Understanding Causes & Treatment for Shoulder and Neck Pain in Left Side

Neck pain in left side 

Information about shoulder & neck pain in left side. Learn how to diagnose problems and treat them naturally using proven methods.

Every day, millions of peoples deals with shoulder & neck pain in left side for one reason or another and of varying levels of severity. Even when pain is mild, a person would be well aware and likely experience many difficulty in getting through the day but for severe pains, being completely debilitated is possible. Considering everything neck and shoulder muscles are used for, it is easy to understand why pain in this part of the body can be so difficult to live with.

There are multiple reasons that  shoulder & neck pain in left side develop and while most are not serious, this types of pain could be an indicator of something more sinister. For this reason, if a person began to feel shoulder and neck pain in left side for no apparent reasons, if pain worsened even after treatment, or if other symptoms were to develop, seeking medical attentions would be mandatory.

Because shoulder & neck pain in left side is such a prevalent issues, we wanted to provide insight into reasons this would occur but along with this, we felt it would be helpful to offer information pertaining to some of the more effective treatments for getting relief. Of course, shoulder pain & neck pain in left side are not always synonymous with one another but it is common for a person to feeling pains in both parts of the body simultaneously.

Unique Pain to the Shoulder and Neck:

While shoulder & neck pain in left side could be the result of the same thing, there are times when a person would experience neck pain in left side for one reason and shoulder pain for an entirely different reason. Therefore, we first wanted to offer information pertaining to pain felt separately for the neck and shoulder. However, following this section, additional information is provided about shoulder pain & neck pain in left side experiences simultaneously.

Neck Pain in Left Side –  Most people give little thought to the importance of the neck and considering all the work it does, pain would be expected from time to time. The degree of mobility for the neck is significant and because of this, it is not overly stable. This is why neck injury happen all too often. A perfect examples of this is whiplash, which typically occurs when the head is forced forward and then snapped back after being rear ended in a car accidents. Common causes includes:

• Bone and/or joint abnormality

• Degenerative disease

• Poor posture

• Strain or damage to ligaments, muscles, and tendons

• Trauma

• Tumor

Shoulder Pain in Left Side – Just like the neck, the shoulders offer a person significant mobility, which equates to poor stability. This is why the shoulder are more susceptible to injuries than most other regions of the body. The most common reason a person would develop for pain in the shoulder are given below:

• Bone fractures of the upper arm or collar

• Dislocation

• “Frozen” shoulder

• Joint instability

• Overexertion strain

• Radiculopathy (pinched nerve)

• Tendonitis

Causes of Both Shoulder Pain and Neck Pain in Left Side 

Neck pain 

Some of the reasons a person feeling pain in the neck or shoulder as separated parts of the body are the same reasons that shoulder & neck pain in left side would be felt together. For example degenerative disease, specifically arthritis in the cervical spine, injuries to soft tissues to include ligaments, muscles, and tendons, bones fracture, and Radiculopathy or pinched nerves are things shared.
Along with the more common causes of neck pain and shoulder pain, there are a few rare condition involving abdominal organs, the spinal cord, heart, and lungs that could be the culprit. Below are specific reasons that neck pain and shoulder pain would be felt together:

• A-C Separation -  Ligaments hold the collarbone and shoulder blade together but when the shoulder is traumatized, they can stretch or actually tear, leading to both neck and shoulder pain

• Broken Bones – We wanted to mention two examples of broken bones that lead to neck and shoulder pain to include a broken collarbone and shoulder blade. When the collarbone breaks, usually associated with a fall, pain radiates from the neck down to one or both shoulders. Now, it takes a tremendous amount of force to break a shoulder blade so having neck and shoulder pain that may or may not radiate to the arms and back would be expected.

• Bursitis – In normal conditions, joints and muscles are cushioned with a sac called the bursa. However, if a person experiences injury or trauma, this sac can stiffen, swell, and become painful

• Rotator Cuff – Another reason a person would feel both neck and shoulder pain has to do with an injury to the rotator cuff, tendons that provide the shoulder with support. Unfortunately, repetitive motion associated with sports and injury connected to weight lifting can cause the rotator cuff to be injured. Not only would an injury such as this be painful, it would cause a person to lose significant range of motion known as “frozen shoulder”.

