Pain in front of shoulder | Cause, diagnosis, symptoms and treatment

Pain in front of shoulder? Here you can learn more about anterior shoulder pain, as well as associated symptoms, cause and various diagnoses of shoulder pain. Shoulder pain should always be taken seriously to prevent it from developing further. Follow and like us too Our Facebook page for free, daily health updates.

Shoulder pain occurs when the shoulder joint, associated muscles, tendons and ligaments become painful due to overactivity, injury or malfunction. In this article, we specifically address shoulder pain at the front of the shoulder - that is, the area where the upper arm meets the upper part of the chest. Typical causes of pain in the anterior part of the shoulder are rotator cuff dysfunction (instability, injuries or pain from the shoulder stability muscles), pinching in the shoulder (due to tight muscles and hypomobility in nearby joints) and subacromial bursitis (mucositis in front of the shoulder).

In this article you will learn more about what could be causing your shoulder pain, as well as various symptoms and diagnoses.

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Cause and diagnosis: Why do I have pain in the front of the shoulder?

Anatomy of the shoulder

The shoulder is a complex structure. It consists of several bones, tendon tissue, ligaments and muscles - as illustrated in the picture above. The bones that make up the shoulder joint are the humerus, the scapula, the collarbone and the acromion (the outer part of the collarbone). Together with the stability muscles (the rotator cuff muscles - which consist of four muscles), tendons and ligaments form this shoulder joint.

The rotator cuff muscles consist of supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor. This muscle stabilizes the shoulder joint while allowing proper movement of the arm. But because of their responsibility to stabilize the shoulder joint, pain often occurs if they do not work properly, and they often cause pain in the front of the shoulder.

Diagnoses that can cause pain in the front of the shoulder

Pain in the shoulder is a nuisance that affects many people from time to time. Such shoulder pain can affect both young and old, as well as women and men. Some of the most common diagnoses that can hurt you in the front of your shoulder:

Adhesive capsulite (frozen shoulder)

Adhesive capsulite, also known as cold shoulder or frozen shoulder, is an inflammation within the shoulder joint itself. The diagnosis can last as long as 1 to 2 years and goes into three phases: Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3.

Stage 1 of frozen shoulder: The first phase of adhesive capsulite is the most painful part of the diagnosis. The movement and mobility of the shoulder also gradually becomes less and less, as well as stiffer and stiffer, as it progresses into phase 2. The pain is often located deep within the front of the shoulder.

Phase 2 of adhesive capsulite: In the second phase of the frozen shoulder, there will be less pain, but the mobility is significantly reduced and lifting the arms up in front of or up to the side becomes virtually impossible.

Stage 3 of cold shoulder: The third phase of cold shoulder is the phase where the shoulder begins to "thaw again". In this phase, the pain becomes stronger at the same time as the movement gradually improves. Gradually, the pain will also subside as the shoulder gets better.

Video - Exercises against frozen shoulder (Phase 3):

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Biceps muscle injury / tendon injury

The biceps, the muscle responsible for flexing the forearm, can become painful with overuse or other trauma. The muscular biceps attaches to the anterior part of the shoulder - and it is therefore natural that it can be responsible for anterior shoulder pain.

Impingement Syndrome (Clamping in the shoulder)

Impingement syndrome - also known as squeezing syndrome - is due to significant dysfunction of the shoulder muscles and joints. Typically, reduced mobility in the thoracic spine and neck can lead to less shoulder movement and thus pain in the muscles. Clinical tests performed by a modern chiropractor or physiotherapist can reveal this diagnosis.

Video - Exercises against shoulder squeezing / impingement syndrome:

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Labrum injury (injury within the shoulder joint)

The bowl into which the shoulder joint itself attaches is called the labrum. It consists of cartilage and allows the shoulder ball itself to move freely - but if damage occurs to this cartilage then this can lead to deep, significant anterior shoulder pain.

Rotator cuff tendon injury

The four stability muscles in the shoulder are important to take good care of, as these prevent the malfunction of the shoulder joint. Due to weak stability muscle and muscular imbalance this could lead to damage to the tendon fibers where more damage tissue is formed and thus more pain in the area.

Subacromial mucosal inflammation (bursitis)

In the front part of the shoulder we have a structure called the subacromial bursa. This is a mucus bag that has the function of reducing shock and trauma to the shoulder joint. However, this mucus bag can become inflamed and irritated - and then swell. Typically, this will cause pain in the front of the shoulder.

Also read: - 7 Exercises against Sore Shoulder

Treatment of front pain in the shoulder

As mentioned, there are most often functional causes of pain in the front part of the shoulder - and this is where one should focus in the form of treatment and exercise. Pain sensitive tissue often occurs if the function of the shoulder is poor enough. Physical treatment, consisting of muscular techniques, stretching and mobilization, can break down this damage tissue and thus provide less pain signals in the area.

Physical treatment

Modern chiropractor and physiotherapist are among the most common professions that treat shoulder pain. Pain in the front part of the shoulder often has several problems that should be addressed - including reduced joint movement in the neck and thoracic spine, as well as significant muscular tissue damage in nearby muscles and tendons.

Typical treatment methods consist of joint mobilization / joint adjustment, trigger point therapy (manual deep tissue therapy), pressure wave therapy in combination with gradual training in the form of home exercises.

Anterior shoulder pain surgery

In modern times, the scalp has become increasingly devoid of focus and rather focused on conservative treatment and training, as research has shown that the long-term effect of the latter is often significantly better than surgical procedures.

Also read: 9 Exercises at Frozen Shoulder

Prevention of pain in the front of the shoulder

Aren't you affected by such anterior shoulder pain, but just want to prevent it from occurring? Well, then you have the good fortune for what we will talk about in this part of the article.

• If you are uncertain about how to perform certain exercises, you should consult a professional
• Remember to warm up before your workout and activity that causes heavier workouts
• Make sure you have enough recovery time after your workouts
• Exercise varied and focus on both strength and mobility
• Avoid the worst shoulder exercises if you have shoulder pain

Also read: The 4 Worst Exercises for Your Shoulders

Summarizeringing

Pain in the front of the shoulder often has functional causes and should be treated conservatively before considering more invasive procedures. It is also very important to keep your shoulders in good working order by doing customized workouts and specific shoulder exercises (see earlier in the article for examples of these).

Do you have questions about the article or do you need more tips? Ask us directly via our facebook page or via the comment box below.

Recommended self help

Reusable Gel Combination Gasket (Heat and Cold Gasket): Heat can increase blood circulation to tight and sore muscles - but in other situations, with more acute pain, cooling is recommended, as it reduces the transmission of pain signals.

Because the muscles around the shoulder are often very tight with such ailments, we recommend these.

Read more here (opens in new window): Reusable Gel Combination Gasket (Heat & Cold Gasket)

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Frequently asked questions about pain in the front of the shoulder

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