Much like other forms of pain, shoulder pain comes in many forms and has a number of possible causes. Your injury could be the result of years of poor posture or it could have occurred suddenly as a result of a particular injury or incident.

No matter the cause, it is treatable and your pain can be diminished or eradicated successfully by using one of a number of treatments available to you.

Causes of shoulder pain:

The rotator cuff is a part of the shoulder that is commonly injured. If your pain is being caused by a rotator cuff tear then there is a good chance that surgery will be required. These injuries are quite commonly caused by sports.

Causes of shoulder pain can include:

Separated shoulder, frozen shoulder tendonitis, arthritis tendon ruptures, unstable shoulder.

Symptoms of Shoulder Pain

An inability to lift the arm is a major symptom of shoulder problems, especially rotator cuff tears. Other symptoms may include:

Loss of strength in the affected arm, joint misalignment, signs of edema accompanied by contusions, and extreme pain.

The treatment that is recommended will depend on the severity of the injury. A doctor can provide you with a diagnosis and from there the relevant treatment can be determined. Reducing the pain will be the first step.

Ice packs can help to reduce edematous swelling and inflammation. Never apply heat to an injury that shows signs of swelling. Heat will increase blood flow to the area and exacerbate swelling, which can lead to complications.

Wearing a sling on the affected shoulder is quite beneficial to immobilize the injured shoulder, support the arm, and reduce the pain. This is particularly helpful with injuries involving a torn rotator cuff.

This sling can help reduce the pain but you also may need to take some anti inflammatory drugs to further reduce pain and swelling.

If you have a tear in your rotator cuff you can perform certain exercises to try and restore some movement. These may be painful at first, so taking your medication before exercise can help.

Other shoulder pain treatments may include cortisone injections which is a short term treatment for the pain and swelling.