Shoulder pain can commence after a traumatic injury or present gradually.
Traumatic shoulder injuries include:
- fractures (broken bones),
- dislocation (out of position),
- AC joint separation (torn ligaments),
- tendinopathy (tendon injuries) or
- muscular injuries.
The most common cause of traumatic shoulder injuries would be sports injuries or lifting injuries.
Gradual onset shoulder injuries include:
- Previous injuries that were inappropriately treated (eg old joint or ligament sprains)
- Poor joint positioning (biomechanical faults)
- Stiff joints (lack of movement diminishes joint nutrition) eg frozen shoulder
- Loose joints (excessive sloppiness causes joint or tendon damage through poor control)
- Arthritis