• Tendonitis – Muscles are held firmly to bones with tendons but when they become strained, swelling and pain would occur, leading to a condition known as tendonitis

• More Serious Causes – As mentioned, there are times when something much more serious is causing the pain, which is why the onset of pain for no apparent reason, worsening pain after treatment, or if additional or odd symptoms developed, medical attention is needed. The two most serious possibilities include:

• Gallbladder Disease – Typically, the degree of pain felt in the neck region with this disease is minimal, as well as pain in the left shoulder but referred pain would be significant in the right shoulder.

• Heart Attack – most of the people believe pain related to a attack is felt within the chest however really, neck and shoulder pain square measure additional common. This type of pain is called “referred pain” and something that should never be ignored.

Importance of Proper Diagnosis:

Even if a person believes that shoulder pain & neck pain in left side are associated with strain or perhaps minor injuries, getting a proper diagnosis is imperative. For one thing, there would be no questions as to the exact reason for the pains, putting the person’s mind at ease but also making it possible to get the right treatment. As the recent language goes, “Better safe than sorry”.

If neck pain & shoulder pain were found to be nothing serious, the individual could go with self-care at home but if a diagnosis of something more serious were made, the doctor would have the opportunity to recommend the most appropriate treatment. Of course, for a firm diagnosis to be made, specific testing would be required with options listed below being among the most common.

CT Scan – 

Also referred to as a CAT Scan or Myelography, this special type of x-ray is similar to an MRI, capable of showing signs of soft tissue damage among other things

Electrodiagnostic Study – 

The two studies used most often when diagnosing neck pain & shoulder pain is the Electromyography, otherwise known as an EMG and Nerve Conduction Velocity or NCV. With this, a really tiny needle is inserted into square measureas of the neck & shoulder wherever nerve endings are found, followed by a very slight amount of electricity to detect issues pertaining to nerves.

MRI – 

With a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test or MRI, things not revealed with a standard x-ray would be clearly seen such as pinched nerves or other nerve related trauma or damage

X-Ray – 

While soft tissues damage would not show up on standard x-ray, other reasons for neck pain & shoulder pain would to include bones fractures, degenerative disease, spinal stenosis, which is narrowing of disc space, lesions, rheumatologic diseases, and many others.

Treatment for shoulder and Neck Pain in Left Side

Neck pain on left side 

The exact treatment plan for shoulder & neck pain in left side would depend on the exact cause, severity of the problem, degree of involvement for both neck and shoulder, and the person’s overall health, as well as any additional health problems identified. 

Even the way in which an individual responds would determine the most effective and safest method for treating pains of this kind.

Typically, a doctors would be able to devise an idea that may provide the individual with relief comparatively quick. However, there are times when chronics shoulder & neck pain in left side would require long-term care, usually supervised by a pain management doctor. Of course, if treatment involved any kind of surgery, it would be expected for a person to go through a period of healing, with the length being based on several factors.

Just a few examples of how shoulder and neck pain in left side are treated have been provided below but again, the best option is usually to be seen by a qualified medical doctor so the best treatment could be determined based on the confirmed diagnosis.

Soft Tissue Injury – 

For ligaments, muscles, and tendons that have become strained or damaged, anti-inflammatory and over-the-counter pain medication are usually best. 

However, many doctors will also recommend that ice or moist heat be applied to the affected areas of the body several times a day.

Inflammation – 

For shoulder & neck pain in left side caused by bursitis, tendonitis, or arthritis, corticosteroid injections are often used. Although it might take many injections before obtaining the relief required, with this, each inflammation and pain would decrease.

Exercises – 

Anytime a problem with the spinal cord or nerves are the reason for pain, exercises is highly beneficial.

Summary :-

Living with shoulder & neck pain in left side of any kind or level of severity is rough. These two parts of the body are used for hundreds of reasons every day, many without a person even being aware until pain sets in. Although frustrating and perhaps even frightening for some individuals, it is important to know that there are multiple diagnostic tests and treatments available today specific to shoulder & neck pain in left side that were not offered only a few years ago.


Because of this, making the effort to be seen by a doctors so something serious could be ruled out should be a serious consideration. Remember, many times pain of this type is not serious and easily treated at home with over-the-counter products or medication, as well as home remedies or good old-fashioned R & R.

Neck pain in right side

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