Shoulder pain can start from the shoulder itself or from any of the numerous surrounding structures such as muscles, ligaments, or tendons. The pain that arises in the joints progressively worsens with movement. Various diseases such as heart disease or gallbladder disease are often at the root of it causing referred pain.

Rotator cuff tear:

Either a singular injury such as a fall or repeated stress over time can cause a tear in the four groups of tendons that holds the upper arm into your shoulder blade, i.e the rotator cuff. Major shoulder pain reasons are aging, reduced blood supply, bone spurs, sudden tears, repetitive use, etc.

Symptoms:

Intense pain
Weakness in the upper arm
Restricted motion

Frozen Shoulder or adhesive capsulitis

The condition when your shoulder capsule thickens to become inflamed and tight is popularly known as frozen shoulder. Decreased synovial fluid needed to lubricate the joint results in the immobility of the shoulder. Diabetes or previous surgeries can also cause this condition.

Symptoms:

Dull and achy pain
Stiffness around the top of the arm
Decreased range of shoulder motions
Sleep disturbance

Broken Clavicle/ Collar Bone

The slightly curved bone at the top of your chest is the collar bone. It runs from the shoulder blades to the rib cage and when fractured due to falls on outstretched arms, leads to unbearable pain.

Symptoms:

Intense Pain
Inability to lift arm
Sagging Shoulder
Swelling with tenderness

Shoulder Tendinitis or Bursitis

Tendinitis is the inflammation of the fibers that attach muscles to the bones and bursitis is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that prevent friction at the joints.

Symptoms:

Stiffness around shoulder joint
Dull pain
Pain triggered by raising/lowering arm accompanied by a clicking sound
Pain when reaching behind the back

Other Causes

Inflammation of Shoulder Capsule
Soft Tissue injuries
Dislocated shoulder
Referred pain from the abdomen (gallstones), or heart (angina, heart attack), or lungs (pneumonia)

If you feel shoulder pain radiating down your arms, alongside a tight feeling in the chest with shortness of breath, rush to the hospital immediately.

Neck and shoulder pain may occur in isolation or simultaneously together. According to the cause behind the pain, it’s possible for it to alternate in intensity during various activities. It’s always advisable to seek clinical examination and consultation before the pain and hence the underlying disease progresses any further.