Top Ten Shoulder Pain Causes

Work-related shoulder pain is one of the most common occupational diseases in Mississippi. Roughly half these patients report serious pain which lasts at least twelve months. Depending on the nature of the condition, treatment for shoulder pain varies widely, from exercises to repeated injections to reconstructive surgery. All these treatments have varying success levels.

Shoulder pain is often a lifelong condition caused by repetitive work stress. In these situations, a Jackson workers’ compensation attorney might be able to obtain substantial benefits for victims. These benefits usually include money for lost wages as well as direct or indirect medical bill payment.

Dislocation

Shoulder dislocation is one of the few trauma injuries in this category. When people stretch too far, the top of the arm pops out of its socket. The dislocation itself is easily correctable. The accompanying pain, numbness, and swelling are another story.

Separation

The collarbone/shoulder blade joint is one of the most vulnerable areas of the body. Almost any impact causes the acromioclavicular joint to tear. The symptoms of a shoulder separation are similar to a shoulder dislocation. However, shoulder separations usually require surgery.

Fracture

Perhaps the most common of all shoulder injuries usually involves the clavicle (collarbone) and/or humerus (arm bone which is closest to the shoulder). This injury is usually much more painful than another bone break. As a result, most patients need long-term physical therapy to recover from the break and restore range of motion.

Torn Cartilage

Either trauma injuries or repetitive motion could erode shoulder cartilage, which is the soft, rubbery substance between bones. Common symptoms include muscle weakness and pain when reaching over the head. Other victims feel like their shoulders are locking or grinding.

Torn Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff is a cluster of muscles and tendons which enable people to hold their arms in place and lift them over their heads. When their rotator cuffs tear, most people experience pain, especially at night or when lifting items, and limited range of motion.

Frozen Shoulder

This condition is usually a collateral consequence of a range of motion injury. When people use their shoulder less, adhesions (abnormal tissue bands) build up in the joint, causing further pain and even more limited use.

Impingement

When shoulder bones pinch rotator cuff tendons and muscles, people experience severe pain and swelling. Impingement is almost always a repetitive stress injury.

Bursitis

Repetitive motion also causes the bursa sac, which is roughly like shoulder cartilage, to swell. Any movement causes intense pain and abnormal swelling.

Referred Pain

Sometimes, shoulder pain has nothing to do with the shoulder itself. Problems in other organs, mostly the liver or gallbladder, often cause shoulder pain. So, an experienced doctor will always give these people a complete physical examination, even if they are only experiencing shoulder pain.

Tendonitis

This injury is a specific kind of rotator cuff injury. Because of repetitive stress or sudden trauma, the tendons become inflamed. This condition is rather difficult to diagnose and treat.

 Rely on an Experienced Attorney

Work-related shoulder injuries manifest themselves in many different ways. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Jackson, contact Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. After-hours visits are available.

Resource:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3127806/

https://www.lunsfordbaskin.com/lousiana-emergency-responders-ptsd-and-workers-compensation/