Three reasons your shoulder might pop and hurt

Throwing a football or baseball. Lifting your arm over your head. Grabbing a jacket from the coat closet. These are all normal daily tasks that our shoulders are involved in, but most people don’t think much about them until such tasks begin to cause pain. However, shoulder pain is one of the most common types of pain people experience. In fact, a medical study reports that up to 70% of people will experience shoulder pain in their lifetime. 

Physical therapists see many people with shoulder pain, and they can help you reduce your pain and get your shoulder moving normally again. While there are a number of issues that therapists see that can cause your shoulder to pop and hurt, three issues in particular are likely to be causing these symptoms. 

These three issues could be causing your shoulder to pop and hurt

Your shoulder is a complex joint made up of bones, muscles, tendons and other soft tissue. An issue with any one of these structures can lead to popping and hurting in your shoulder. However, therapy specialists who see patients with these symptoms find there are three issues that commonly cause them: 

1. Rotator cuff tear — Medical researchers estimate that about 2 million people develop a rotator cuff tear annually. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons. Their job is to hold the upper arm bone in the shoulder socket. Falls and repetitive movements are some common causes of rotator cuff tears. One study reports that therapeutic exercises allowed about 60% of the study’s participants to improve their rotator cuff tear symptoms. 

2. Labral tear — The shoulder labrum is a thin strip of cartilage that lines the edges of the shoulder socket. Its job is to help hold the arm in the shoulder socket, with help from the rotator cuff. Tears in this structure can cause the arm bone to catch on the edge of the tear. In turn, this can lead to popping noises and pain. A medical study of this condition reveals that up to 72% of participants had a shoulder labral tear. 

3. Shoulder osteoarthritis — It’s estimated that about 33% of people over 60 have shoulder osteoarthritis. This condition is often caused by natural wear and tear in the shoulder joint as you age. It can cause damage to cartilage in the shoulder, which leads to popping sounds and pain when you move the affected shoulder. Physical therapy can be an effective treatment option for shoulder osteoarthritis. A medical study reports that manual therapy helped one participant reduce their symptoms by 39% in eight weeks.

Find help at Peak Performance when your shoulder is popping and hurting

Are you living with a shoulder that pops and hurts? You don’t have to with help from our physical therapy team at Peak Performance. We offer free screenings that can help reveal the cause of your shoulder symptoms. Our team can then create a personalized treatment plan for you that’s designed to address this cause. 

Contact us today for more shoulder pain treatment information or to schedule an initial appointment.