How Do You Know If Shoulder Pain Is Muscle Or Joint? - Mirza Orthopedics | New York (2024)

FAQs

How to tell if shoulder pain is joint or muscle? ›

Shoulder pain is usually away above or below the joint localized to a muscle group, and associated with the muscle kink joint movement will be pain-free and there isn't any pain in the joint.

Partaking in activities that engage the affected muscle group may exacerbate muscle pain and cause discomfort instantly. However, joint pain is often accentuated during both movement and periods of rest. So, the discomfort can be present even when the joint is not actively engaged.

Blood or imaging tests, such as x-rays or MRI, may be ordered to help diagnose the problem. Your provider may recommend treatment for shoulder pain, including: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Bone pain typically lasts longer and requires greater medical attention. Muscle pain feels more “generalized,” and its exact location is difficult to pinpoint. People should visit a specialist if the pain is unbearable, or if it lasts longer than 48 hours.

Your healthcare provider will hold your arm and bend your elbow 90 degrees. With one hand on your shoulder, they will grasp your elbow and rotate the arm back and forth. This test is positive if it causes pain or any odd clicking or clunking sounds in the shoulder.

If your pain at the side of your shoulder and your ache feels like it's deep in the joint, it likely involves your glenohumeral joint. If you feel pain at the top of your shoulder that sometimes travels to the side of your neck, it likely involves your acromioclavicular (AC) joint.

Over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) can help relieve occasional pain triggered by activity your muscles and joints aren't used to — such as gardening after a winter indoors.

It is normal to experience sore muscles several hours after intense exertion; this feeling goes away after 48 hours. Muscle pain, however, occurs quickly and lasts for more than several days. Contact a physician as soon as possible if you experience these symptoms because it may be a sign of injury.

Red flags include: Trauma, pain and weakness, or sudden loss of ability to actively raise the arm (with or without trauma): suspect acute rotator cuff tear. Any shoulder mass or swelling: suspect malignancy. Red skin, painful joint, fever, or the person is systemically unwell: suspect septic arthritis.

How can I self-test my shoulder pain? ›

Start with placing your hand on top of the alternate shoulder. For example, if you are testing your right shoulder, place your right hand on top of your left shoulder. Then using the left hand slowly try to push the right shoulder up. If you have pain then this is positive for impingement.

Stretching and strengthening exercises

Increasing the flexibility and strength of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding the shoulder joint can reduce the pressure on the joint, and inflammation can be reduced, relieving pain. Stretching exercises for shoulder pain relief: Shoulder rolls. Arm circles.

Bone pain usually feels like it's coming from a specific spot inside your body that you can point to (it's more localized). Muscle pain typically feels less localized and more spread out along the length of your sore or injured muscle. Bone pain usually lasts longer than muscle pain.

Tendonitis can be confused with a muscle strain. The way to distinguish between the two is that with a muscle strain, the pain is felt in the muscle itself, whereas in tendonitis, the pain is felt near where the muscle attaches to the bone. Don't be fooled by the myth of “no pain, no gain” exercise approach.

Unless the condition is addressed, the injury may develop into permanent muscle damage, which not only decreases its physical functionality and performance but can also release proteins into the bloodstream. This condition then affects the body's kidneys and can lead to fatal complications.

If your shoulder joint looks deformed in any way, and the weird appearance is accompanied by severe pain and rapid swelling, it's possible you've partially or fully dislocated your shoulder. Watch for numbness or tingling into your neck and down your arm, and acute muscle spasms that make your pain worse.