What are Shoulder Injuries?
Shoulder injuries are common in athletes and individuals who perform repetitive overhead movements. Sports like swimming, tennis, baseball, and weightlifting often contribute to overuse injuries in the shoulder joint due to repeated stress on muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Symptoms of Shoulder Injuries
Common symptoms include shoulder pain, stiffness, weakness, restricted range of motion, swelling, and a clicking or popping sensation during movement.
Types of Common Shoulder Injuries
- Sprains and Strains: Sprains involve stretched or torn ligaments, often from sudden movements or falls. Strains affect muscles or tendons and are frequent in sports that require repetitive motion.
- Dislocations: A dislocation happens when the upper arm bone pops out of the shoulder socket, typically from a fall or contact sports injury. It causes intense pain and visible deformity.
- Tendinitis: Inflammation of shoulder tendons from repetitive motion or overuse. It causes tenderness, swelling, and difficulty lifting the arm.
- Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa (a fluid-filled sac that cushions the joint). Often results from overuse or repetitive movements and leads to pain and swelling.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries: Damage to the muscles and tendons stabilizing the shoulder. These injuries impair lifting and rotation of the arm and may cause night pain.
- Fractures: Breaks in the collarbone, upper arm, or shoulder blade due to trauma such as falls or direct blows. Fractures result in swelling, bruising, and severe pain.
- Arthritis: Degeneration of the shoulder joint cartilage (commonly osteoarthritis), leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility over time.
Treatment for Shoulder Injuries
Prompt treatment helps prevent long-term complications. Initial care typically includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), along with anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling and discomfort.
In many cases, physical therapy is recommended to restore flexibility, strength, and range of motion. Severe injuries may require advanced treatments such as corticosteroid injections, minimally invasive procedures, or surgery.