Shoulder injuries are very common amongst sportspersons, and to know more about these, go through the article below.

Aches, pains and sore muscles are minor shoulder problems which usually develop due to overuse of a certain muscle or joint. Especially, amongst sports persons, and many a times, a common cause of these pains and aches are shoulder injuries. Shoulder injuries from weightlifting is a common problem, which is why it is advised to have a personal trainer when one decides to work out. Weightlifting though is just one of the causes amongst many, and if we were to list out the other causes then there would be many. Shoulder is one of the most mobile part of the body, one must understand the anatomy of the shoulder to know how complex this human body part is. It is a complex amalgamation of muscles, tendons, ligaments and three bones namely scapula/ shoulder blade, clavicle/collarbone and humerus/upper arm bone.

Shoulder injuries are more common as they are caught up with two responsibilities. First, it must be mobile enough to perform a variety of hands and arms actions and it must also be stable enough to perform actions such as pushing, pulling and lifting weights.

Some Common Injuries of the Shoulder

Given below is a small list of common shoulder injuries in sports along with their symptoms.

Shoulder Bursitis
Most of the common injuries are a result of inflammation. This condition known as shoulder bursitis is caused due to an inflammation of bursa. Bursa is a lubricating fluid present between a tendon and a bone, the purpose of which is to prevent friction between the moving structures inside the shoulder. The most common cause of this condition is the overuse of the shoulder and the other factor that triggers it is repetitive overhead motions where the shoulder is overstretched. This condition is very common in sports such as baseball which involves overhead actions. Shoulder bursitis in most cases is observed after a rotator cuff injury also.

Some of the symptoms of this condition include pain, stiffness and swelling of the shoulder. With pressure or with an attempt of an overhead movement the pain intensifies. A restricted motion of shoulder and severe pain does not allow the person to sleep.

Rotator Cuff Injury
Shoulder injuries from weightlifting are often heard of and are mostly caused due to rotator cuff injury. Rotator cuff is made of tendons and muscles in the shoulder and they connect the upper bone with the shoulder blade. Besides this basic function, it also helps the ball of the upper arm bone to fix inside the shoulder socket. Repetitive arm movements, lifting and falling over the shoulder might damage the rotator cuff muscles and tendons.

Some symptoms of rotator cuff injuries includes shoulder pain, weakness and tenderness in the shoulder. The pain intensifies when one tries to overstretch the arm to a certain level or tries to lift something. Even performing simple daily activities such as combing the hair might cause unbearable pain in the shoulder.

Frozen Shoulder
Adhesive capsulitis is another name used to refer this type of shoulder injury. The term capsulitis refers to a capsule that is made of bones, tendons and ligaments and when this capsule swells up and tightens around the shoulder it results in a frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder exercises prove to be helpful in relieving one from the excruciating pain.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder are not as clear as those of the other shoulder injuries. The indications of this condition develop very slowly and appear in three stages namely painful, frozen and thawing. In the painful stage, restricted motion and an intense pain is experienced with the movement of the shoulder, the shoulder pain subsides in the frozen stage but, the shoulder becomes stiff and the motion of the shoulder is restricted. The last stage called the thawing stage is when the condition starts to improve with the pain subsiding and the range of motions increasing.

Dislocated Shoulder
Dislocated shoulder is one of the most common sports injuries mostly occurring in contact sports such as football and other sports that cause stress and pressure on the shoulder. Shoulder dislocation is a condition wherein the upper bone comes out of the socket, which is a part of the shoulder blade. As the shoulder can move in different directions, the dislocation of the shoulder could either be downward, forward or backward. Due to dislocation, the chances of stretching and tearing off the ligaments increases, thus complicating the injury.

Some symptoms of dislocated shoulder include a prominent deformed shoulder, intense pain, swelling and inability to move the shoulder joint. Muscle spasms in shoulder, weakness and numbness at the injured area are also significant symptoms experienced in many cases.

Applying ice compresses, shoulder exercises and taking anti-inflammatory medications are mostly advised for most of these shoulder injuries to get relief from the intense pain that these conditions cause. However, it is not advised in all the cases, a thorough diagnosis is a must to suggest the appropriate treatment. Applying ice compresses could have adverse effects, if the nerve around the injured area is also affected. Therefore it is imperative to consult a doctor before taking any self-care steps in case of shoulder injuries.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.