Painful Arc syndrome
Painful Arc syndrome refers to the condition where movement of the shoulder forward or backwards is pain-free, but when lifting the arm out from the body there is pain between about 50 and 160 degrees. This is often due to inflammation of the tendon of one of the muscles, called supraspinatus, that runs from the shoulder blade on to the humerus. The tendon passes beneath a bony spur called the acromion, which is where the shoulder blade joins the end of the collarbone, and when it is inflamed there is pain at a particular range of movement. Other causes include arthritic change in the joint between the acromion and collarbone, and chronic inflammation in the tendon producing calcium deposits. While anti-inflammatory agents and injections of steroids may help, in some cases surgery is required.
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