Health, Pain Relief

What Is Infraspinatus Pain? Causes, Symptoms, And Remedies

Infraspinatus pain can be tiresome. The pain around the top muscles in the arm can limit the arm’s movement. The pain caused in the muscles ...

by Kendra Reed

This article was created after thorough research and has been improved with the assistance of AI technology. Furthermore, our dedicated editorial team has meticulously fact-checked and polished its content for accuracy and clarity.

Infraspinatus pain can be tiresome. The pain around the top muscles in the arm can limit the arm’s movement. The pain caused in the muscles can make it difficult to carry out many daily activities. You may not be able to move or rotate your arms due to the pain. It is caused due to various factors that involve damage to the muscle. 

You may have experienced this troublesome pain in your arm at some point in your life. The question is what did you do to get relief from the pain?  There are several remedies available. We would like to explore the best remedy to get over this throbbing pain. Let us also give you a complete overview of this muscle pain and its causes.

What Is The Infraspinatus Muscle?

Infraspinatus muscle is the triangular-shaped thick muscle located at the back of the shoulder. This muscle is attached to the upper arm bone and shoulder blade. This muscle is a part of the rotator cuff, which plays a crucial role in the movement and stability of the shoulder joint. 

Infraspinatus Muscle

Pain in the infraspinatus muscle is high due to the repetitive motion in the shoulder. There are other several causes leading to pain but none of the causes are life-threatening. 

Causes Of Infraspinatus Muscle Pain

Infraspinatus muscle pain is commonly found among athletes due to the repetitive motion in their shoulders. It is also found in those who have constant movement in their arms due to their physically demanding job. Some of the most common causes of infraspinatus muscle pain are given below:

Infraspinatus Tear

There are two types of tears, a complete tear to the infraspinatus bone caused by a severe injury or a partial tear to the tendon which can cause damage, mainly due to the repetitive motion or normal aging. 

Signs of symptoms may show normal pain while the arm is resting, as well as while moving. A tear in the muscles needs to be addressed by properly diagnosing and treating. It may also take some time to recover fully. 

Infraspinatus tendinopathy

Infraspinatus tendinopathy is caused by the tendon. It is mainly caused by inflammation in the tendon and tears in the tendon. An inflammation in the tendon or a tear in the tendon is usually caused due to shoulder trauma, inflammatory disease, or because of tearing due to aging. 

Symptoms like pain with the movement of the shoulder while reaching overhead and behind, and dull ache in the upper arm can be found. 

Infraspinatus Impingement

Infraspinatus impingement occurs when the tendon in the shoulder is compressed by the surrounding tissues leading to inflammation, which results in pain when the shoulder moves. It is caused by repetitive motions, bone spur, and weak rotator cuff muscles. 

Weakness in the shoulder, pain at rest, difficulty in hand movement, and tenderness to touch the shoulder are the common signs of symptoms from infraspinatus impingement. 

Pinched nerve

A pinched nerve is caused due to the compression of the nerve by the muscles, or tendons. This happens when the rotator cuffs are subjected to stress. It can be also due to trauma, overuse injuries, or because of shoulder dysfunction 

Tingling and numbness are the most common signs of symptoms. Mild pain may also become a symptom in case the condition becomes worse.

Bursitis

This happens when a fluid named the bursa fills the sac between the spaces of muscles, and tendons. An injury or overuse of the muscles may put them under extreme stress resulting in inflammation. Poor posture may also have a high risk of inflaming the muscles in the shoulder. 

Pain, swelling, and tenderness are the most common signs of bursitis. A warm sensation and redness in the appearance of the inflamed area also indicate that the bursa is inflamed. 

What Are The Ways To Recover From Infraspinatus Pain?

Recovery from infraspinatus pain requires a long period that addresses all the causes of the pain in the muscle. A prepared recovery may help to strengthen the muscle and improve mobility. Some of the recovery methods are given below:

  • During the recovery, avoid activities that put pressure on the muscles, especially those reactive movements. Resting the arms may boost the healing abilities. 
  • Using ice packs a few times a day in the affected area will help to relieve inflammation. Over-the-counter inflammatory medicines may also help to relieve pain. 
  • Physiotherapy sessions from a medical experience may help the pain to go away quickly. 

Also Read: Can Ginger Cure Knee Pain? Exploring Its Potential Benefits

Conclusion

Learning a brief overview of the problem may not be ideal for addressing the issue. Consulting a medical expert will give more clarity on how to address the problem. We believe that their insight may also be similar to our guidelines. However, their expertise and knowledge on this will help to address the issue by targeting the underlying cause of Infraspinatus pain. 

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