What is shoulder tendonitis?

Shoulder tendonitis, sometimes referred to as tendonitis, is an inflammation of a part of your shoulder joint. Several muscles form a group known as your rotator cuff and biceps tendon that stabilize your shoulder joint. These muscles and tendons keep your upper arm bone, the humerus, inside the glenoid socket in your shoulder.

The acromion is the bony structure at the top of your shoulder. It traps or pinches the muscles and tendons between them, which causes inflammation in tendonitis within your shoulder. When the tendons are inflamed and irritated in your rotator cuff, it's called rotator cuff tendonitis. If the tendon that attaches to the biceps is inflamed and irritated, this is referred to as biceps tendonitis.

What does tendonitis feel like in your shoulder?

Symptoms of shoulder tendonitis may include mild stiffness and severe pain. There might be soreness down your arm or at the end of your shoulder. You may feel pain when you lift your arm overhead or when you twist. Other symptoms also may include:

• A dull ache or soreness.
• Tenderness.
• Pain at night.
• Inability to hold your arm for certain positions.
• Little edema.
• Reduction in movement.

A noise is similar to "clicking" as you move your shoulder.

What causes shoulder tendonitis?

It often occurs as an inevitable consequence of sports injuries because athletes must move their arms up overhead numerous times during the game. Such sports in which this tends to occur include:

• Baseball.
• Swimming.
• Tennis and other racket sports.
• Golf.
• Weightlifting.
• Volleyball.

Poor technique in any sport is among the most common causes of tissue overload, with tendons being loaded in such a way that eventually results in tendonitis.

But you don't have to be a professional athlete to get this disease. Tendonitis can occur in individuals whose occupations require overhead work, such as some assembly work, an overhead pressing machine, or heavy lifting. Still, almost any person can get tendonitis from repetitive use of those tendons. A direct blow to your shoulder area or falling on an outstretched arm can also bring about shoulder tendonitis.

How is this condition diagnosed?

A doctor will ask you about your health history and perform a physical exam. He may also request some tests based on his findings, such as the following:

• X-rays
• Ultrasounds
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• Stages of shoulder tendonitis

Your doctor may categorize your condition by these stages:

• Overuse tendonitis: Repetitive motions might overstress your rotator cuff, causing bruising, irritation, and fraying of your tendons. This may lead to pain and weakness.
• Calcific tendonitis: Calcium deposits build up in your rotator cuff tendons due to chronic inflammation. Eventually, your shoulder will have a loss of motion and strength.
• Rotator cuff tear: This is the result of severe shoulder tendonitis, which is also the result of degeneration or fraying, causing a partial or complete tear of your rotator cuff. It can lead to excruciating pain, weakness, and loss of motion.

What is the treatment of shoulder tendonitis?

The treatment for shoulder tendonitis may vary with your age, symptoms, and severity. For new injuries or severe cases, your doctor may instruct you to rest, apply wraps, and put ice packs on your inflamed area. Other treatments with nonsurgical methods for this condition are as follows:

• NSAIDs: You can take aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen to reduce the pain and swelling.
• Physical therapy: Your provider may refer you to a physical therapist. A physical therapist may help with range-of-motion exercises as well as strengthening.
• Corticosteroid injection: If you have significant persistent shoulder pain, you may be offered an intramuscular cortisone injection.
• Platelet-rich plasma: Concentrated samples of your platelets injected by the provider to increase healing and recovery.

The doctor may also have you undergo surgery if the rotator cuff or biceps tendon is partially or fully torn and your symptoms are not responding to other treatments.

Surgeries for rotator cuff tear:

In this procedure, the doctor will repair the torn tendon or tendons and remove inflamed bursae that can also inflame your shoulder.

What are the risk factors for shoulder tendonitis?

Our tendons naturally lose some flexibility as we age, so the likelihood of shoulder tendonitis is higher. Other risk factors are:

• You are playing any sport that involves repetitive motion, such as baseball, swimming, or tennis.
• It works in professions involving repetitive movement or overhead reach, such as painters, movers, or roofers.
• I was doing household chores like cleaning, raking, or shoveling.
• Being in a condition that subjects your tendons to stress, such as arthritic conditions.
• Failure to stretch before engaging in physical activities.

What are the complications of this condition?

Left unchecked, shoulder tendonitis can bring about the following complications:

• Loss of mobility or strength
• Pain that makes it hard to sleep
• Inability to perform simple daily tasks such as buttoning or reaching something beyond your reach.

Can this be prevented?

Since overuse is the primary cause of most cases of shoulder tendonitis, prevention is the best treatment. Activities that lead to the issue should be avoided or changed. It would be best if you corrected such underlying conditions as poor posture or improper technique in sports or work.

Follow these simple guidelines during activities:

• Start slow at first and then gradually build up your activity.
• Use low force and low repetitions.
• Stop right away if you feel strange pain.

It takes shoulder tendonitis quite a while to heal. That could depend on your injury's gravity. However, mild cases can start healing in two to four weeks with nonsurgical treatment methods. For the more serious cases, though, it may take months. A more accurate assessment of your prognosis can be obtained from your healthcare physician.

When can I get back to my normal activities?

Rest your shoulder until such a time when you feel that there is no longer any ache or soreness. Then go back to work, sports, or other activities but be cautious. Do a proper warm-up by doing exercises to help increase the flexibility of your shoulder. Avoid lifting your arm above your head, especially in the initial few days. You should also not stay long at the activity. Rest, then relax further and slowly get back into level activity.

Living With

When to seek medical care?

Most cases of shoulder tendonitis spontaneously resolve without any treatment. It can take weeks or even months before the symptoms and signs disappear, depending on their severity. You should see your doctor if you:

• Pain keeps you from doing your day-to-day activities.
• Your soreness persists even after taking excellent home care measures.
• Symptoms have recurred.
• You have chills, and your shoulder appears red or swollen. (These symptoms and signs may indicate an infection.)
• You have certain medical conditions that put you at risk for an infection.
• You take certain medications which increase your chances of having an infection, such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressant.

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