Shoulder pain can take many forms, from radiating waves to uncomfortable tingles to utter agony. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the causes of shoulder pain can vary widely too, and may include such varied sources as rotator cuff injuries, glenohumeral disorders, and referred neck pain.

I have provided a brief overview of elbow pain on this website, but as an orthopedic specialist here in San Diego, I’m always looking for new ways to explain the details of shoulder pain to my patients nationwide.

This page includes a great diagram and plenty of granular descriptions of shoulder pain, including the various anatomical and orthopedic issues that can give rise to discomfort. This passage may prove especially useful – a checklist for diagnosis:

• Is the pain arising from the shoulder, neck or elsewhere?
• Are there any ‘red flag’ symptoms/signs? (See box ‘Red flag symptoms/signs’, below.)
• Is the pain localised to the acromioclavicular joint: the ‘pointing sign’?
• If yes, there is acromioclavicular joint disease.
• Is there global pain and restriction of all active and passive movements? If yes, this suggests glenohumeral joint disorder (either ‘frozen shoulder’ or arthritis).
• Does the patient show a broad area of pain: the ‘grasping sign’ suggestive of subacromial pain?

To receive a full examination, workup and treatment plan, contact the orthopedic surgeons at AOSM.net today.

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Tags: glenohumeral disorders, orthopedic surgeons, referred neck pain, san diego shoulder pain