What Causes Shoulder Pain?

Pinched Nerve In The Neck Or Shoulder

Dreamstime

Temporary shoulder pain may be caused by a pinched nerve in the neck or shoulder. Pinched neck nerves occur when nearby structures press against a nerve or irritate a nerve that flows from the neck to the shoulder. The pressure on the nerve causes pain signals to be sent to the brain. It's common for individuals with a pinched nerve to experience aching, throbbing, or stabbing pain in the shoulder. Depending on how seriously compressed the nerve is, patients might also experience some level of numbness in the hand and arm attached to the affected shoulder. The potential for this varies, since different nerves are responsible for carrying signals from different portions of the body. If the pinched nerve is compressed severely enough for its signals to become interrupted or stopped altogether, this can lead to noticeable problems in the arm. Some pinched shoulder nerves are caused by acute injuries or slow bodily changes. The most common material pinching the shoulder is some kind of bone or disk protrusion from the spinal cord, but other swollen muscle or tendon tissue is also possible.

Discover additional triggers for shoulder pain now.

BACK
(3 of 6)
NEXT
BACK
(3 of 6)
NEXT

MORE FROM SymptomFacts

    MORE FROM SymptomFacts

      MORE FROM SymptomFacts