This article was published on: 11/16/21 7:33 AM
Shoulder impingement is considered to be a common cause of shoulder pain. It is also known as swimmer’s shoulder or impingement syndrome. The reason why it is also known as swimmer’s shoulder is because it is quite common in swimmers. It is also widely common in other athletes who excessively make use of their shoulders, such as softball or baseball players.
The most common symptom of shoulder impingement is sudden pain in your shoulder when you lift your arm overhead or backward. There are various other symptoms like pain that goes from the front of your shoulder to the side of your arm, pain that gets worse at night, minor but constant pain in your arm and shoulder or arm weakness.
Most often, the cause behind shoulder impingement is overuse or repeated use of the shoulder which leads to the tendons in your shoulder to swell. In some cases, the cause of this syndrome is not known. A few common activities that could cause this include tennis, baseball and swimming. Other activities that can possibly increase the risk of this syndrome include painting, moving boxes and construction work.
There are many ways of treatment available for shoulder impingement. The most significant method of treatment that you must follow when it comes to treating shoulder impingement is giving immense amount of rest to your shoulder. You must avoid any strenuous exercise or movement that could possibly make the pain worse. This method is especially important for someone who is an athlete.
Physical therapy is another significant method of treatment as it uses gentle exercises to rebuild strength and range of motion. Your doctor may refer you to a good physical therapist who specializes in shoulder injuries. Medications can also help in reducing swelling and shoulder pain. If medications and other methods of treatment fail to reduce your pain, your doctor might prescribe steroid injections to reduce swelling and pain.
Most often, people with shoulder impingement syndrome make a full recovery within a few months. In most cases, you will only require some rest and physical therapy to heal completely. If those fail to provide relief, you may need a surgery, which can add a few months to your recovery time.
