Shoulder Impingement Syndrome Causes and Symptoms Treatment
The shoulder is made up of the shoulder joint, surrounding ligaments, muscles, bursae, and nerves distributed in the shoulder. When a ligament is torn or damaged, or a muscle ruptures, it causes severe pain and at the same time causes the occurrence of various related diseases such as rotator cuff disease and calcific tendinitis. Shoulder impingement syndrome is one of the shoulder-related diseases, and refers to a disease in which the acromion of the scapula and the tendon that moves the arm collide at the shoulder joint, causing inflammation. The main causes of shoulder impingement syndrome are degenerative changes due to aging and excessive use of the shoulder. In particular, excessive shoulder use is a factor that has the greatest influence on the occurrence of shoulder impingement syndrome, and it is known that it occurs frequently in occupational groups with a lot of repeated shoulder use, office workers who use computers frequently, and housewives with a lot of housework. In addition, it has been reported that the incidence is high in athletes such as baseball, fitness, golf, tennis, swimming, or those who enjoy the sport a lot. Now, let’s learn about the main symptoms and various information about treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome.
The main symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome
The most characteristic symptom of shoulder impingement syndrome is pain. It is fine when standing still, but pain is felt when the arm is raised above the head, and the pain appears when the hand and arm are turned behind the back. And when you move your arm, you may hear a clicking sound with a feeling of being caught in your shoulder. If the symptoms are not severe, the pain is caused by certain postures or extreme movements, but when the symptoms are severe, the pain continues. Also, if the symptoms get worse, night pain may become severe enough to make it difficult to get a normal sleep, which may also be accompanied by symptoms of sleep disturbance. Since the initial symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome are relatively mild pain and stiffness, treatment is often delayed because it is considered a simple shoulder sprain or frozen shoulder. If treatment is delayed and the symptoms worsen, shoulder pain due to damage to the rotator cuff tendon may appear, which may make it difficult to use the shoulder normally. It can also lead to complications such as rotator cuff tear and calcific tendinitis. Therefore, it is important to receive appropriate tests and treatment without delaying treatment when several of the related symptoms mentioned above appear.
How to treat and prevent shoulder impingement syndrome
1. Diagnosis through multiple tests
In order to diagnose shoulder impingement syndrome, various tests such as range of motion test, muscle strength measurement, provocation test, and impact test for shoulder pain are performed. In particular, the crash test is a test method that helps the accurate diagnosis of shoulder impingement syndrome and is divided into the near test and the Hawkins test. In addition, imaging tests such as radiography and MRI are performed to check degenerative changes in the osseous structures around the shoulder joint and soft tissues around the acromion.
2. Treatment according to the diagnosis result
The treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome first proceeds with non-surgical and conservative treatment according to the diagnosis result. Non-surgical treatment aims to relieve pain and restore joint range of motion. Manual therapy and stretching exercises are performed to restore the flexibility and range of motion of the soft tissues around the joint, and various treatment methods such as analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants, and steroid injections are performed. And if the pain persists even after 4 to 6 months of non-surgical and conservative treatment, and it interferes with normal daily life, surgical treatment such as subacromial bursectomy or acroplasty may be considered.
3. Stretch and relax
In many cases, shoulder impingement syndrome is at a higher risk when the shoulder is used for a long period of time, so it is important to stretch and warm up sufficiently before exercising. It is also recommended to avoid postures or strength training that cause pain in daily life. And it is good to make it a habit to keep it straight, and if you work in a job group or exercise that uses your shoulders a lot, you should get enough rest for your shoulders to rest.
