Although the shoulder joint has the largest range of motion in the body, it is also the most unstable, and this can render it as one of the most problematic areas of our bodies.

​When shoulders become aggravated, they can become very painful. Effective, lasting pain relief requires addressing the underlying causes. The root causes can be varied, but by using advanced assessment methods we often find there are several contributing issues that need to be corrected before lasting relief can be experienced.​

Arthritis is said to occur when inflammation affects the joints, causing stiffness and pain in the joint area. There are two main types of Arthritis that might affect an individual; namely Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. ​
One is said to be suffering from Osteoarthritis, the most common form, when cartilage in the joint region wears out. Normally, this wear and tear happens with age and over several years. Rheumatoid Arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune condition targeting the lining of joints called synovium and can be found to occur in a matter of weeks or months.

Subacromial Bursitis is intense pain in the shoulder which worsens with repeated movements of the shoulder joint.
The body is laden with small fluid filled sacs called bursae, which act like cushions between moving parts of the body like joints and muscles or tendons. Shoulder Bursitis occurs when the subacromial bursa in the shoulder swells up with more than usual amount of fluid. Due to this condition, the bursa prevent muscles and tendons in the shoulder joint, called the rotator cuff, from functioning properly.
Those diagnosed with Subacromial Bursitis experience shoulder stiffness and pain accompanied with swelling and redness. The shoulder is usually sore to touch and difficult to move. In severe cases, the shoulder might be immovable completely and this condition is known as Frozen Shoulder.

The shoulder joint is made of bones, tendons and ligaments that are surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Frozen shoulder, scientifically known as Adhesive Capsulitis, is the thickening and tightening of this capsule that leads to the formation of scar tissue, making shoulder movements painful and restricted. ​
The symptoms of frozen shoulder generally occur in three stages, each stage lasting for several months. In the freezing stage, one experiences sharp pain which starts to limit the motion of the arm. The frozen stage is marked by a decrease in pain but an increase in stiffness which restricts movement of the arm and shoulder even further. Finally, in the thawing stage, the range of motion of the arm begins to improve.

Blausen.com staff (2014). "Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014". WikiJournal of Medicine 1