Shoulder pain is a common complaint and is often caused by overuse or injury, though some conditions are more common if you have other problems like diabetes and pain in the shoulder can also be 'referred' from other parts of the body like the neck, lung or even the abdomen
Pain in the shoulder as mentioned, can have many causes and the symptoms are frequently typical of the cause (see below)
Frozen Shoulder - immobility and marked pain, often worse at night, may be no obvious cause for this but it occurs more frequently in diabetics
Impingement - involves the 'rotator cuff' and symptoms include pain, weakness and loss of range of motion; often follows injury but can occur without any obvious cause
Bicipital tendonitis - pain at the front of the shoulder that often follows vigorous exercise and is frequently associated with other injuries of the shoulder
Referred pain - the most common form of referred pain is pain in the neck manifests in the shoulder but things like gallstones, ectopic pregnancies and rarely even lung cancer can present with shoulder pain
A thorough history and examination should be done with your Dr to try to determine the cause of the pain and the treatment would depend on what is found - commonly analgesia, hot and cold compresses, rest/physiotherapy or surgery are used with shoulder injuries but with referred pain, treatment specific to the cause would need to be employed
Our doctors are available now to help you with shoulder pain or any other medical condition which you would normally see your GP about. Book an appointment now and start feeling better right away.