Patients that come into the practice complaining of a pinching or sharp pain on elevating their arms reaching or lifting objects usually have symptoms that we term as a rotator cuff impingement. The causes can either be due to a sudden injury via lifting or can be a gradual onset due to stiffness in the neck and upper back that can cause an altered movement pattern within the shoulder within the shoulder that can cause a catching within the muscle groups.
Early first line advice involves gentle stretches to the neck, rotating exercises gently to the shoulders to help reduce the tension and stress within the spine, local heat and a short course of pain relief. Posture correction is also a really beneficial is symptoms become very specific on reaching or lifting the likely cause is inflammation of the tendon that can be locally treated. If left untreated some of these conditions can develop into further issues that require intervention via a GP, i.e a local injection but first line advice, local physiotherapy and self management treatment at home often nips these pinching problems in the bud.
