Symptoms
Pain, tenderness and an inability to move the shoulder joint fully and normally are typical symptoms of impingement syndrome. Often, an injury sets off a circle of inflammation, swelling, more pressure on the tendons and bursa and more pain.
Other symptoms include:
- Pain or weakness when your arm is raised above your head or out away from the side of the body
- Catching or grating of the muscles when you rotate or raise your arm
- Not being able to sleep on the affected side because of the pain
Causes and Risk Factors
Many people who have this problem, have bones that are shaped in such a way that they simply have less space within the joint than most other people. Even slight swelling of the tendons or bursa can cause symptoms. Other factors that increase the risks of developing impingement syndrome of the shoulder are:
- Injuries to the shoulder joint
- Activities such as tennis, swimming, baseball and football that involve repetitive movements of the arm and shoulder
- Age. People who are 50 or older are more likely to develop impingement syndrome than younger people.
- Bone spurs that may develop from wear and tear on bones. This rough spot of bone irritate the surrounding tissue causing swelling