Our shoulders consist of several joints, which are combined with muscles and tendons in order to allow motion of the arm. However, this movement has its cost. At times, it can cause issues because of impingement or instability of the bones or soft tissues in your shoulder. Some of these often lead to chronic shoulder pain. At times, this pain might be short-term, or it might be long-term and demand for orthopedic treatment. This article will highlight some of the chronic shoulder issues that orthopedic surgeons treat.

Tendon Tears

Your chronic shoulder issue can be as a result of tendon tears. Tearing or splitting of tendons can happen because of degenerative changes or injury of the tendons. This is mostly caused by a sudden injury, long-term overuse, advancing age, and normal wear and tear. The tendon tears can be either partial or a complete tear that separates the tendon from the bone. Biceps tendon and rotator cuff injuries are very common injuries.

Impingement

A shoulder impingement happens when your top shoulder blade exerts pressure on the soft tissues beneath it. Mostly happens when you lift your arm, and you will experience pain as you do so. As you raise your arm, the shoulder blade rubs on your bursa and rotator cuff tendons. This can cause tendinitis and bursitis, leading to limited arm movement and pain.

Fracture

Most shoulder fractures happen in the collarbone, shoulder blade, and the upper arm bone. In older patients, shoulder fractures occur when they fall from a standing height. Shoulder fractures in younger people, on the other hand, happen after a serious injury like a car accident or injuries from contact sports.

Arthritis

Arthritis can also cause chronic shoulder pain. There are different categories of arthritis, but the common one that affects the shoulders is osteoarthritis. Signs and symptoms of arthritis include stiffness, swelling, and pain, and it affects middle-aged patients. This condition develops gradually, and the pain that results from it worsen as the condition becomes serious.

Osteoarthritis can be caused by prolonged wear and tear, or work or sports injuries. The other types of arthritis can be as a result of infection, joint lining inflammation, or rotator cuff tears. Many people usually avoid moving their shoulders when trying to reduce the pain caused by arthritis. This can help, but at times it stiffens or tightens the soft tissues in your shoulder joint, which can lead to a very painful motion restriction.

If you're experiencing chronic shoulder pain, contact services such as El Camino Center for Sports Medicine​.