Shoulder Pain: Causes, Treatments, and Medications That Help

When you feel shoulder pain, a common symptom caused by injury, inflammation, or nerve compression in the shoulder joint and surrounding tissues. Also known as upper arm or neck radiation pain, it can make even simple tasks like reaching for a cup or brushing your hair feel impossible. It’s not just aging—shoulder pain affects people in their 20s and 30s too, especially those who lift, type, or play sports regularly.

The most common culprits are rotator cuff, a group of four muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder and allow arm movement tears or inflammation, frozen shoulder, a condition where shoulder joint stiffness limits motion over weeks or months, and impingement syndrome, when tendons get pinched between bones during arm movement. Many people assume it’s just "bad posture," but the real issue is often repetitive strain or untreated minor injuries that worsen over time. Even medications like statins or certain antibiotics can trigger muscle pain that radiates to the shoulder—something most doctors don’t immediately connect.

What helps? It depends on the cause. For inflammation, anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen can bring quick relief—but they don’t fix the root problem. Physical therapy is often the real game-changer, especially when guided by a specialist who knows how to retrain shoulder mechanics. In some cases, cortisone shots reduce swelling enough to let rehab begin. But if you’ve been popping pills for months with no progress, it’s not laziness—it’s likely the wrong diagnosis.

The posts below cover what actually works: how certain medications can mask or worsen shoulder discomfort, when to skip surgery and start with movement, and how to tell if your pain is coming from your neck instead of your shoulder. You’ll find real stories from people who tried everything—from acupuncture to steroid injections—and what finally helped them move without pain again. No fluff. Just what you need to know before your next doctor visit.