If your left shoulder is painful, you may have an injury or an underlying medical condition. A rotator cuff tear or shoulder separation will cause pain and limit shoulder range of motion. Diabetes and arthritis can also affect the shoulder. Stop your workout when you feel pain. See your physician to get a diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
Shoulder Anatomy
Your shoulder contains both soft tissue and bone. Three bones make up the entire shoulder: the clavicle, scapula and humerus. The scapula and humerus bones form a ball and socket joint. The glenohumeral joint describes the area where the scapula and humerus bones meet. A group of four muscles called the rotator cuff covers the shoulder. These muscles stabilize the shoulder joint. Tendons connect your rotator cuff muscles to the shoulder bones. Ligaments bind the bones together.
Shoulder Injuries
Repetitive lifting and overhead workouts can cause a tear in your rotator cuff. A torn rotator cuff limits shoulder range of motion and causes pain. Rotator cuff tears range from small partial tears to a tear of the cuff’s full thickness. Half of the people who suffer from rotator cuff tears require surgery. The other 50 percent will recover with rest, physical therapy or steroid injections. Pre-injury strength in the injured shoulder will not return without surgery. Lifting heavy weights may lead to a shoulder separation. Symptoms of a dislocated shoulder include pain, limited mobility, loss of strength and swelling. Restore strength in a separated shoulder with physical therapy and rest. Severe dislocations may require surgery.
Medical Conditions
Underlying medical conditions can cause pain in your left shoulder. Diabetes puts you at a greater risk for developing adhesive capsulitis, also called frozen shoulder. People with adhesive capsulitis experience pain and limited range of motion in the affected shoulder. The exact cause of frozen shoulder in diabetics is unknown. Approximately 20 percent of diabetics develop frozen shoulder, reports the American Diabetes Association. Arthritis can develop in your shoulders from injury, inflammation or degeneration of cartilage. Degenerative arthritis in the shoulder develops from shoulder wear and tear. Inflammatory or rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks your joints. Post traumatic arthritis occurs after an injury. All three forms of arthritis can cause left shoulder pain while working out.
What To Do Next
Identifying the source of your pain is the first step. Discontinue your workout when you feel pain in your shoulder. Ignoring the pain may worsen the condition of your shoulder. Tell your physician about the pain. He will take steps to identify why your left shoulder hurts.
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