Chronic shoulder pain is pain that lasts for six months or longer. There are many different causes of long-term pain including injuries and musculoskeletal conditions.
While traumatic injuries often cause acute pain that requires immediate medical attention, people with low level chronic shoulder pain may simply learn to live with it and not seek treatment. We do not recommend this. Not only is living with pain tiring and debilitating, but it can also lead to a worsening of symptoms in some cases.
If you are experiencing long-term problems with your shoulder, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis so you understand what is causing the issues and whether your shoulder will recover by itself or you need specialist treatment.
Common causes of long-term shoulder pain
Shoulder pain is particularly common in people who play sport or have a job that requires making repeated overhead movements. Shoulder pain is particularly common in people who play sport or have a job that requires making repeated overhead movements. As you age, your body tends to weaken and you may be more at risk of tears or fractures. Some of the most common shoulder conditions we treat at Thames Shoulder and Elbow are:
- Rotator cuff injuries – around 70% of patients we see with shoulder pain have a problem with their rotator cuff, which is a group of muscles and tendons that hold the ball of the upper arm bone within the shoulder socket. The rotator cuff can become torn as the result of an accident, wear and tear over time or because of an inherited bone structure. Microtears in the rotator cuff are referred to a tendinopathy. This can lead to a condition called subacromial bursitis.
- Shoulder arthritis – you may develop arthritis in either or both of your two shoulder joints – the acromioclavicular (where the shoulder blade and collarbone meet – AC arthritis) and the glenohumeral (where the upper arm bone fits into the shoulder socket – glenohumeral arthritis). Arthritis is caused by the wearing away of the cartilage that protects the ends of the bones within the joint. Symptoms include pain, stiffness and loss of mobility in the shoulder. Injuring your shoulder can increase your risk of developing shoulder arthritis.
- Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder – this causes pain and restricted mobility in your shoulder. There are three phases to the condition – freezing, frozen and thawing. Adhesive capsulitis generally gets better by itself within one to three years, but recovery can be significantly accelerated with treatment.
- Shoulder dislocations and glenohumeral instability – a shoulder dislocation is a very painful injury that can lead to a risk of further dislocations due to the ligaments and muscles around the shoulder joint becoming stretched and weakened. Repeated dislocations can cause labral tears (tears to the ring of cartilage around the shoulder socket) and lead to glenohumeral joint instability. Tears can occur to the front or back of the shoulder joint.
Diagnosing shoulder pain
Because there are so many different possible causes of shoulder pain, many of which share similar symptoms, we advise getting a specialist diagnosis.
At Thames Shoulder and Elbow we use a range of different scans and diagnostic tests to help us make an accurate assessment of what is causing the symptoms. From this we are able to develop the most effective treatment plan for you, based on the reason for your pain, your age, lifestyle and overall state of health.
Treating long-term shoulder pain
While some shoulder conditions respond well to rest, anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy, others require more intensive treatment. In the case of a badly torn rotator cuff, for example, you might need keyhole shoulder surgery (arthroscopy) to repair the damage.
This type of surgery is also used to tighten the ligaments around the joint in the case of shoulder instability. In the early stages of shoulder arthritis or if you have adhesive capsulitis, you may benefit from an injection of steroids directly into the shoulder joint.
With the most serious types of shoulder pain – for example, a fracture or severe arthritis – the best treatment option may be shoulder replacement surgery.
If you are experiencing chronic shoulder pain and would like to discuss a diagnosis or your treatment options, contact us to arrange a consultation.
Orthopaedic Consultant & Surgeon | London
Thames Shoulder & Elbow are able to provide advice and support to anyone experiencing symptoms affecting the upper limbs (shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm and wrist).
Telephone: 020 376 15987
Email: admin@thamesshoulderandelbow.co.uk
Our Locations
Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, St John’s Wood – Directions
BMI The Syon Clinic, Brentford – Directions
HCA Chiswick Medical Centre, Chiswick – Directions
West Middlesex University Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust, Isleworth – Directions
