Shoulder pain
Half of all people experience shoulder pain at some point in their lives. It has a habit of lingering, which makes it worth dealing with early.
What it feels like
Pain in or around the shoulder, sometimes radiating down to the elbow. It often comes with stiffness, or pain during only part of a movement. Because the shoulder and neck work together, you may feel it in your neck too.
Common causes
- Pain when lifting your arm – often a tendon problem in the rotator cuff
- Bursitis – pain above shoulder height, and often at night
- Frozen shoulder – increasing stiffness where the shoulder will not move further even when someone else lifts your arm
- Wear – gradual stiffness and pain, more common later in life
- Instability – the sense that the shoulder might slip out, usually after a dislocation
How long it takes
Honestly: longer than most people hope. Around 30% of people have recovered after six weeks and roughly 60% after a year. Patience and consistency are a large part of the treatment.
What you can do yourself
- Keep using your arm within what is comfortable. Avoiding it entirely stiffens the shoulder.
- Working above shoulder height is the most common trigger – spread it across the day.
- If sleep is a problem, try lying on the good side with a pillow supporting the painful arm.
- Build strength gradually. The shoulder needs time, but it does get stronger.
When to see a doctor
After a fall where you cannot lift your arm, with a visibly deformed shoulder, with fever, or with pins and needles and weakness in your arm or hand.
Ready to book?
No referral needed. We treat in English at both locations.