Telltale Signs of Shoulder Impingement

The shoulder is a unique joint in the human body. While there are other ball-and-socket joints, the shoulder is much more shallow and provides a huge range of motion that other joints lack. 

The shoulder's muscles, tendons, and ligaments include a structure called the rotator cuff, which provides the support and stability to keep the three bones of each shoulder functional. No joint is as complex, and the shoulder is subject to unique injuries, including shoulder impingement.   

The physicians at 360 Orthopedics specialize in shoulder pain, so make us your first call when you recognize the telltale signs of shoulder impingement. Here’s what you need to know about this common cause of shoulder pain. 

What is shoulder impingement? 

Impingement is the medical term that describes pinching. In the case of the shoulder, the rotator cuff forms from four muscles that connect the shoulder blade to the upper bone of the arm called the humerus. You can raise and rotate your arm with the support of the rotator cuff. 

Impingement happens when the muscles of the rotator cuff become pinched by the shoulder blade and humerus. Shoulder impingement can be caused by several shoulder conditions. These conditions include: 

• Bursitis: the inflammation of fluid-filled sacs in the shoulder
• Deformed acromion: normally flat, the acromion is a section of the shoulder blade that causes impingement if it’s curved 
• Tendinitis: irritated tendons can swell, increasing the size of the rotator cuff and contributing to pinching

This type of problem is often referred to as shoulder impingement syndrome since a variety of conditions can cause a similar injury. Shoulder impingement is estimated to be the cause of about half of all cases of shoulder pain. 

Telltale signs of shoulder impingement

The most common symptom of shoulder impingement syndrome is pain. Usually, you’ll feel pain at the front of the shoulder, which can also sometimes radiate to the side of your arm. 

Your shoulder could be tender to the touch, and the pain may get worse overnight. Shoulder impingement pain can wake you or make it hard to fall asleep. 

Other signs of shoulder impingement involve movement restrictions or pain associated with certain movements. These motions include: 

• Lifting your arm above your head
• Lowering your arm
• Laying on the injured arm
• Reaching forward
• Reaching behind your back or to the side

Shoulder impingement syndrome is usually the result of an overuse injury. Repeated motions, typically related to sports, physical activity, or a job, create the irritation and swelling that lead to shoulder impingement. 

While anyone can develop shoulder impingement, you’re more at risk if you do physical work that places heavy demands on the shoulders. This includes jobs in construction, home painting, working with drywall, and window washing. 

Sports participants also have an increased risk of shoulder impingement. Sports that commonly cause this injury include: 

• Baseball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Volleyball

Shoulder impingement isn’t usually an acute injury that comes on suddenly. It tends to develop over weeks and months. 

At 360 Orthopedics, we can usually diagnose your shoulder impingement condition with a physical exam and medical history review. If further diagnostics are necessary, medical imaging like X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound are common. 

Often, diagnostic imaging checks for other shoulder conditions that cause pain to ensure you receive the right treatment for your injury. 

Schedule your consultation and exam by calling the nearest location of 360 Orthopedics today.