If you are not sure what your injury is then why not try our Shoulder Pain Symptom Checker. Or use the menu on the left to select from all shoulder injuries on site.
Shoulder pain is usually either gradual onset or sudden onset. Gradual onset shoulder injuries are often from poor technique or overuse whilst sudden onset can be a strain or traumatic shoulder injury caused by impact or twisting.
Below we outline some of the more common shoulder injuries explaining the symptoms, treatment and rehabilitation with shoulder exercises, sports massage, taping and more.
Use the tabs to view sudden onset, gradual onset and fractures affecting the shoulder joint. Or use the menu on the left to view all shoulder injuries.
Frozen shoulder
Shoulder pain and stiffness in the shoulder which slowly gets worse until the shoulder can barely be moved.
A frozen shoulder will go through three phases before it is finally cured.
Subacromial bursitis
Inflammation and swelling of the bursa (sack of fluid) which sits under the AC joint in the shoulder.
This has similar symptoms to inflammation of the supraspinatus tendon.
Shoulder impingement
Pinching of one or more tendons within the shoulder joint, especially on overhead movements.
The supraspinatus rotator cuff tendon becomes impinged or trapped between the bones.
Rotator cuff injury
A tear of one or more of the four rotator cuff muscles or tendons which surround the shoulder joint.
Dislocated shoulder
A traumatic injury where the head of the humerus is forced out of the socket at the shoulder.
AC joint sprain
Injury to the ligaments which hold the acromioclavicular joint together at the top of the shoulder.
Fractured collar bone
A break in the collar bone (or clavicle) usually caused by a fall onto an outstretched hand.
Scapular fracture
A break in the flat shoulder blade which sits on the back of the ribcage. Usually due to a direct impact.
Fractured neck of humerus
A break in the upper arm bone, near the top, just under the shoulder joint.
Shoulder injuries
Shoulder pain and shoulder injuries are very common and can be debilitating conditions, for both sports people and the non-sporting population. The shoulder girdle has the highest range of motion of any joint in the body which means it can be more prone injury.
Shoulder injuries can generally be divided into either sudden onset injuries, gradual onset injuries Those of a sudden onset tend to occur at a definite point of time, usually with instant pain from a forceful movement, impact to or landing on the shoulder.
These may include rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocations and AC joint injuries. A sub-section of sudden onset shoulder pain can include the fracture of the collar bone, scapular and neck of the humerus. Gradual onset injuries develop more gradually, without an obvious cause of pain. These include frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tendonitis and impingement syndromes.
Shoulder anatomy
Shoulder anatomy consists of the shoulder joint contains many structures which can become injured. The shoulder girdle is formed by three bones - the clavicle, the scapula and the humerus. It has a series of joints which enable a large range of movement. There are three main joints in the shoulder girdle, these are the Glenohumeral Joint (GHJ), the Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ) and the Sternoclavicular Joint (SCJ). There is also another “joint” which is important in shoulder movement, the Scapulothoracic Joint. Technically this is not a joint more of an articulation as it does not contain a capsule or ligamentous attachments. This joint relies entirely on the surrounding musculature for its control. The Scapulothoracic joint can often incur fibrous adhesions following a shoulder injury which impair movement.
The most well known joint of the shoulder is the the Glenohumeral Joint, the ball and socket joint, which provides a large proportion of the movement at the shoulder girdle. A common injury associated with this joint is a dislocated shoulder. The joint cavity is surrounded by a loose fitting articular capsule which allows freedom of movement. The articular cartilage of the shoulder joint is thinner in the shoulder compared to other joints as it does not normally support weight.
After suffering a shoulder sudden onset shoulder injury, the first thing to do is to stop immediately and rest. If a fracture is suspected seek medical attention as soon as possible. In the case of an injury such as a rotator cuff injury Cold therapy should be applied as soon as possible to help to reduce blood flow and swelling. Immobilise the shoulder in a sling to ease pain by taking the weight of the arm and see a Sports Injury Specialist or Doctor.
After the period of initial immobilisation you should be directed to gradually increase your range of pain free movement.
