Your shoulder helps you reach, lift, push, pull, and throw. It can move in many directions. This wide movement is useful, but it also makes the shoulder more prone to injury. Shoulder pain may start after a fall, a hard hit, or a sports injury. It can also build slowly from work, exercise, or normal aging. Pain can make it hard to sleep, get dressed, drive, or play sports.
Shoulder Anatomy: How the Joint Works
Your shoulder has three main bones. The humerus is the upper arm bone. The scapula is the shoulder blade. The clavicle is the collarbone. The main shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint. The round top of the humerus is the ball. It sits in a shallow socket on the shoulder blade. This socket is called the glenoid. The AC joint joins the collarbone to the shoulder blade [1].
Soft tissues help keep the shoulder steady. The labrum is a ring of strong cartilage around the socket. It makes the socket deeper. Ligaments are strong bands that help hold the joint in place. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons. A tendon joins a muscle to a bone. The rotator cuff helps you lift and turn your arm. It also keeps the ball in the socket. A small fluid-filled sac, called a bursa, helps the tendons move smoothly [1].
Figure 1. Labeled parts of a healthy shoulder.
Common Shoulder Injuries Treated by a Sports Medicine Specialist
An orthopedic sports medicine specialist treats sudden injuries and problems that grow slowly. They help active adults, workers, and anyone whose shoulder pain limits daily life.
Rotator cuff tendinopathy and tears
Rotator cuff tendinopathy means that a rotator cuff tendon is sore or damaged. It often happens after repeated lifting or overhead activity. A rotator cuff tear may happen during a fall or when lifting something heavy. It may also develop slowly as the tendon becomes weaker with age. Common signs are pain on the side of the upper arm, pain at night, weakness, and trouble lifting the arm. A tear may affect part of the tendon or go all the way through it. Many people improve with physical therapy and do not need surgery [2,4].
Bursitis and pain when lifting the arm
The rotator cuff tendons and bursa move through a small space under the top of the shoulder blade. Repeated lifting, throwing, or overhead work can make these tissues sore. You may feel pain when you raise your arm, reach behind your back, or lie on that side. Treatment often includes changing painful activities and doing exercises to improve movement and strength [2].
Labral tears and biceps tendon injuries
The labrum is the ring of cartilage around the shoulder socket. It can tear after a shoulder dislocation, a fall on an open hand, or repeated throwing. A SLAP tear is a tear in the top part of the labrum near the biceps tendon. You may feel deep pain, clicking, catching, or a feeling that the shoulder may slip. A sore biceps tendon usually causes pain at the front of the shoulder. A sudden biceps tear may cause a pop, bruising, or a new lump in the upper arm [2,3].
Dislocation and shoulder instability
A dislocation happens when the ball comes fully out of the socket. A subluxation is a partial slip. These injuries often happen during a fall or while playing a contact sport. After one dislocation, the labrum or ligaments may stay loose or damaged. The shoulder may then slip again. This is called shoulder instability. A shoulder that looks out of place needs emergency care. Do not try to push it back into place yourself [3]. Some people with repeated dislocations may need surgery.
AC joint sprains, fractures, and stiffness
A fall directly onto the shoulder can injure the AC joint. This may cause pain or a bump at the top of the shoulder. A broken bone is called a fracture. Shoulder fractures often affect the collarbone or the top of the upper arm bone. Signs may include severe pain, swelling, bruising, and very limited movement [3]. An Orthopedic Specialist also treats frozen shoulder. This condition causes pain and stiffness that slowly get worse. It is more common in people with diabetes. Arthritis can also cause long-term pain and stiffness [2].
Treatment Options
The Orthopedic Specialist will ask how the pain started, where it hurts, and which movements are difficult. They may also ask about your job, exercise, and sports. During the examination, they will check movement, strength, sore areas, and shoulder stability. The neck may also be checked because neck problems can cause arm pain. An X-ray shows bones, fractures, and arthritis. An ultrasound can show the rotator cuff tendons. An MRI gives a closer look at tendons, muscles, and the labrum.
Figure 2. Face-free shoulder examination with labelled areas.
Treatment depends on the injury, your age, your normal activities, and your goals. Many shoulder injuries get better without surgery. Early treatment may include a short break from painful activities, ice, safe pain medicine, and physical therapy. Therapy helps you regain movement and strength [2,4]. An Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility such as OSMI can provide both non-surgical and surgical care. Surgery may be discussed for a large new tendon tear, repeated dislocations, a badly moved fracture, a severe AC injury, or pain that does not improve after proper treatment.
When Should You See an Orthopedic Specialist for Shoulder Pain?
Make an appointment if your shoulder pain lasts longer than one or two weeks, even after you reduce painful activities. You should also get help if the pain keeps returning. See a specialist sooner if you have night pain, clear weakness, less movement, repeated clicking or catching, or a feeling that the shoulder is slipping. You should also be checked if the problem affects sleep, dressing, work, exercise, or sports. Do not keep guessing about pain that is not getting better.
Get urgent medical care now if you have:
- The shoulder looks out of place, is badly swollen, or cannot move after an injury.
- A red, hot, swollen shoulder with fever or a general feeling of being unwell.
- Sudden serious weakness or an inability to raise the arm after an injury.
- Numbness, worsening tingling, or a hand that looks pale or blue or feels very cold.
- Shoulder pain with chest pressure, trouble breathing, sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the jaw, back, or arm. Call emergency services because this may be a heart problem.
Medical guidelines advise same-day emergency care for a possible joint infection or a shoulder that is still dislocated. A sudden rotator cuff tear following an injury also requires a quick specialist review [5]. If you are not sure how serious an injury is, it is safer to get medical help soon.
Pain near the shoulder does not always start in the shoulder. A neck problem can cause pain, tingling, or weakness in the arm. Heart or lung problems can also cause shoulder pain. A doctor can check for these other causes [5].
Many different problems can cause shoulder pain. Rotator cuff injuries, labral tears, dislocations, AC joint injuries, and fractures may feel similar. An orthopedic sports medicine specialist can find the cause and choose the right treatment. Get help early after a serious injury, when strength is lost, when the shoulder feels loose, or when pain stops you from doing normal activities.
Come see us at The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute if you are concerned about persistent joint pain or suspect arthritis. Our goal at The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute (OSMI) is to provide our patients with quality, cutting-edge orthopedic treatments, both surgical and non-surgical. If you would like to book an appointment, please submit an online appointment request or contact our office. We have clinic locations in Fort Worth, Mansfield, Decatur, and Willow Park.
References
1. Terry GC, Chopp TM: Functional anatomy of the shoulder. J Athl Train. 2000, 35:248-255. View source
2. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Shoulder pain and common shoulder problems. Accessed: August 13, 2026. View source
3. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Shoulder trauma (fractures and dislocations). Accessed: August 13, 2026. View source
4. Itoi E: Rotator cuff tear: physical examination and conservative treatment. J Orthop Sci. 2013, 18:197-204. 10.1007/s00776-012-0345-2 View source
5. Rees JL, Kulkarni R, Rangan A, et al.: Shoulder pain diagnosis, treatment and referral guidelines for primary, community and intermediate care. Shoulder Elbow. 2021, 13:5-11. 10.1177/1758573220984471. View source
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