What is Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingement is when the outer edges of the shoulder blade, called the acromion, rubs against or pinches off the rotator cuff tendon. This results in pain and irritation and is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain.
Mechanism of Injury:
Shoulder impingement is often caused by repetitive overhead motions, such as painting, overhead throwing sports, and lifting. This causes irritation of the bursa and rotator cuff tendons, leading to pain and dysfunction of the shoulder. Commonly, poor mechanics of the shoulder exacerbate or make this condition worse, like slouching and poor posture.
Symptoms and Diagnosis:
This condition often causes pain on the lateral or side of the shoulder and the back of the shoulder, especially with lifting overhead. This can also lead to weakness in the shoulder. Shoulder impingement is commonly diagnosed with a history and physical examination in the doctor’s office. X-rays are recommended to evaluate the bones in the shoulder to look for other causes of pain, bone spurs as well as normal curvature of the bones that could worsen this condition.
Treatment of Shoulder Impingement:
Shoulder impingement is mainly treated with rest, ice, anti-inflammatories, and a good physical therapy (PT) program. PT is the most important aspect to treat this condition by improving the mechanics of the shoulder, increasing the strength of the shoulder, and working on better posture which will decrease the symptoms of this condition. Cortisone injections are sometimes recommended if initial symptoms do not improve. Lastly, surgical options do exist as a last resort in the event symptoms persist despite adequate PT and non-operative treatments.
For more information, please consider the following link that was produced by the AAOS.
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/shoulder-impingementrotator-cuff-tendinitis