Pain in the arm in the shoulder joint: causes, prevention, treatment. Pain in the shoulder joint of the left and right hand

Pain in the arm in the shoulder joint is a very unpleasant symptom that significantly complicates a person’s life. Therefore, if discomfort occurs, treatment should be started immediately. To make it as effective as possible, you need to understand how the shoulder joint is structured, what are the possible causes of its damage. Also from the materials in this article you will learn about the main diagnostic methods for this pathology.

Shoulder joint anatomy

The shoulder joint has a unique structure. The forearm bone and the articular cavity located on the scapula are connected through the so-called bag and auxiliary ligament. A small cartilaginous outgrowth runs along the edge of the cavity. It is called the articular lip. The rotator cuff is a system of small ligaments and muscles. It allows you to continuously hold the joint in one position, preventing dislocations and providing a complex of various movements. That is why the strength of the shoulder joint depends directly on the surrounding muscles and ligaments.

Such a special anatomical structure enables the upper limbs to easily make a huge range of movements and at the same time be a convenient tool for labor. When pain occurs in the arm in the shoulder joint, the number of manipulations is immediately limited, which affects the quality of human life.

The nature of the discomfort directly depends on the reason that influenced its appearance. The pain can differ in both short-term and paroxysmal nature, be acute or aching. Due to the variety of causes of pathology, one should not try to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment on his own. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately.

Factors Contributing to Shoulder Pain

Experts call a number of risk factors that determine the occurrence of pain.

1. Improper posture (stoop and scoliosis deform the clavicle and affect the entire shoulder section).
2. Excessive physical activity (athletes, movers, conveyor workers most often suffer from this pathology).
3. A low-activity lifestyle can lead to congestion in the shoulder, which is always accompanied by pain.
4. An unbalanced diet entails a lack of nutrients and contributes to the deposition of salts on the joints.

Often the causes of pain in the shoulder joint are the result of serious illnesses. These include osteochondrosis, arthritis and arthrosis, bursitis and others. Consider each variant of the disease, the causes of its occurrence and characteristic symptoms in more detail.

Injuries and injuries

Since the shoulder joint is the most complex and at the same time fragile joint in the human body, this means that it is more prone to injuries. Damage can be domestic in nature (falling onto the arm), professional (sudden movements, weight lifting) and sports.

The left hand is injured several times less, because most people on our planet are right-handed. The most common type of mechanical damage is contusion. Patients usually do not particularly pay attention to this pathology, hoping that it will pass on its own. However, this is a serious mistake, bruises are not always harmless. Patients have a hematoma of tissues, which resolves independently after a few weeks, and with it the pain in the shoulder joint of the right hand disappears. Sometimes with a bruise, damage to the joint bag can occur. In this case, one cannot count on a quick recovery. In order not to encounter complications, it is necessary to seek medical advice in a timely manner and undergo appropriate treatment.

Another fairly common type of injury is dislocation and subluxation. In the latter case, the head of the humerus literally slips out of the articular cavity, after which it falls into place on its own. With a dislocation, the bone completely leaves the joint cavity. Often this pathology is accompanied by ruptures of the capsule and ligaments. The patient has pain in the shoulder joint of the right hand, he can not take the limb forward or backward. Directing dislocations yourself is strictly prohibited. Before that, it is necessary to check the joint for the presence of fractures, and this can only be done through radiography or MRI.

Pathology of the internal organs

Pain in the shoulder joint of the left hand is usually mistaken for the manifestation of osteochondrosis. However, such discomfort often signals serious pathologies of the internal organs. These include angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.

In the first case, the pain radiates to the shoulder and arm. With angina pectoris, patients complain of shortness of breath after exercise and constant pressure in the chest area. Sometimes pain in the shoulder joint of the left hand is the only symptom that indicates a disease.

