Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesDiagnosisRelief StrategiesTreatmentWhen to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Diagnosis
Relief Strategies
Treatment
When to See a Healthcare Provider
The neck and shoulders are complex and interconnected areas, and medical problems that affect one often affect the other, as well. Pain and dysfunction frominjuriesor 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.
These body parts share bones, muscles, connective tissues, and nerves, making it easy for pain to radiate throughout the area.
This article will describe the causes of neck and shoulder pain and what you can do to relieve symptoms.
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Neck and Shoulder Pain Causes
With a neck and shoulder pain combination, the underlying causes can be a wide variety of things, including some that originate in the neck and others that originate in the shoulders. Some of the more common ones include:
Muscle Tightness in Upper Crossed Syndrome
Cervical Radiculopathy
One of the most common types of neck and shoulder pain is cervical radiculopathy, in which pain comes from compression or irritation of spinal nerve roots (the part where the nerve splits off from the spinal cord).These nerves travel between the neck vertebrae, through the shoulder, and down the arm.Cervical radiculopathy symptomsinclude:
What Is the Cervical Spine?Thecervical spineis the neck region of your spinal column. It’s made up of seven small, highly mobile bones, and their associated ligaments, muscles, and shock-absorbing discs.
What Is the Cervical Spine?
Thecervical spineis the neck region of your spinal column. It’s made up of seven small, highly mobile bones, and their associated ligaments, muscles, and shock-absorbing discs.
Anything that aggravates or comes into contact with your spinal nerve roots can lead to radiculopathy, and that includes several common conditions in which growths or abnormalities cause something to invade the space of the nerve root.
What Causes Pain on the Left Side of the Neck and Shoulder?
Broken Collarbone
Also called aclavicle fracture, this is a break of the bone that extends from the top of the sternum to the outer tip of the shoulder blade. Most broken collarbones are the result of falling on the shoulder itself or landing on an outstretched arm.
In addition to considerable pain and loss of function in the arm and shoulder, a broken collarbone can cause pain in the soft tissues that extend from the shoulder up into the neck.
Shoulder Bursitis
A bursa is a small sac of fluid in your joints that acts as a cushion and prevents excessive friction between bone and soft tissues. Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, which can happen due to injury, infection, or disease.
Shoulder bursitiscan cause swelling, stiffness, and pain in the shoulder joint that can radiate into the neck because of all the common structures and connections.
Rotator Cuff Injury
The rotator cuff is made up of the muscles and connective tissues surrounding your shoulder. Together, they keep your arm in the shoulder socket.
Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Related to rotator cuff injuries, shoulder impingement syndrome refers to the compression of the tendons of the shoulder against theacromion, a bony prominence in the shoulder. The muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff are located in this “sub-acromial” area as well.
The compression occurs with repeated overhead movements such as those used in throwing a ball or swimming. Shoulder impingement may also occur as a result of an injury or fall, weakness in the shoulder muscles, or other things.
When the rotator cuff swells, it reduces the amount of space between the soft tissues and the acromion bone, which causes further friction. This creates a vicious cycle that’s hard to break.
Soft Tissue Damage
Soft tissueincludes muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia (a thin covering around muscles, organs, and many other structures). These naturally pliable structures can be involved in pain relating to bones and joints, or they can be the entire cause of pain.
When you have neck pain, you may find that the muscles of your shoulders lose their strength. This, in turn, can lead to painful shoulder impingement and/or problems in your shoulder blade (the scapula).
Conversely, if you havepain in the acromioclavicular jointof your shoulder, which is located just above the topmost part of your arm, you may experience radiating pain in your neck.
Along with other types of trauma or injury to the neck,whiplashmay lead to a ligament sprain or muscle strain.It’s likely to give youpain and restrictionin both your neck and shoulder.
Poor Posture
Failing to sit up straight, especially if you’re at a desk all day, can take a toll on your neck and shoulder health. People who sit at desks all day may be prone to a rounding of the back (calledkyphosis) and shoulders that slump forward.
This, in turn, can lead to a condition known asforward head posture.In this way, your shoulder and your neck may collude to create muscle tension and weakness, poor posture, and pain.
Pleurisy
This condition involves swelling in the lining around the lungs and chest cavity. It can cause shoulder and neck pain when you take a deep breath.
