Painful Arc: An arc of pain, usually between 80-120 o of shoulder abduction, when lifting the arm out to the side.
![painful arc painful arc](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/painfulshoulderarc-180329185054/85/painful-shoulder-arc-2-320.jpg)
Gradually: over time with no obvious or specific cause.Supraspinatus tendonitis symptoms may come on: Over time, as the condition progresses, shoulder and arm pain at rest, weakness and stiffness can start to limit function. Initially supraspinatus pain is usually only experienced with repetitive or sustained overhead or reaching activities. Mild supraspinatus tendonitis often goes unnoticed but what typically leads people to seek medical advice is shoulder and upper arm pain. There will be a lot of overlap in symptoms and treatments for associated injuries but it is always worth finding out more about them.
![painful arc painful arc](https://www.norrishealth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Painful-arc.jpg)
Supraspinatus Tendonitis may develop in isolation but it is often associated with other shoulder problems such as: Secondary Shoulder Impingement: Dynamic shoulder instability – weakness in the rotator cuff muscles leads to poor control and thus friction.Primary Shoulder Impingement: Bone spurs or abnormal acromion position/shape reduce the subacromial space.Age: The subacromial space tends to narrow with age due to wear and tear.Genetic Predisposition: hereditary link.Posture: spending long periods slouched forwards reduces the subacromial space.Heavy Work: Repetitive heavy lifting overhead e.g.Repetitive Overhead Activities: activities where your arm is frequently raised, such as sports e.g.In time, tears may also develop in the supraspinatus tendon leading to a partial or complete rotator cuff tear.Ĭommon causes of painful arc syndrome include: This leads to inflammation and gradual degeneration of the tendon. Supraspinatus tendonitis develops when there is repetitive friction on the tendon or it is repeatedly squashed or “impinged” in the subacromial space. The space then opens back up once the arm is raised higher and externally rotated (thumb pointing up). The subacromial space is narrows considerably when the arm is raised around shoulder height, particularly when internally rotated (thumb pointing down). Joint Capsule: the upper part of the sac that surrounds the joint.Subacromial Bursa: a fluid filled sac that helps reduce friction through the subacromial space.But the huge range of motion at the shoulder puts it at much greater risk of injury Think how much more movement you can do with your arms than your legs. Most joints get their stability from their bone structure but the shoulder sacrifices bony stability for mobility. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the whole body. Glenoid Fossa: the shallow socket on the lateral angle of the scapula (shoulder blade).Head of Humerus: the round head at the top of the upper arm bone.The shoulder joint is a ball a socket joint formed between the: Supraspinatus tendonitis is a common cause of shoulder pain. Typically, supraspinatus tendonitis is an overuse injury caused by repetitive friction on the tendon, but it can be caused by a shoulder injury, instability or shoulder impingement. Symptoms of painful arc syndrome typically begin in middle-age, most frequently between the ages of 45-65. The classic sign of supraspinatus tendonitis is a painful arc when moving the arm between 60-120 degrees of abduction as the tendon gets squashed against the bone in that range. Supraspinatus symptoms may come on suddenly after an injury, or build-up gradually on and off over years with no obvious cause.
![painful arc painful arc](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/94/d8/73/94d8731f71d928591fcdd29d70f99f2f.png)
Shoulder impingement syndrome is the most common problem with one-in-five people having symptoms at some point in their lives. Supraspinatus tendonitis is a common shoulder problem, also known as “Shoulder Impingement Syndrome” or “Painful Arc Syndrome”.