Shoulder pain can have many causes, and people feel it in different ways. Burning pain in the shoulder might come from nerve problems or inflammation. Pain from other parts of the body, such as angina, arthritis, or fibromyalgia, can also cause a burning feeling in the shoulder. Let’s learn how to manage it.
Causes of Burning Pain in the Shoulder
Most shoulder problems affect a small area and usually don’t last long. However, sometimes, shoulder pain can be part of a larger, long-term condition like osteoarthritis or polymyalgia rheumatica.
People with rheumatoid arthritis often experience pain and swelling in their shoulders. Osteoarthritis is less likely to affect the shoulders unless you’ve had a past injury. Other possible causes of shoulder pain include:
- Inflammation: Your shoulder may become hot, red, swollen, and painful due to infection or injury.
- Muscle and Tendon Damage: This can occur around the shoulder.
- Muscle Tension: Pain might come from muscle strain between the neck and shoulder, often due to poor posture while using a computer or at work.
- Bursa Inflammation: The bursa is a fluid-filled cushion that helps muscles and tendons move smoothly over the shoulder bones.
- Bone and Cartilage Damage: This can be caused by arthritis.
Sometimes, shoulder pain can actually come from an issue in another part of your body, like your neck. Problems in your neck can cause pain in your shoulder blade or upper arm, known as referred or radiated pain. If you also feel tingling in your hand or arm, the problem is likely coming from your neck.
How to Treat Burning Sensation in Shoulder Blade?
Mild shoulder pain usually resolves after resting. However, severe burning pain in the shoulder requires pain management. Pain management specialists use several methods to treat burning shoulder pain. This can come from nerve issues, tendonitis, bursitis, or other health problems. Following is how they might help:
Medications
- NSAIDs: Over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or prescription NSAIDs can reduce inflammation and pain.
- Corticosteroid Injections: These injections can go directly into the shoulder to cut down inflammation and relieve pain, especially for bursitis or tendonitis.
- Muscle Relaxants: If muscle spasms are causing pain, muscle relaxants can help ease the tension.
- Antidepressants or Anticonvulsants: Drugs like gabapentin or certain antidepressants can be used for nerve pain that feels like burning.
Physical Therapy
- Rehabilitation Exercises: Physical therapy can improve strength, flexibility, and movement in the shoulder, sometimes using techniques like ultrasound or electrical stimulation to ease pain.
- Manual Therapy: Techniques like joint mobilization or soft tissue work can help reduce pain and improve function.
Interventional Procedures
- Nerve Blocks: If nerve irritation is the cause of pain, nerve blocks can stop pain signals from reaching the brain.
- Surgery: If other treatments don’t work, surgery might be needed to fix issues like rotator cuff tears or shoulder impingement.
Wrapping Up
Mild shoulder pain is usually not concerning. However, severe burning pain in the shoulder can disrupt your routine. Therefore, it is necessary to seek the right treatment on time.
Visit Dr. Raza Jafri at Genesis Pain Clinic. Our pain management specialist can manage various chronic and acute pain conditions, allowing you to live your life to the fullest. Call us at (913) 871-9888 for an appointment.