Shoulder Pain

Introduction^{1, 2}

Shoulder pain can make everyday movements such as reaching, lifting or dressing difficult. The shoulder is the most movable joint in the body, but it is also unstable because of its range of motion. The ball of the upper arm is larger than the socket of the shoulder, making it susceptible to injury. You can usually do things to ease shoulder pain yourself. If it doesn’t feel better after 2 weeks, see your GP.

Causes and Symptoms of Shoulder Pain

Depending on the symptoms you are experiencing, shoulder pain could be caused by a number of things³. You should not self-diagnose, see a GP if you are worried:

Symptoms	Possible Cause
Pain and stiffness that does not go away over months or years	Frozen shoulder or arthritis
Pain that’s often worse while using your arm or shoulder	Tendonitis, bursitis or impingement
Tingling, numb, weak arm, feels like the shoulder is clicking or locking	Shoulder instability
Sudden very bad pain, cannot move your arm, sometimes changes shape	Dislocated shoulder, broken bone, torn or ruptured tendon
Pain on top of the shoulder (where the collarbone and shoulder joint meet)	Problems in the acromioclavicular joint, like dislocation or stretched or torn ligaments

Treatments for shoulder pain

Try paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain. This can help in most minor cases.^4,5
Heat or ice packs can help
- Ice is most beneficial if your shoulder pain is related to an injury
- Heat can help your pain levels if there is no swelling
Carry out your usual activities as much as you are able to
Physiotherapy

Exercises for shoulder pain

If you are experiencing a new shoulder problem, these exercises may be helpful for you. If you have been diagnosed with a shoulder condition you should speak to your healthcare professional⁵.

Arm swings forward and back

Complete this exercise while standing
Swinging your arms from front to back is one rep
With a table or chair next to you for support, lean forward so that one arm hangs straight down. Place the other hand on the table for support
Slowly swing your free arm back and forth, gradually increasing the length of the swing

Arm swings side to side

Complete this exercise while standing
Swinging your arms from left to right is one rep
With a table or chair next to you for support, lean forward so that one arm hangs straight down. Place the other hand on the table for support
Slowly swing your free arm from left to right and gradually increase the length of the swing

Arm circles

Complete this exercise while standing
Rotating your arm clockwise and anti-clockwise is one rep
With a table or chair next to you for support, lean forward so that one arm hangs straight down. Place the other hand on the table for support
Slowly rotate your free arm clockwise as if drawing a circle with your hand and occasionally change direction
Gradually increase the size of the circle

Shoulder flex

You should do this exercise while lying down. A good place to do this exercise is on your bed.
Bringing your arms up, over and back down again is one repetition.
Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your knees bent
Clasp your hands in front of your body
Lift your arms up over your body
Continue to lift your arms so that they end up straight over your head
Bring your arms back over the body and down. Your hands should now be clasped in front of your body once again