Human life activity is always closely associated with a variety of physical activities. Most people in the process of performing professional duties or playing sports are faced with the need to lift and move weights. Such physical activity can be the root cause of various pathological changes, degenerative processes, diseases.
One of the vulnerable nodes of the body is the shoulder joint, which provides functional mobility of the arm. It is precisely on it that a significant load is often imposed, in connection with which there are cases of overstrain and damage to this part of the body, as well as the appearance of various neoplasms, for example, a subcutaneous bump on the shoulder. Be sure to pay attention to such manifestations, as this may indicate an active development of pathology in the body.
Subcutaneous cones on the shoulder can occur for a variety of reasons, among which are: blockage of the skin glands, changes in the structure of connective tissue, hematomas due to trauma, and malignant tumors.
Hygroma
In most cases, the lump appearing on the shoulder is a hygroma. It is a kind of formed puffiness, which is formed as a result of excessive accumulation of exudate of a serous-mucous nature in the periarticular cavity or cavity of the synovial bag. That is, the bump under the shoulder is a relatively safe hernia, the location of which is the synovial joint bag .
Externally, the hygroma can have a rounded, clearly formed or irregular shape. When probing, you can find that its structure is solid (dense) or soft. It is important to note that such a bump on the shoulder under the skin looks pretty scary, but, despite this, it is a benign neoplasm. Timely therapy and careful monitoring will allow you to completely and without consequences get rid of it.
The initial stage of hygroma development (the appearance of a lump) is most often not accompanied by severe symptoms. The patient, as a rule, does not experience either discomfort or pain. In this regard, the treatment of the disease is often delayed. But do not do this in any case. It is necessary to consult a doctor at the first manifestations of a neoplasm.
It can be localized on different parts of the body, but, as a rule, it appears in the area of the shoulder joint. It should be noted that the appearance of a lump on the shoulder, the photo of which you can see later in the article, is only a symptomatic manifestation of the destructive processes that occur and occur in the patient’s body, which can be caused by a disease.
Reasons for the appearance
The main reasons that cause the formation of hygroma and the occurrence of cones are considered to be the following:
- Damage to the shoulder joint infection. It can occur due to the under-treatment of other diseases.
- Prolonged mechanical stress or pressure on the joint.
- Excessive load on the arms and shoulders.
- Continuous physical activity.
- A variety of traumatic injuries (fractures, bruises).
- Tendiitis (inflammatory processes affecting the tendons).
- Bursitis (inflammatory processes affecting the synovial bag).
Along with this, local edema on the shoulder joint can occur due to the development of anatomical deformation in the structure of the shoulder due to a hereditary predisposition.
Who is at risk?
Since the list of factors that can provoke the onset of an ailment is quite extensive, a bump on the shoulder can occur in almost any person. Nevertheless, a risk group exists, it includes:
- people whose lifestyle can be called sedentary;
- Obese
- having endocrine system disorders;
- professional athletes;
- engaged in heavy physical activity daily.
Symptoms of the disease
Most often, the initial stages of this disease are characterized by the appearance of only external manifestations. The appeared bump on the shoulder does not cause discomfort, does not hurt, does not provoke swelling. Local temperature also does not rise.
As the pathological process develops, the symptoms begin to take on a serious character. For example, the skin in the neoplasm becomes denser over time, its redness is noted. In some cases, severe peeling of the skin is observed. Sometimes a bump on the shoulder hurts. How is this manifested?
If it hurts
If the disease, which has become a catalyst for the appearance of hygroma, is aggravated, the lump quickly increases in size. It should be remembered that if the hygroma begins to hurt and cause discomfort, then an inflammatory or infectious process is actively developing in the body. In the absence of adequate therapy, serious complications can develop, including a complete loss of mobility of the arm. Only a doctor should determine the tactics of therapy, and individually in each case and taking into account diagnostic data.
Diagnosis of the disease
The bump on the shoulder, as a rule, is clearly visible, so almost any qualified doctor is able to establish the correct diagnosis through an initial examination and on the basis of the collected history.
At the same time, it is important to understand that the tactics of eliminating the neoplasm will depend on the root cause of its occurrence. Moreover, not only the inflammatory focus, but also serious injury can be localized in the shoulder area. The combination of such factors necessitates the implementation of comprehensive diagnostic measures.
When diagnosing, as a rule, the following methods are used:
- Roentgenography. Allows you to determine the nature of the occurrence of existing processes, to assess the integrity and degree of damage to bone tissue.
- Ultrasonography. It allows you to exclude some pathologies that have similar symptoms, to evaluate the degree of narrowing of the cartilage, joint spaces.
- Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography. These methods allow the specialist to get the most complete picture of the pathological process, which helps to determine the localization of the root cause, to determine the degree of damage to the shoulder joint. The results of MRI and CT can immediately confirm the alleged diagnosis and prescribe the necessary therapy.
- Laboratory study of blood samples. This diagnostic study is prescribed to the patient in order to clarify the presence of purulent-inflammatory foci, determine the activity of infectious, inflammatory processes.
- Puncture of synovial exudate. This study provides information on the degree of development of the inflammation process.
So what to do if a lump appears on the shoulder.
Therapy
If neoplasm therapy was started in a timely manner (at the initial stages of the development of pathology), then the desired therapeutic result can be obtained with the help of conservative treatment. Given the disease that triggered the appearance of a lump on the shoulder, treatment may include:
- Oral administration of drugs of various pharmacological groups (decongestants, anti-inflammatory, painkillers).
- Medicines intended for external use (warming dressings, medicinal plasters, ointments, gels).
- Passage of physiotherapeutic procedures.
- The use of lotions, compresses.
In some cases, patients are prescribed injections. According to experts, traditional medicine, used as the main method of therapy, with hygroma is ineffective. That is why they recommend combining it with medication.
Surgical intervention
If the pathology has a neglected form, it may be necessary to remove it by surgical intervention. Clinical practice and patient reviews show that removing bumps on the arm on the shoulder is the fastest and most effective treatment. However, like other surgical operations, the removal of the hygroma is associated with a rehabilitation period, which involves the complete immobilization of the arm with the help of fixing bandages.
By the way, judging by the reviews of patients, surgical removal is still preferable for many, since conservative treatment, as a rule, takes a long period and is not always effective. Many people prefer to fix the problem right away.
Conclusion
Regardless of the cause of the cone on the shoulder, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible, who will prescribe a diagnosis and, taking into account its data, determine the direction of therapy. Such prudence in many cases avoids the development of complications and prevents the development of the disease.