My Shoulder Feels Sore Every Day; What Could be the Cause?

You groan as you roll over in the morning and feel the soreness creeping through your shoulder … again.

This has been going on for weeks, and it’s not getting any better. You’re frustrated, and you want answers. What could be causing this soreness?

Here at Carolina Joint and Arthritis in Wilmington, North Carolina, we specialize in cases just like yours. Read on for answers about what could be causing your soreness and how we can help relieve your shoulder pain.

What causes shoulder pain?

Your shoulder is an incredibly complex joint. It includes three bones that make up two joints, the rotator cuff (which itself includes four muscles and associated tendons) and ligaments. Whether it’s caused by a sudden injury or a chronic condition, shoulder pain can arise from any of these individual elements.

It’s very common for people to develop shoulder soreness and pain as they age due to the repeated arm movements you make every day that cause stress in your shoulder. 

Common conditions that can cause shoulder pain include rotator cuff tears, dislocation or impingement, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, and labral tears.

Shoulder pain usually doesn’t occur by itself. Other symptoms that occur with it can include swelling, bruising, weakness, an inability to lift your arm, and limited movement.

The best way to relieve your pain is to determine exactly what’s causing it. A physical exam and imaging are the primary tools we use to diagnose your condition. Once we know what the problem is, we can begin a customized treatment plan for you.

What are treatment options?

With most shoulder pain, we’ll start treatment conservatively. That means physical therapy here in the office, along with activity modification, immobilizing the shoulder, and anti-inflammatory medications.

Other treatment options include the Tenex Health TX procedure, which treats chronic tendinitis with ultrasound energy, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, which makes use of concentrated platelets from your blood to accelerate healing by triggering specialized healing cells to repair and regenerate tissues in the injured areas.

A specialized treatment for damaged cartilage that Dr. Austin Yeargan developed is called NAMAD, which stands for Nanoplasty™️ and Mechanical Axis Deviation Procedure. The idea is to extract certain types of cells from the bone marrow in your hip. When injected into the damaged cartilage, these cells trigger tissue regeneration and healing to regrow healthy cartilage. 

If you’re dealing with shoulder pain and need a customized treatment plan, Dr. Yeargan and his team at Carolina Joint and Arthritis have the experience and expertise you need. Just call our office at 910-659-9597 or use our online scheduler to book your own appointment anytime.