| Have you been suffering from chronic shoulder pain? | | | | shoulder (towards the neck) may be due to a problem |
| The history behind your pain may hold important clues | | | | with the acromioclavicular joint or more commonly the |
| that will help a trained clinician uncover what the | | | | neck itself. If you have pain that radiates below your |
| source of your pain may be. When describing your | | | | elbow into your forearm or hand may be due to a |
| shoulder joint pain it is important that you don't leave | | | | problem with the neck. In cases of prolonged problems |
| out any details, no matter how small or insignificant you | | | | with the shoulder you could have pain below the elbow |
| think they are. To accurately reach a diagnosis every | | | | as well. |
| detail counts. | | | | It is also important to discuss any previous treatments |
| When your problem shoulder is being evaluated you | | | | that you have had and things that may aggravate or |
| will be asked about your occupational and recreational | | | | alleviate your shoulder joint pain. Sleeping on the painful |
| activities. The details of these activities can suggest to | | | | side which causes increased pain is suggestive of |
| the clinician what type of problem you may have that | | | | rotator cuff pathology. Pain experienced when lifting |
| is causing your symptoms. Some examples include | | | | your arm overhead indicates a milder form of a rotator |
| collision type sports (football, rugby, etc). Someone | | | | cuff problem or bursitis. If you have had a previous |
| involved in this may be predisposed to instability. A | | | | shoulder surgery you may have developed some |
| person that performs overhead activities on a | | | | degree of a frozen shoulder or an early onset of |
| repetitive basis at work may be more prone to rotator | | | | arthritis. |
| cuff symptoms. | | | | As you can see when taking a history of chronic |
| You will also be asked about the location of your | | | | shoulder pain every detail counts towards figuring out |
| chronic shoulder pain. This is necessary because | | | | what the source of the pain might be. A thorough |
| where you feel your symptoms can be correlated to | | | | medical history is important as previous or current |
| the structure that is causing your pain. Some examples | | | | illnesses can predispose a patient to certain types of |
| - pain that is felt in the upper arm is indicative of a | | | | shoulder problems as well. |
| rotator cuff problem. Pain that is felt above the | | | | |