My shoulder hurts – Where is it coming from?
There are many possible causes of pain in the shoulder, but the two main problems that create pain in this area is inflammation in the shoulder itself, or a nerve in the neck that refers pain to the shoulder. Diagnosing pain in the shoulder area may be difficult at times due to the fact that as we age there will be wear and tear in the shoulder joint without creating pain.
The same type of changes will occur in the neck with all of us gradually having herniated discs and arthritis, causing only minimal discomfort unless a specific structure in the spine is actually inflamed. 50% of all people aged 50 and above have been found to have significant changes by MRI with no pain. This is the reason why just getting an MRI of the shoulder or neck will not give you an answer.
Our goal at SpineCare Consultants is to locate the exact structure that is inflamed and eliminate your shoulder pain. This information can then be used to make the right decisions when it comes to therapy, exercises, and, if needed, surgery. The most important thing to realize is that you usually hurt only because there is a structure either in your shoulder or neck that is inflamed, and if we can eradicate the inflammation, you have the possibility of long-term relief.