Shoulder pain can be annoying and interfere with the quality of your life. Shoulders are the most fluid joint in the human body, and they often suffer from a lack of stability. Without strengthening the stabilizing muscles in your shoulders, other parts of your body will begin to overcompensate which can cause instability and shoulder pain.

Once you identify the most common shoulder pain causes, you may gain some insight on how you can banish them from your life. These are the top eight shoulder pain causes:

1. Tendonitis

Tendonitis is one of the most common shoulder pain causes. This ailment occurs when one of your tendons become irritated or inflamed. Repetitive movements and minor impact are often the cause of shoulder tendonitis. Many people experience rotator cuff tendonitis due to repetitive movements. Your rotator cuff is responsible for keeping your upper arm centered in your shoulder socket which gives you full motion control over your arms.

Tendonitis often develops over time. Most people report having pain only during activity to eventually having pain all the time. With aging and frequent use, your rotator cuff becomes thinner and can eventually wear down. Letting your shoulder rest so the tendon can heal is crucial to avoid worsening your tendonitis.

2. Frozen Shoulder

Severe stiffness in your shoulder is another common cause of shoulder pain. People with frozen shoulder struggle to move their arms as they normally would, and their limited movements are accompanied by pain. Frozen shoulder is activated by the inflammation of connective tissue that lines your shoulder.

When this tissue becomes thick and inflamed, you’ll experience pain, and you’ll struggle to move your shoulder. Long periods of inactivity leave you susceptible to frozen shoulder so try and get up, move and stretch as often as you can.

3. Shoulder Bursitis

Shoulder bursitis can be one of the more frustrating shoulder pain causes to deal with. Bursitis is caused by the inflammation of the bursa which is fluid-filled sac that reduces friction in your shoulder joint. However, overuse and fatigue can cause your body to fill these sacs which too much fluid.

When the bursa has too much fluid, it causes swelling and a deep, achy pain in your shoulder. Pain from bursitis usually gets worse when you do anything that requires lifting your arms over your head. Physical therapy exercises will help strengthen the stabilizing muscles in your shoulder which will increase your range of motion and reduce inflammation.

4. Labral Tears

Usually, we hear about labral tears from professional athletes who have suffered a shoulder injury. However, labral tears are also quite common among the general population. There are several different types of labral tears, and they all cause shoulder pain when moving your arm across your body.

The labrum is a small band of cartilage that assists in keeping your shoulder stable and mobile at the same time. Often times, labral tears can occur without any symptoms of pain which makes them hard to detect. Physical therapy and finding ways to control the inflammation in your shoulder will help you recover. Since this is one of the more serious shoulder pain causes, you may want to consult with a chiropractor for an immediate treatment plan.

5. Shoulder Impingement

Any time you make lots of repetitive motions with your shoulder, you run the risk of developing a shoulder impingement. Shoulder impingements are especially common in swimmers due to the constant overhead motion required from the arms and shoulders.

An impingement is when your tendons and bursa get pinched which causes pain and difficulty moving. Without proper care, a shoulder impingement can weaken your rotator cuff. Stick to your physical therapy schedule to help stabilize the joint.

6. Shoulder Instability

Shoulder instability occurs when the ball of the joint is so loose that it slides around in your shoulder socket. This is an injury that’s also associated with repetitive movements. Lifting things above your head, throwing a ball and using the full range of motion of your shoulder puts you at risk of developing instability. The key to eliminating this problem is using physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around your shoulder socket.

7. Poor Posture

Poor posture is among the most popular and frustrating shoulder pain causes. Many people have poor posture because they spend most their days hunched over a desk at school or in an office. Poor posture causes odd positioning of your shoulder blade and interferes with how well your shoulder muscles are able to work together. Shoulder mobility exercises and yoga are excellent methods for improving your posture. Stretching your lower body after sitting all day is also a must.

8. Weak Core

They may seem unrelated, but your shoulders and your core actually work together. Having a strong core will assist in keeping your arms and neck aligned with your trunk. Many people have weak serratus anterior muscles which are important for taking the stress of your body weight off your back and shoulders. Planks using a ball and single arm press are great exercises for activating this muscle.