Freezing Phase: When any movement is uncomfortable and the range of motion diminishes.There is typically a progression to frozen shoulder syndrome: The medical term for this issue is adhesive capsulitis, but most people refer to it as “frozen shoulder” because the pain is accompanied by stiffness that makes it difficult to move your upper arm. In severe cases, the bursa may become infected.
If your pain is primarily on the outside of your shoulder and is more severe when you lie down, it may be caused by a torn tendon in the rotator cuff of the shoulder joint. Bone spurs and the roughness of the worn cartilage can result in a grinding sensation when you lift your arm. When osteoarthritis occurs, degeneration of the joint’s cartilage and bones leads to inflammation within the joint, which causes stiffness.
This pain is felt deep in the joint and at the front of the shoulder. One of the most common causes of shoulder pain when lifting your arm is osteoarthritis. What’s Causing My Shoulder Pain When I Lift My Arm?ĭetermining what causes your shoulder to hurt when you lift your arm usually requires diagnosis by an orthopedic specialist, but you can get an idea of what might be the source of your pain from the examples below. Did you know that shoulder pain, particularly when lifting the arm, is one of the most common reasons to see an orthopedic surgeon? The complexity of the shoulder joint leaves it susceptible to injury-and because most people use their shoulder joint more or less continuously throughout the day, shoulder pain can be quite common.