With myocardial infarction, the classic clinical picture, as a rule, is as follows: shortness of breath, burning in the chest. In some cases, pathology is indicated only by discomfort in the shoulder girdle and neck. As a rule, it is the left shoulder joint that bothers.

Osteochondrosis

Pain in the arm in the shoulder joint can occur due to osteochondrosis affecting the cervical spine. In order to understand exactly where the source of discomfort is located, it is necessary to make a circular motion with the shoulder. When reflected pain occurs, it immediately makes itself felt. Otherwise, discomfort occurs when turning or tilting the neck, giving along the entire length of the arm.

Such a disorder develops from the fact that bone growths hurt and even injure nerves. Depending on the location of the pain syndrome, the doctor may say which vertebrae are affected. To assess the full clinical picture, patients are prescribed radiography, MRI and ultrasound. Based on the results of the analysis, treatment tactics are built.

Arthritis

Arthritis develops against the background of inflammation and is associated with changes of a degenerative nature or with rheumatoid processes. With this disease, patients complain of severe pain in the shoulder joint when you raise your hand. Discomfort worsens over time.

Arthritis is clearly visible on the radiograph. Therapy involves taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a course of exercise therapy. Lack of timely therapy can lead to disability.

Arthrosis

Arthrosis is accompanied by degeneration and degeneration of cartilage tissue with their subsequent ossification. As the disease progresses, they become thinner, which provokes intense friction of the bones against each other. With arthrosis, pain in the arm in the shoulder joint is accompanied by a characteristic crunch. The thing is that the cartilage tissue eventually transforms into bone, resulting in the formation of many processes - osteophytes. Movement activity is reduced. Arthrosis may not manifest itself for a very long time. As a result, the mobility of the joint decreases, the shoulder quickly gets tired even after a slight load, and the pain accompanies the patient throughout the whole day.

Arthrosis belongs to the category of incurable diseases. However, modern therapeutic methods can slow down the development of the disease, to minimize the likelihood of complications.

Bursitis

Bursitis (inflammation of the joint bag) occurs against a background of joint wear with systematic pressure or shoulder overload. With this disease, the patient feels pain after any touch on the shoulder, stiffness in the joint, as well as discomfort during movements. As the disease develops, swelling, numbness and muscle tone increase significantly in the affected area. For treatment, exercise therapy and acupuncture are used.

Tendinitis

Inflammation in the tendon develops as a result of arthritis, gout, or muscle strain. Aching pain in the shoulder joint of the right hand or left, local temperature increase, swelling - these symptoms are accompanied by tendonitis. When the limb moves, a slight crunch can be heard.

Ultrasonography and MRI are usually used to diagnose the disease. With the help of radiography, tendonitis cannot be detected. Treatment is based on the exclusion of physical activity, immobilization of the shoulder joint. Physiotherapy and painkillers are used to relieve pain. With a purulent form of tendonitis, surgery is indicated.

Capsulitis

This is a rather rare, but painful pathology, accompanied by inflammation of the joint capsule. Muscles become stiff, as if frozen, which affects the amplitude of rotational movements. Discomfort covers the entire shoulder joint. The pain of raising a hand is very severe, so patients with this diagnosis cannot work and perform the usual actions.

The causes of capsulitis are not fully understood. It is assumed that a certain role in the occurrence of the ailment belongs to diabetes mellitus and pathologies of the circulatory system. Capsulitis also develops in people with a history of cancer, who underwent surgery on the shoulder joint. The disease is diagnosed with arthrography. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for treatment. Additionally, a course of exercise therapy is prescribed. Surgical intervention is required in exceptional cases.

Diagnostic Methods

Many patients come to the doctor with complaints of pain in the shoulder joint of the right hand. The causes of the disorder can be found only after a full examination. It is very important not to miss the beginning of the pathological process. When the first symptoms appear, consult a specialist. Palpation, physical examination is the initial stage of diagnosis. Then the doctor, based on the clinical picture, directs the patient for further examination to confirm or refute the initial diagnosis. It usually includes the following procedures.

