Shoulder Pain

At a glance

Your shoulder is not one but several joints that combine with tendons and muscles to allow a wide range of motion in the arm – from scratching your back, stretching to reach something on a top shelf, or lifting heavy items. In fact, the shoulder has the largest range of motion of any joints in your body.

This complex arrangement of bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments can be injured by an accident or overuse. Most shoulder problems involve the shoulder’s soft tissues: the tendons, ligaments or muscles. Disease can also affect the shoulder. When that happens, the pain and lack of mobility can be severe enough to affect your ability to work and enjoy normal activities of daily life.

You may feel pain only when you move your shoulder, or all the time. The pain may be temporary or it may be ongoing. Your doctor will help diagnose your problem and work with you to develop a treatment plan. You do not have to live with shoulder pain or lack of mobility.