Expressions like "shouldering responsibility" and "carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders" are indicative of the burden our culture puts on this part of the body.

With this kind of cultural conditioning, it's not surprising that shoulder pain is a widely experienced condition even by those who aren't dealing with (or lifting) anything weighty.

A combination of several joints, tendons and muscles form the shoulder and give it its flexibility. Unfortunately the shoulder's flexibility can, over time, produce pain due to stress on muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Shoulder pain can be triggered by injuries (like a dislocated shoulder) as well as everyday strains like hunching over a garden weeding. Or, rarely, shoulder pain can be a warning of a more serious problem like a tumor or neurological condition.

Two Degrees of Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is generally diagnosed as acute or chronic. Acute shoulder pain is temporary and strikes immediately, usually because of a sudden muscle strain. Chronic shoulder pain is persistent and can linger indefinitely.

Some shoulder pain conditions overlap both classifications. In some cases, may be acute at the time of injury but may progress into a chronic problem.

Tendonitis Shoulder Pain

This condition involves the tendons of the shoulder, those flexible, fibrous bands of tissue that connect muscles to the bones. To be more precise, tendons transmit the power of a muscle to move your bones.

Tendonitis shoulder pain occurs when tendons become irritated by tiny tears. Muscle movement becomes painfully difficult when tendons become inflammed.

Overuse is the most common cause of tendonitis shoulder pain. Tendons which are called upon to perform tasks they're not used to frequently become inflammed.

It's not surprising that many cases of tendonitis shoulder pain fall into the category of "sports related injuries." Overly aggressive exercise programs are also responsible for much tendonitis pain. Besides repetitive movements found in sports, there are many activities in the workplace that produce tendonitis shoulder pain.

Rotator Cuff Shoulder Pain

Normal aging contributes to tendonitis shoulder pain as well. Tendons lose their elasticity over the years and become more prone to injury. Most often, this injury is to the group of muscles and tendons that provide the shoulder with its circular motion--the rotator cuff.

Bursitis Shoulder Pain

The source of bursitis shoulder pain is found in the hundreds of bursa located throughout the body between hard bone and soft tissue like muscles, ligaments and tendons. These small, slippery sacs reduce friction between these soft tissue and bone when they're in motion.

However, if irritated through pressure or overuse, a bursa loses its smooth gliding properties and makes joint movement difficult. The shoulder pain the inflamed bursa creates is known as bursitis.

Repetitive movement and extreme pressure can create bursitis shoulder pain. Prolonged movements involved in manual labor or assembly line work create the type of repetitive motions that inflame the shoulder joint's bursa.

Arthritis Shoulder Pain

Arthritis shoulder pain is generally the result of an injury in the past which triggers a breakdown in cartilage and subsequent swelling and stiffness. Besides pain, arthritis can, overtime, damage the shoulder joint seriously enough to impair normal movement.

Shoulder Pain Treatments

With an early diagnosis, treatments can be started that not only provide pain relief and management, but help slow the progression of shoulder problems. The most frequently used shoulder treatments are surgery, medicine and alternative therapies.

Shoulder Pain Surgery

If medicine and physical therapy fail to bring relief, surgery is often thought as a last resort for shoulder pain management. However, there are limits to what surgery can accomplish. It can't undo damage from wear and aging. And it also carries risks.

Shoulder Pain Management and Relief Medications

Pharmaceutical treatments for shoulder pain range from over-the-counter medicines like aspirin to prescription drugs. Pain relievers like acetaminophen may be helpful to osteo shoulder pain sufferers since their condition involves little inflammation.

For people with arthritis shoulder pain, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which include ibuprofen, aspirin and newer drugs like are helpful. NSAIDs with COX-2 specific inhibitors that block an enzyme known to cause an inflammatory response are often prescribed by medical doctors for shoulder pain management and relief. However these drugs carry with them the risk of side effects like heart disease, digestive disorders, ulcers and liver damage.

Arthritis shoulder pain sufferers who don't respond to NSAIDs are often given DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. These drugs are believed to correct immune system deficiencies contributing to arthritis shoulder. They include Arava and methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, penicillamine, and gold injections, all of which may cause side effects if not monitored closely.

Another, newer class of drugs known as biological response modifiers, reduce arthritis shoulder pain by blocking an immune system protein involved in an inflammatory immune system response.

Another disadvantage of using medications for shoulder pain relief and management is the risk of addiction over an extended period. Medications can't cure degenerative shoulder pain, they're prescribed for the management of its inflammation and pain.

Natural Pain Management and Alternative Medicine Doctors

Fortunately, alternative medicine professionals offer shoulder pain sufferers the option of natural pain management and relief therapies without the risks of surgical and pharmaceutical approaches. Their methods of treating shoulder pain ranging from whiplash to osteoarthritis are more conservative than the medical establishment's and often just as effective if not more so.

Pain Relief Professionals connects you to natural, alternative medicine practitioners of Acupuncture, Chiropractic Massage Therapy and Naprapathy. The state licensed status of each assures patients that their education and expertise in pain management exceeds that of other unregulated alternative medicine healers.

For natural, alternative shoulder pain management and relief, click a button below to find Pain Relief Professionals near you.