Definition
Shoulder pain can be caused by issues with the shoulder joint. Or it can be caused by issues with the surrounding soft tissues. These soft tissues include muscles, ligaments, tendons and bursae. Shoulder pain that comes from the joint often gets worse with arm or shoulder movement.
Also, certain health conditions of the neck, chest or stomach can cause shoulder pain. These include nerve issues in the spine, heart disease and gallbladder disease. When other health issues cause shoulder pain, it’s called referred pain. If your shoulder pain is referred, it shouldn’t get worse when you move your shoulder.
Causes
Shoulder pain causes include:
Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis) (The death of bone tissue due to limited blood flow.)
Brachial plexus injury
Broken arm
Broken collarbone
Bursitis (A condition in which small sacs that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near joints become inflamed.)
Cervical radiculopathy
Dislocated shoulder
Frozen shoulder
Heart attack
Impingement
Muscle strains
Osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis)
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rotator cuff injury
Separated shoulder
Septic arthritis
Sprains (Stretching or tearing of a tissue band called a ligament, which connects two bones together in a joint.)
Tendinitis (A condition that happens when swelling called inflammation affects a tendon.)
Tendon rupture
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Torn cartilage
