Reasons of Shoulder Pain and Dimness

Different Reasons, Different indicators

Shoulder pain is a disorder that can reach both young and old persons. Reasons of this pain can differ with some individuals suffering instant “clicks” and pains, while others suffer a persistent and enervating pain with severe motion tightness.

Other situations can rise these symptoms. They comprise shoulder impingement, rotator cuff blubbering, and shoulder infection, in addition to the damage and arthritis that are amid the more communal reasons of shoulder dimness and pain,

Shoulder Impingement/indications

They are situations called swimmer’s shoulder or thrower’s shoulder that are caused when the ligaments or bursa of the rotator cuff become inflamed and irritated, as it goes through the space (called the sub-acromial space) just under the scapula.

The frequent, overhead motion of the arm habitually causes impingement that is traduced by pain when the patient lift up his arm to the side; same as the painful arc.

This case (impingement), If kept untreated, it can lead the gradual tearing of ligaments around the rotator cuff as they start loosing strength gradually.

Rotator Cuff Damage

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and ligaments that surround the ball of the shoulder joint. These assemblies together help lift up the arm and achieve the overhead responsibilities.

A rotator cuff tear can be the outcome of unexpected damage or micro-abrasions caused by ongoing infection with some people, (particularly older adults who are inactive); with others (younger), symptoms can be more pronounced and comprise:

  • general dimness in the shoulder
  • pain when you move, especially when you reach overhead

Limited motion range

  • a cracking or clicking sound in your shoulder
  • pain at night
  • probable staining on your shoulder

Rotator cuff blubbering can cause shoulder dimness by changing the mechanics of the joint. Note that If kept untreated, a person’s motion range and strength can be enduringly damaged.

Shoulder Infection

Untreated shoulder impingement or damage can result in an infection of the bursa (bursitis) and the ligament (tendonitis).

Difference between bursitis and tendonitis

While many of the symptoms of bursitis and tendonitis are almost similar, there are differences that separate the two:

Bursitis is the infection of the fluid-filled sacs (bursa) that help diminish friction in your shoulder space. The symptoms appears gradually and not immediately. The pain is localized around the outside of the shoulder. There is usually little pain if you hold your arm to your side or lift it to a 90o angle.

Tendonitis is an infection that affects the ligaments of the rotator cuff, causing pain in both the shoulder and the upper arm (sometimes pain is extended as far as the wrist). Commonly, the shoulder is clacking when you reach behind your head or back.

Pain is felt when raising your arm above your shoulder or sleeping on the shoulder itself.

Note that if kept untreated, tendonitis progresses and pain can become more persistent and severe.

In the meantime, one more disorder called brachial neuritis can cause infection to a group of nerves that reach the shoulder and arm (called the branchial nexus).

Also known as Parsonage-Turner condition, the disorder is characterized by the unexpected onset of an intense and piercing pain. Note that the intensive pain may last for several days, after which the arm and shoulder became generally very weak.

To conclude;

In all the three-abovementioned circumstances, dimness is not completely related to the infection itself; rather, this dimness is caused by the body’s reaction to the pain as your reflexes take over and avoid any movement that harms.

Over the time, the deficiency of the movement can increase the dimness and lead to a loss of the muscle mass, its strength, and undoubtedly its endurance.