Understanding shoulder and elbow pain

Don’t let shoulder and elbow pain limit your everyday activities or make it difficult to do the things you enjoy. Whether your pain is caused by overuse or a contact injury, our specialists can reduce or eliminate your pain and help you regain shoulder and elbow mobility.

Overuse injuries are a common cause of shoulder and elbow pain among athletes and active people. We can help you find relief from a range of shoulder and elbow conditions, including:

• Arthritis and bursitis
• Dislocations and separations
• Elbow clicking
• Fractures
• Joint instability
• Sprains, dislocations and fractures
• Tendon tears
• Tendinitis
• Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
• Worn or torn cartilage and tendons

Shoulder and elbow pain conditions

Overuse, injuries and chronic conditions can all contribute to shoulder and elbow pain. Common causes and conditions of shoulder and elbow pain include:

• Rotator cuff injuries: A rotator cuff injury can occur when the group of muscles and tendons that surround your shoulder joint are injured, often as a result of overuse. Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury include a dull ache in the shoulder, arm weakness, disturbed sleep and difficulty lifting your arm to your head or behind your back.
• Shoulder arthritis: Shoulder arthritis occurs when your shoulder joints are inflamed. While there is no cure for arthritis, your doctor will partner with you to find a treatment option that works best for you to relieve your pain.
• Tendon or ligament injuries: Both tendon and ligament injuries are a common cause of elbow pain. A tendon injury occurs when the tendon (tissue that connects your muscles to your bones) becomes inflamed, irritated or torn. A ligament injury occurs when the ligament (tissue that connects your bones within a joint to keep them stable) becomes stretched or torn.
• Bursitis: This condition affects the small, fluid-filled sac that cushions the bones, muscles and tendons around the joint. When this sac becomes inflamed, it causes pain. Bursitis is most common in elbows, shoulders and hips.
• Tendinitis: When a tendon is inflamed or irritated, it causes pain and tenderness in the area outside of the joint affected. It is most common in knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists and heels.
• Fracture: A shoulder or elbow fracture occurs when a bone is broken and causes instability in your shoulder or elbow.
• Sports injury: If you’ve injured your shoulder or elbow during a sport, it can cause shoulder and elbow pain which can come on suddenly or persist over time.
• Sprain: A sprain occurs when the ligaments in your shoulder or elbow are stretched or torn, which causes pain or swelling in the affected area.

Diagnosing shoulder and elbow pain

Shoulder and elbow pain are typically self-diagnosed. There are plenty of ways to treat pain at home to minimize it, but reach out to a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment if your pain continues despite self-treatment.

When you see our orthopaedic team for further treatment, they may perform any of the following tests to diagnose the cause of your pain:

• Physical exam – During a physical exam, your doctor feels for any issues in the bones and joints in your shoulder and elbow. They may also watch you move your arm in certain ways to see your range of motion, which can help pinpoint a diagnosis.
• X-ray – After a physical exam, your doctor may order an X-ray, which takes an image of the bones in your shoulder and elbow and can help to identify any issues in the bones.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – Your doctor may also order an MRI, which takes a detailed image of the bones as well as the tissue in your shoulder and elbow and can help identify issues like a sprain.

If you are experiencing excruciating pain or swelling, or if you have an open wound or signs of infection (redness, warmth, tenderness or a fever), seek immediate medical attention.