Kure Clinic

Shoulder impingement is a common cause of shoulder pain. It’s also known as impingement syndrome or swimmer’s shoulder, since it’s common in swimmers. It’s also common in other athletes who use their shoulders a lot, such as baseball or softball players.

Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that attach your upper arm bone to your shoulder. They help you lift and rotate your arm. The rotator cuff sits under the top of the shoulder, which is called the acromion. If you have shoulder impingement, your rotator cuff catches or rubs against the acromion. When you lift your arm, the space (bursa) between the rotator cuff and acromion narrows, which increases pressure. The increased pressure irritates the rotator cuff, leading to impingement.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of shoulder impingement is sudden pain in your shoulder when you lift your arm overhead or backward. Other symptoms include:

• minor but constant pain in your arm
• pain that goes from the front of your shoulder to the side of your arm
• pain that gets worse at night
• shoulder or arm weakness.

Many cases of shoulder impingement are caused by overuse. Repeated use of the shoulder can make the tendons in your shoulder swell, leading them to “catch” on your upper shoulder bone. In other cases, there’s no known cause.who atrisk of having it?

Playing sports that require using your shoulders for overhead or forceful motion is the biggest risk factor for developing shoulder impingement. Common activities that could cause this include:

• swimming
• tennis
• baseball

Occupations that require lots of heavy lifting or arm movement also increase your risk. These include:

• construction work
• moving boxes
• painting

Both old age and previous shoulder injuries, such as a disl0cation, are also risk factors for shoulder impingement. Some people also have an unusually shaped acromion that increases their risk.

Your doctor may start by asking you some questions about any previous injuries as well as your exercise habits. Next, they may ask you to do a series of motions using your shoulder while they check for any unusual movement. This will also help your doctor rule out other conditions, such as a Pinched Nerve.

In some cases, you may also need an X-ray to rule out Arthritis or check for bone changes, such as a spur, that could lead to impingement.

If your doctor thinks that you have a more serious rotator cuff injury or they still can’t diagnose you, they might use an MRI to get a better look at your shoulder.

How it is treated?

There are many types of treatment available for shoulder impingement, depending on how severe your case is.

Home care

Rest is very important when it comes to treating shoulder impingement. Avoid strenuous exercise or any movements that make the pain worse. This is especially important if you’re an athlete

While it’s best to not move your shoulder too much, avoid using a sling to immobilize your arm completely. This can lead to more weakness and stiffness in your shoulder.

Try placing an ice pack on your shoulder for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, a few times a day, to reduce pain and any swelling you might have.

Physical therapy

Shoulder impingement usually responds well to physical therapy, which uses gentle exercises to rebuild strength and range of motion. Your doctor can refer you to a physical therapist who specializes in shoulder injuries.

Your physical therapy sessions will likely focus on the muscles in your shoulder, arm, and chest, which can help to improve the function of your rotator cuff. If you’re an athlete or work in a field that requires frequent use of your shoulder, your physical therapist can teach you proper techniques to reduce your chance of recurrence.

Exercise

They may also give you some exercises that you can do at home, which may help you recover faster. Just make sure you don’t overdo it.these four easy and quick shoulder stretches that you can do at work to help alleviate shoulder pain.

Desk angels

Sitting straight in your chair with perfect posture, place your arms at shoulder level with a 90-degree bend in your elbows.

Keeping your head and torso stationary, slowly move your arms overhead, reaching your hands toward the ceiling. Try to keep your arms in line with your ears as you move up to the ceiling and slowly back to the starting position.

You should feel some pulling in your midback, which helps to relax your spine.

Repeat 10 times.

Shoulder rolls

Keep your back straight and your chin tucked in.

Roll your shoulders forward, up, back, and down in a circular motion.

Repeat 10 times, then reverse.

Upper trapezius stretch

Sitting with your back straight, tilt your head sideways toward your shoulder.

For a larger stretch, drop your shoulder blade on the opposite side toward the floor.

Hold for 10 seconds.

Repeat twice on each side.

Armpit stretch

This stretch will make it look like you’re trying to smell your own armpit, so perhaps you should perform this one when you’re sure no one is looking.

Sit with your back straight.

Rotate your head sideways so that your nose is directly above your armpit.

Hold the back of your head with your hand and use it to gently push your nose closer to your armpit. Don’t push to the point of discomfort.

Hold for 10 seconds.

Repeat twice on each side.