Shoulder Pain

• Your shoulder is very flexible, but it also is fragile. Pain in your shoulder can result from a number of different causes. Irritations from the nerves in your neck, repeated overuse of your shoulder, a fall or overstretching, all of these things can cause pain, inflammation and stiffness which make everyday activities painful.

• Your shoulder may hurt and it may possibly be swollen. You won't be able to lift your shoulder away from your body very easily and will have difficulty sleeping on your involved side. In such a case, an x-ray has limited value unless there is a likelihood of a broken bone. The shoulder is basically a muscular joint and an MRI of the injured shoulder may be needed to rule out the possibility a tear in the tendons or muscles. The healing process usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, but in the cases the shoulder imbalances can produce pain on and off for months. Sometimes, surgery is necessary to repair a torn area but generally these can heel if not completely torn.