Shoulder blade pain can have many different causes. Although you may assume you sustained an injury or simply slept in the wrong way, the pain might actually be related to your heart, lungs, spine, abdomen, or pelvis. In cases like these, the pain may be referred, meaning that a problem in one part of the body excites nerves that trigger pain in another part of the body, such as your shoulder blade.
Swelling, pain and stiffness in the joints are common symptoms for people with arthritis. If you have arthritis, your health care professional may recommend hand exercises to help you improve joint flexibility and range of motion.
The neck and shoulders are complex and interconnected areas, and medical problems that affect one often affect the other, as well. Pain and dysfunction from injuries or conditions that impact the joints, muscles, and other structures can easily spread from the neck to the shoulder(s) and from the shoulder(s) to the neck.
While dead hangs may be OK for people with good upper-body strength and no shoulder problems, they can be risky for others. People with shoulder hypermobility (excessive motion of the shoulder) or shoulder instability (such as those who easily dislocate their shoulder) may need to be cautious. The shoulder, by design, is a relatively unstable joint. It has a large ball-type bone called a humerus, which sits in a relatively small socket called a glenoid.
The elbow is an underappreciated joint that brings many daily tasks within your reach.
