Shoulder Injuries and Disorders: Why the Shoulder Is Easy to Hurt

A mobile, unstable joint

The shoulder joint is made of three bones:

• the clavicle (collarbone);
• the scapula (shoulder blade);
• the humerus (upper arm bone).

Your shoulders are the most movable joints in your body. They can also be unstable, because the ball of the upper arm bone is larger than the socket that holds it. To stay in place, the shoulder relies on muscles, tendons and ligaments — and because it can be unstable, it is easily injured.

Common problems

• sprains and strains;
• dislocations and separations;
• tendinitis and bursitis;
• torn rotator cuffs;
• frozen shoulder;
• fractures (broken bones);
• arthritis.

Diagnosis

Health care providers use your medical history, a physical exam and imaging tests.

Treatment

• First, often RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
• Then: exercise and medicines to ease pain and swelling.
• If those don't work: you may need surgery.

Sources

Based on "Shoulder Injuries and Disorders," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.