From lifting boxes to walking your pet, shoulders play a vital role in your daily activities. Overall, shoulders have the widest range of motion and are the most flexible. However, increased flexibility is a double-edged sword. It makes shoulders less stable than other body parts and much more susceptible to injury.
If you’ve ever suffered from an injury to your shoulder, you’re not alone. Keep reading to learn about several different types of shoulder injuries.
Common Types of Shoulder Injuries Explained
Although athletes are among the most at risk, shoulder injuries can happen to anyone due to the heavy involvement in our daily activities.
Oftentimes, the injury isn’t severe and will typically heal on its own with ice and some anti-inflammatory medicine. However, you may require shoulder surgery if the injury is severe.
Sprain
The first common injury is a shoulder sprain or an acromioclavicular joint injury. This occurs when the ligaments are partially torn or stretched.
The severity can range from a slight stretch to a completely torn ligament. A severe sprain can lead to collarbone separation or dislocation without proper treatment.
Strain
Strains are similar to sprains but they affects different parts. A person suffers from a shoulder strain when the muscle or tendon around the joint gets torn or stretched.
These injuries can come from overuse or if the shoulders remain in a single position for an extended time.
Tear
There are several types of shoulder tears. Generally, a shoulder tear is defined as an injury to the soft tissue that contributes to the joint’s range of motion.
The types of shoulder tears include:
- Rotator cuff tear
- Biceps tendon tear
- Labral tear
Rotator cuff tears and injuries are among the most common types of shoulder injuries that affect between two to four million people annually. These tears occur in the soft tissue that connects the scapula to the upper arm. Rotator cuffs play a vital role in mobility and range of motion.
Bicep tendon tears occur in the tendons that connect the shoulder to the bicep muscles.
You’ll come across two types with labral tears—superior labrum anterior and posterior and a bankart tear. A labral tear is when there is a tear in the labrum, or the cartilage found lining the socket.
The superior labrum anterior and posterior tear is when the labral is torn in the upper part of the socket, and the bankart tear is when it occurs on the bottom part.
Other Types of Shoulder Injuries
Other types of shoulder injuries that are less common include fractures, impingements and frozen shoulders.
Impingements occur when there’s excess pressure on the muscles and tendons under the arm when the arm is lifted. This injury can cause tendinitis or bursitis.
Frozen shoulders are a type of injury that causes pain and stiffness that limits a person’s range of motion. This typically occurs when excess tissue forms from previous injuries.
Nursing a Shoulder Injury
There are many types of shoulder injuries, and it’s likely that you’ll experience one of the listed shoulder injury types at least once in your life. In order to ensure that your injury is treatable, it’s best to address the problem early on.
Additionally, you must get adequate amounts of sleep and understand that exercising with a proper form can help your shoulders. However, exercising with a bad technique can make your injury substantially worse.
If you enjoyed this shoulder injury guide, check out our other recent blogs to stay up to date on the latest trends!