1. Roentgenography . Allows you to determine the severity of changes in cartilage, the presence of bruises and damage to bones.
2. MRI This diagnostic method is aimed at the most informative study of the shoulder girdle. With it, you can identify arthritis, osteoarthritis and other ailments.
3. CT This study is a painless joint scan to identify dystrophic, inflammatory and degenerative processes.
4. Laboratory study of blood and urine.

After a comprehensive diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe an individual treatment for pain in the shoulder joint of the hand. To prescribe a course of therapy, it is important to take into account the age of a particular patient, the presence of concomitant diseases of a chronic nature, as well as the characteristics of the body.

Conservative treatment

In mild cases, when the pain is caused by hypothermia or excessive stress, specific therapy is not required. To restore faster, you can apply a warming ointment to the affected area or make a compress.

When injuring, it is necessary to apply ice to the shoulder, immobilize the arm and consult a traumatologist. After an X-ray examination, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment.

The first sign of bursitis, arthritis and arthrosis is pain in the shoulder joint of the right hand. Treatment should initially be aimed at combating the underlying pathology, after which the discomfort passes by itself. As a rule, complex drug therapy is prescribed, the main purpose of which is to eliminate the mechanisms of the development of the disease. For this, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used (Nise, Ketorol, Diclofenac). These funds are highly effective, rarely cause side effects.

Separately, you should talk about ointments and gels. These funds are very effective in joint pathologies, as they are applied directly to the affected area. The active components penetrate deep into the inflamed structures, which allows you to quickly eliminate the pathological process and remove muscle tone.

After drug therapy, a rehabilitation course is recommended to restore the motor functions of the ligaments. For this purpose, the patient is prescribed massage, physiotherapy exercises, reflexology. Surgery is indicated in especially serious cases when the pathological process affects the entire shoulder joint.

Pain in raising a hand: treatment with folk remedies

You should not write off folk remedies. The combination of alternative medicine recipes with conservative treatment can accelerate joint restoration and prevent the development of complications.

1. If the pain of the shoulder joint is disturbed when the arm is pulled back, a special grinding can be done. To prepare it, you need to mix 3 tablespoons of lilac flowers, burdock root and 3 red peppers. Ingredients should be poured with a liter of alcohol and left for three days. The resulting medicine can be rubbed into the affected area several times a day until completely cured.
2. An ointment prepared on pork fat helps well from pain. It is necessary to melt 100 g of pork fat, add a pinch of red pepper, 3 teaspoons of St. John's wort and saberfish. Ointment is recommended to rub into the affected joint before bedtime.
3. A vinegar compress perfectly relieves pain in the shoulder joint of the left hand. Treatment initially involves the preparation of a special solution. To do this, in 0.5 liters of water, add a spoonful of 9% vinegar. The resulting solution is moistened with a piece of linen and applied to the sore shoulder. Compress is best left overnight.

These recipes help reduce the manifestation of pain in the shoulder joint, as well as prevent the development of complications.

Preventive measures

Any disease is easier to prevent than subsequently treated. This rule applies to all pathologies affecting the shoulder joint. The pain of raising a hand, which often accompanies arthritis and capsules, can be prevented by following simple rules.

First of all, doctors advise regular exercise. It is not necessary to engage in sports professionally, enough morning exercises. To strengthen the joints, yoga and swimming are great.

In addition, you need to monitor the diet. It should be balanced, rich in vitamins and minerals. Timely treatment of infectious diseases is the key to good health. If you wear warm clothes in bad weather, you can avoid hypothermia.

If you have aching pain in the shoulder joint of the left hand or right, you need to find out the cause of the pathology. To solve this problem, the help of a qualified specialist is indispensable. Only after a comprehensive examination can a doctor make a final diagnosis and guarantee adequate therapy. It is not recommended to self-medicate, because this will only aggravate the course of the pathological process. Be healthy!