 25. PMID: 30908805.
Storari L, Barbari V, Brindisino F, Testa M, Filippo M. An unusual presentation of acute myocardial infarction in physiotherapy direct access: findings from a case report. Arch Physiother. 2021 Feb 15;11(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s40945-021-00099-x. PMID: 33583432; PMCID: PMC7883431.
Petchkrua W, Harris SA. Shoulder pain as an unusual presentation of pneumonia in a stroke patient: a case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000 Jun;81(6):827-9. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(00)90119-9. PMID: 10857532.
Malik MA, Alam Khan S, Safdar S, Taseer IU. Chest Pain as a presenting complaint in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Pak J Med Sci. 2013 Apr;29(2):565-8. doi: 10.12669/pjms.292.2921. PMID: 24353577; PMCID: PMC3809224.
Q.
Why Do I Have Pain Only in My Right Shoulder?
A.
Pain in the shoulder is often due to issues in the joints of the shoulder or neck. Less commonly, right shoulder pain may be caused by diseases of internal organs such as the heart, lungs or gallbladder.
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.
Littlefield A, Lenahan C. Cholelithiasis: Presentation and Management. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2019 May;64(3):289-297. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12959. Epub 2019 Mar 25. PMID: 30908805.
Storari L, Barbari V, Brindisino F, Testa M, Filippo M. An unusual presentation of acute myocardial infarction in physiotherapy direct access: findings from a case report. Arch Physiother. 2021 Feb 15;11(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s40945-021-00099-x. PMID: 33583432; PMCID: PMC7883431.
Petchkrua W, Harris SA. Shoulder pain as an unusual presentation of pneumonia in a stroke patient: a case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000 Jun;81(6):827-9. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(00)90119-9. PMID: 10857532.
Q.
Can Cancers Such As Lung Cancer Cause Shoulder Pain?
A.
Yes, cancers such as lung cancer can cause shoulder pain. This pain may occur due to referred pain from the tumor or associated structures, and it can sometimes be the first or only symptom of the disease. Understanding this connection is important for early diagnosis and treatment.
References:
Díaz-Abad J, Aranaz-Murillo A, Mayayo-Sinues E, Canchumanya-Huatuco N, Schaye V. Lessons in clinical reasoning - pitfalls, myths, and pearls: shoulder pain as the first and only manifestation of lung cancer. Diagnosis (Berl). 2024 Feb 23;11(2):212-217. doi: 10.1515/dx-2023-0063. PMID: 38387019.
Dee SW, Kao MJ, Hong CZ, Chou LW, Lew HL. Chronic shoulder pain referred from thymic carcinoma: a case report and review of literature. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2012;8:399-403. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S36476. Epub 2012 Sep 4. PMID: 22969299; PMCID: PMC3435118.
Ott K, Iwanaga J, Dumont AS, Loukas M, Tubbs RS. Postprandial Referred Shoulder Pain: A Case Report. Cureus. 2022 May 31;14(5):e25535. doi: 10.7759/cureus.25535. PMID: 35800831; PMCID: PMC9246054.
Tagboto S. Hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as right shoulder pain. Ann Afr Med. 2023 Jan-Mar;22(1):124-127. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_257_21. PMID: 36695234; PMCID: PMC10064908.
Ritch PS, Hansen RM, Collier BD. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma presenting as shoulder arthritis. Cancer. 1983 Mar 1;51(5):968-72. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19830301)51:5<968::aid-cncr2820510534>3.0.co;2-j. PMID: 6821862.
Jain A, Malhotra P, Varma S. Shoulder pain: a hematologist's perspective. J Orthop Traumatol. 2016 Dec;17(4):383-385. doi: 10.1007/s10195-016-0403-1. Epub 2016 Apr 13. PMID: 27076343; PMCID: PMC5071232.
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Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
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%3DihubBurbank 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/pubs/afp/issues/2008/0215/p453.htmlMitchell 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/331/7525/1124NHS
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shoulder-pain/