Symptoms include sudden chest pain that may be felt only while coughing or breathing deeply, fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
Pericarditis
Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, which is the sac that surrounds the heart. One of the symptoms includes pain in the neck, shoulders, or chest when you take a breath. It gets worse if you lie down or breathe deeply.
Other signs of pericarditis are fever, weakness, and trouble breathing.
Take Pain SeriouslyIssues involving your heart, lungs, abdominal organs, and spinal cord can all cause shoulder pain and sometimes neck pain. Take your symptoms seriously and see your healthcare provider as soon as you can after neck or shoulder pain starts.
Take Pain Seriously
Issues involving your heart, lungs, abdominal organs, and spinal cord can all cause shoulder pain and sometimes neck pain. Take your symptoms seriously and see your healthcare provider as soon as you can after neck or shoulder pain starts.
How Is Neck and Shoulder Pain Diagnosed?
When you go to the healthcare provider complaining of neck andshoulder pain, expect a physical exam involving movement of the neck and shoulder so your healthcare provider can see what’s causing your pain and gauge your range of motion.
A physical therapist can perform a similar evaluation that includes range of motion and strength testing, as well as other special tests.
Depending on the results of your physical exam, you may be sent for imaging studies, which can include:
How to Relieve Shoulder and Neck Pain
You can take steps at home to try to relieve shoulder and neck pain when you feel it coming on. Some simple strategies include:
What Is the Best Treatment for Shoulder and Neck Pain?
Most neck and shoulder injuries are treated conservatively, at least at first. Common treatments include:
If these approaches don’t work, some conditions may require surgery. Surgery is more likely if you have:
Some injuries, including rotator cuff tears, generally don’t benefit as much from conservative treatment, so surgery may be an early recommendation.
The Best Inversion Tables for Spinal Decompression
The neck and shoulder are so connected and integrated with each other that just about any cause of pain in one area can cause pain in the other. If your neck/shoulder pain comes with troubling symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, or weakness in the limbs, get immediate medical attention.
If your pain is persistent, getting worse, or interferes with sleep or daily activities, see adoctor of physical therapy. Physical therapists are movement experts trained on biomechanics of the body, including the neck and shoulder. They can help you identify the cause of your pain and find the right treatments for it so you can preserve or improve your function and quality of life.
Summary
24 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Iyer S, Kim HJ.Cervical radiculopathy.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2016;9(3):272-280. doi:10.1007/s12178-016-9349-4Caridi JM, Pumberger M, Hughes AP.Cervical radiculopathy: a review.HSS J. 2011;7(3):265-272. doi:10.1007/s11420-011-9218-zUniversity of Maryland Medical Center.A patient’s guide to cervical radiculopathy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal cysts.University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Bone spur.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck).National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Degenerative disc disease.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Shoulder bursitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Rotator cuff tears.Cleveland Clinic.Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff tendinitis).Suvarnnato T, Puntumetakul R, Uthaikhup S, Boucaut R.Effect of specific deep cervical muscle exercises on functional disability, pain intensity, craniovertebral angle, and neck-muscle strength in chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.J Pain Res. 2019;12:915-925. doi:10.2147/JPR.S190125Curatolo M, Bogduk N, Ivancic PC, McLean SA, Siegmund GP, Winkelstein BA.The role of tissue damage in whiplash-associated disorders: Discussion paper 1.Spine. 2011;36(25 Suppl):S309-S315. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e318238842aKim EK, Kim JS.Correlation between rounded shoulder posture, neck disability indices, and degree of forward head posture.J Phys Therapy Sci. 2016;28(10):2929-2932. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2929Cedars-Sinai.Pleurisy.American Heart Association.Symptoms and diagnosis of pericarditis.Stanford Health Care.Diagnosing neck pain.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Shoulder pain and common shoulder problems.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft-tissue injuries.Harvard Medical School.How to soothe a sore neck.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Neck pain.
