Aetiology of intrinsic shoulder pain
The most common intrinsic causes of shoulder pain are:
- adhesive capsulitis / frozen shoulder
- rotator cuff impingement syndrome
- subacromial bursitis
Other causes include:
- bicipital tendinitis is commoner in younger people who have been involved in vigorous activity
- osteoarthritis in the gleno-humeral joint is relatively uncommon, and usually there is a history of previous trauma
- joint inflammation:
- rheumatoid arthritis
- septic arthritis
- tuberculosis
- recurrent gleno-humeral subluxation
- previous injury of the spinal accessory or suprascapular nerve
- polymyalgia rheumatica
- prolonged immobilisation i.e. following a stroke
Reference
- Murphy RJ, Bintcliffe F; Ask the expert: assessment of shoulder pain in primary care. BMJ. 2023 Jul 7;382:1255.
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