Shoulder pain when you reach up, put on a jacket or lie on that side at night is often a rotator cuff problem. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that keep the shoulder stable. Nurses who lift, reposition patients and reach overhead are at higher risk.
Imagine helping to reposition a heavy patient, feeling a twinge in your shoulder, and thinking nothing of it. Weeks later, reaching for a top shelf makes you wince, and you wake at night whenever you roll onto that side. That pattern points to the rotator cuff.
Causes
- Wear and tear of the tendons with age (tendinopathy)
- Repetitive overhead activity or heavy lifting
- A fall or sudden strain causing a tear
What helps
- Keep moving within comfort; avoid complete rest, which causes stiffness
- Avoid aggravating overhead movements for a while
- Physiotherapy exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles, usually the main treatment
- Painkillers and ice or heat for comfort
- Sometimes a steroid injection, or surgery for some tears
Most people improve over weeks to a few months with exercise.
But when could it be a tear?
See a doctor promptly if you suddenly can’t lift your arm after an injury or fall, have significant weakness, or the pain is severe. An acute tear in a younger or active person may need early assessment for repair. Get urgent help if shoulder pain comes with chest pain or breathlessness, as it can sometimes be from the heart.
Your next step: If shoulder pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, ask about a physiotherapy referral, and check whether your workplace has manual handling aids you should be using.
Sources: NHS (Shoulder pain), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or physiotherapist.
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