24 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Iyer S, Kim HJ.Cervical radiculopathy.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2016;9(3):272-280. doi:10.1007/s12178-016-9349-4Caridi JM, Pumberger M, Hughes AP.Cervical radiculopathy: a review.HSS J. 2011;7(3):265-272. doi:10.1007/s11420-011-9218-zUniversity of Maryland Medical Center.A patient’s guide to cervical radiculopathy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal cysts.University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Bone spur.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck).National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Degenerative disc disease.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Shoulder bursitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Rotator cuff tears.Cleveland Clinic.Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff tendinitis).Suvarnnato T, Puntumetakul R, Uthaikhup S, Boucaut R.Effect of specific deep cervical muscle exercises on functional disability, pain intensity, craniovertebral angle, and neck-muscle strength in chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.J Pain Res. 2019;12:915-925. doi:10.2147/JPR.S190125Curatolo M, Bogduk N, Ivancic PC, McLean SA, Siegmund GP, Winkelstein BA.The role of tissue damage in whiplash-associated disorders: Discussion paper 1.Spine. 2011;36(25 Suppl):S309-S315. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e318238842aKim EK, Kim JS.Correlation between rounded shoulder posture, neck disability indices, and degree of forward head posture.J Phys Therapy Sci. 2016;28(10):2929-2932. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2929Cedars-Sinai.Pleurisy.American Heart Association.Symptoms and diagnosis of pericarditis.Stanford Health Care.Diagnosing neck pain.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Shoulder pain and common shoulder problems.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft-tissue injuries.Harvard Medical School.How to soothe a sore neck.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Neck pain.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Iyer S, Kim HJ.Cervical radiculopathy.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2016;9(3):272-280. doi:10.1007/s12178-016-9349-4Caridi JM, Pumberger M, Hughes AP.Cervical radiculopathy: a review.HSS J. 2011;7(3):265-272. doi:10.1007/s11420-011-9218-zUniversity of Maryland Medical Center.A patient’s guide to cervical radiculopathy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal cysts.University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Bone spur.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck).National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Degenerative disc disease.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Shoulder bursitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Rotator cuff tears.Cleveland Clinic.Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff tendinitis).Suvarnnato T, Puntumetakul R, Uthaikhup S, Boucaut R.Effect of specific deep cervical muscle exercises on functional disability, pain intensity, craniovertebral angle, and neck-muscle strength in chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.J Pain Res. 2019;12:915-925. doi:10.2147/JPR.S190125Curatolo M, Bogduk N, Ivancic PC, McLean SA, Siegmund GP, Winkelstein BA.The role of tissue damage in whiplash-associated disorders: Discussion paper 1.Spine. 2011;36(25 Suppl):S309-S315. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e318238842aKim EK, Kim JS.Correlation between rounded shoulder posture, neck disability indices, and degree of forward head posture.J Phys Therapy Sci. 2016;28(10):2929-2932. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2929Cedars-Sinai.Pleurisy.American Heart Association.Symptoms and diagnosis of pericarditis.Stanford Health Care.Diagnosing neck pain.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Shoulder pain and common shoulder problems.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft-tissue injuries.Harvard Medical School.How to soothe a sore neck.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Neck pain.
Iyer S, Kim HJ.Cervical radiculopathy.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2016;9(3):272-280. doi:10.1007/s12178-016-9349-4
Caridi JM, Pumberger M, Hughes AP.Cervical radiculopathy: a review.HSS J. 2011;7(3):265-272. doi:10.1007/s11420-011-9218-z
University of Maryland Medical Center.A patient’s guide to cervical radiculopathy.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal cysts.
University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Bone spur.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Cervical spondylosis (arthritis of the neck).
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.
Arthritis Foundation.Degenerative disc disease.
University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.Degenerative disc disease.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Shoulder bursitis.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Rotator cuff tears.
Cleveland Clinic.Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff tendinitis).
Suvarnnato T, Puntumetakul R, Uthaikhup S, Boucaut R.Effect of specific deep cervical muscle exercises on functional disability, pain intensity, craniovertebral angle, and neck-muscle strength in chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.J Pain Res. 2019;12:915-925. doi:10.2147/JPR.S190125
Curatolo M, Bogduk N, Ivancic PC, McLean SA, Siegmund GP, Winkelstein BA.The role of tissue damage in whiplash-associated disorders: Discussion paper 1.Spine. 2011;36(25 Suppl):S309-S315. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e318238842a
Kim EK, Kim JS.Correlation between rounded shoulder posture, neck disability indices, and degree of forward head posture.J Phys Therapy Sci. 2016;28(10):2929-2932. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2929
Cedars-Sinai.Pleurisy.
American Heart Association.Symptoms and diagnosis of pericarditis.
Stanford Health Care.Diagnosing neck pain.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Shoulder pain and common shoulder problems.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft-tissue injuries.
Harvard Medical School.How to soothe a sore neck.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Neck pain.
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