Introduction to shoulder anatomy
Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint in the United Kingdom (UK), with half the population experiencing shoulder pain at least once a year.
You may have shoulder pain as a result of injury, however often shoulder pain begins after a change in activity or doing more than normal. This is called “loading”
Sometimes shoulder pain can begin for no apparent reason.
To understand shoulder pain, it is helpful to understand the anatomy and mechanics of the shoulder joint. The main shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, and is one of the most mobile joints in the body. Because of this the joint itself relies on soft tissues, including a group of tendons called the rotator cuff to support the joint as it moves.
There is also as a small joint at the top of the shoulder where your collar bone (clavicle) meets your shoulder blade (scapula). This is called the acromioclavicular joint (AC) joint. This can either be injured with a fall or direct blow, or can be affected by normal age related wear and tear changes.
Before getting into the specifics of shoulder pain it is important to gain an understanding of how pain works in general as this has been shown to improve people’s ability to manage their condition more effectively.
How is this relevant to you?
The most important thing you should know is that pain does not always necessarily mean harm. We can experience pain as a result of tissue damage, however it’s also possible to feel no pain with damage to our body. It’s also possible to experience significant amounts of pain even when no damage to our bodies has been shown.
We know now that pain is far more complex than solely what is going on in our bodies and can be influenced by other areas of your life. These include:
- Mood & emotions
- Beliefs about pain
- Avoidance of meaningful activities/social contact.
- Lifestyle choices
This often referred to as “The Bio – Psycho – Social model of pain”. Meaning all areas of your life can influence pain. It is important therefore to look at your life as a whole when dealing with shoulder pain to see if there are any other contributing factors.
Further information can be found on understanding pain by clicking the link below:
https://www.nhsaaa.net/pain-management-service/
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