Brief Answer: Likely to be due to tendonitis. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for posting your query. The pain specially on lifting the arm seems to be Rotator cuff tendonitis or shoulder impingement syndrome which causes irritation and inflammation of the rotator cuff and the bursa when doing overhead activity and hence pain. Usually, there is enough room between the Acromion and the rotator cuff so that the tendons slide easily underneath the acromion as the arm is raised. But each time the arm is raised, there is a bit of rubbing or pinching on the tendons and the bursa. With overuse, this can cause irritation and swelling of the bursa. There are a group of muscles and tendons which form a covering around the head of your upper arm bone and attach it to your shoulder blade. This group is collectively called the rotator cuff muscles and from your symptoms the possibility of rotator cuff tendonitis is more likely. This is commonly found in people who do activities like swimming, tennis, baseball, badminton, paper hanging, construction, or painting. It causes local swelling and tenderness in the front of the shoulder and initially it presents as minor pain but gradually it causes severe pain and loss of motion. You need to get an MRI scan done which is a more sensitive test for soft tissue and muscular injuries. An Orthopedician is the best person to be consulted. Here are some general treatment measures which you can follow: 1) Provide complete rest and avoid overhead activities. 2) Apply hot compresses and take some anti inflammatory pain killer after consulting your doctor. A physical therapy program that focuses on establishing non-painful shoulder motion and strengthening of the shoulder muscles will also be helpful. If the symptoms are severe then after confirming the diagnosis by MRI, you may need steroid injections or surgical arthroscopic technique (kept as last resort). I hope this answers your query. In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Praveen Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal

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