Shoulder Tendinitis: Symptoms, Causes & Relief

Also called rotator-cuff tendinitis, shoulder tendinditis is an inflammatory condition. In addition to pain, shoulder tendinitis presents a number of possible symptoms.

Identification

• Tendinitis in your shoulder occurs when the bands that connect the muscles to your bones become inflamed.

Causes

• The most common cause of shoulder tendinitis is repetitive, strenuous motion, such as throwing a ball or using a tennis racket. Other causes are heavy lifting, poor posture over many years and falling.

Types of Symptoms

• Common symptoms of shoulder teninitis include pain, tenderness, weakness, inability to fully move your arm or shoulder and favoring your opposite shoulder to keep the affected one from moving.

Features

• Pain from shoulder tendinitis is most common when lifting your arms over your head or when you lie on the side of your affected shoulder.

Treatment

• The most common treatments for shoulder tendinitis include corticosteroid injections to relieve swelling combined with a prescription or over-the-counter pain medication to alleviate discomfort.