I have shoulder pain for over a month, it seems as if my muscles hurt and when i lift my arm up over my head it really hurts. the pain is a dull ache during the day and intensifies at night, it is as if my muscles down to my bones ache and it hurts in my

Hello: Since : Hello: since there are many possibilities of shoulder issues with your descriptions, i would recommend an evaluation by an orthopedic physician. I will discuss three possibilities: the most common would be a rotator cuff strain. The muscles controlling the stability of your shoulder joint are irritated and with use or strains from prolonged postures (at night, especially) they can hurt. Usually this is successfully treated with anti-inflammatory medications and activity modifications. Physical therapy may be necessary, and usually will speed up recovery. A more concerning problem would be a rotator cuff tear. Does your shoulder feel weak? Does holding an object away from your torso , especially at shoulder-height level, cause a lot more pain than you expect for the weight of the object? This is a problem that may present exactly the same way as cuff strain, but the difference is that a tear will not heal and will usually get worse over time. This is a condition your orthopedic physician can help you rule out, on physical exam or other imaging studies (mri, ultrasound). Finally, your symptoms may also indicate frozen shoulder syndrome. This is an often spontaneous loss of shoulder range of motion that starts out with shoulder pain, especially at night. Start of physical therapy and stretching exercises can nip this potentially long-lasting and debilitating problem before it gets too severe. Again, your orthopedic doctor will be looking out for this condition and prescribe appropriate treatments. Once again, if your symptoms have been ongoing for a month or more, it is important to be evaluated to make sure you are getting the right treatment to feel better sooner, and that you are not missing out on a window of treatment opportunity. I hope this helps! sincerely, jim hsu, md seattle, wa.

Dr Mallia and another doctor agreed

Rotator cuff: That sounds like a rotator cuff injury. Be sure to have it checked. It can vary from just inflammation to a full tear.

Dr Chuu and another doctor agreed