| uses | | | | surgery. Signs that a shoulder muscle is torn include |
| | | | but are not limited to pain, weakness, and loss of |
| Shoulder pain is a common affliction that affects many | | | | motion. |
| people on a daily basis. Depending on the severity of | | | | A microtraumatic event or repetitive overuse can lead |
| the pain this type of problem can have a significant, | | | | to injury of the muscle by causing minor tears in the |
| negative impact on performing your occupation and | | | | muscle fibers. These are small in degree but enough |
| your activities of daily living. | | | | to cause an inflammatory process to occur which |
| Shoulder pain is a common affliction that affects many | | | | leads to pain. This is a condition that we would |
| people on a daily basis. Depending on the severity of | | | | commonly term as tendonitis (an inflammation of the |
| the pain this type of problem can have a significant, | | | | muscle or tendon). It is not the same as a partial or |
| negative impact on performing your occupation and | | | | full tear. The muscle fibers do not actually separate |
| your activities of daily living. There are several ways | | | | from each other. This type of event can cause |
| that shoulder pain can develop and I will discuss those | | | | significant pain and dysfunction. Signs that a shoulder |
| below. | | | | muscle is inflamed include but are not limited to pain, |
| The most recognized way for pain to develop in the | | | | weakness, and loss of motion. |
| shoulder is through trauma. This could consist of | | | | Another common cause of shoulder pain is bursitis. A |
| something obvious like falling onto your outstretched | | | | bursa is a fluid filled sack that sits between muscle and |
| arm causing your shoulder to jam or trying to push or | | | | bone. The bursa is designed to protect the muscle |
| pull on a stuck object. A less obvious traumatic | | | | from scraping against the bone, thus it protects it from |
| event could be forcefully using the muscles of the | | | | becoming irritated against the bone. The bursa has a |
| shoulder over time and then pain occurs. This could | | | | lot of nerve endings in it. If the bursa becomes |
| happen during activities such as chopping firewood, | | | | inflamed we term this bursitis and it can be very |
| hammering, or exercising in a repetitive fashion. The | | | | painful. A bursitis can occur in the shoulder as the |
| first traumatic event is identified as a macrotrauma | | | | result of a macro or microtraumatic event as |
| meaning it’s a large and obvious event. The | | | | described above just like a muscle tear or tendonitis |
| second situation is termed a microtrauma meaning | | | | can develop. Signs that a shoulder bursa is inflamed |
| it’s less obvious and occurred with repetitive | | | | include but are not limited to pain, weakness, and loss |
| insults to the muscle tissue. One does not necessarily | | | | of motion. |
| occur more than the other, but both can cause | | | | These are three of the most common pathologies that |
| significant injury and pain. | | | | cause pain in the shoulder. You will notice that the |
| The macrotraumatic event can lead to injury of the | | | | symptoms that you may experience as a result of |
| muscle by causing a major tear in the muscle fibers. | | | | these conditions are very similar. So how do you tell |
| A muscle tear is exactly what it sounds like. The | | | | which problem you may have? Well, to determine |
| muscle fibers actually rip apart and become separated | | | | that you should consult a competent Physical |
| from each other or where the muscle tendon inserts | | | | Therapist in your area that specializes in the evaluation |
| on a bone in the shoulder. You can have different | | | | and treatment of musculoskeletal and/or orthopedic |
| size tears and these are usually termed partial, full or | | | | pathologies. They will be able to successfully |
| full thickness tears. It is important to remember that | | | | diagnose the source of your pain and treat the |
| just because a muscle tear is present that | | | | problem appropriately. |
| doesn’t always mean you will have to have | | | | |