Choose a symptom and answer simple questions using our physician-reviewed symptom checker to find more information on your health issue.
Did you hit, injure, or fall on your upper arm or shoulder recently?
Choose an option below.
Did you feel your shoulder pop out of place and/or pop back into place?
Your SHOULDER may be or may have been DISLOCATED or SUBLUXED (a partial dislocation followed by a relocation).
Is your upper arm swollen or deformed?
Your HUMERUS (upper arm bone) may be FRACTURED or your shoulder may be DISLOCATED.
Is your collarbone tender, or do you have a bump on it?
Your CLAVICLE (collarbone) may be FRACTURED.
Is there tenderness or pain near the shoulder end of your collarbone, and does lifting your arm with your uninjured arm help the pain?
Your SHOULDER may be SEPARATED. This is also known as an AC JOINT SEPARATION.
Does pain come with a twisting motion of your arm, or does a throwing motion cause pain, and does your shoulder seem weak?
You may have a TORN ROTATOR CUFF or SHOULDER INSTABILITY. This can also suggest that you may have SUBLUXATION.
Do you have a fever?
Do you have redness or swelling around your shoulder?
You may have INFLAMMATION in or around a joint, also called BURSITIS, or a serious INFECTION of the bone, the joint or the skin.
Within the last month have you had a sore throat or a skin infection?
These symptoms may be from RHEUMATIC FEVER, a reaction to a streptococcus (strep) bacterial infection.
Do you have redness and swelling in more than one joint, including your shoulder?
You may have RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, a disease affecting the immune system, or GOUT, an inflammation of the shoulder joint.
Do you feel pain when you move your arm above the level of your shoulder, but there’s no swelling or redness?
You may have IMPINGEMENT, BURSITIS or ROTATOR CUFF SYNDROME.
Do you have increasing stiffness and inability to move your shoulder? Do you also have diabetes?
You may have ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS, also called a FROZEN SHOULDER.
See your doctor right away. Put your arm in a sling for comfort until you see a doctor.
EMERGENCY Call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away.
Call your doctor right away. Use a sling to restrict movement of your arm and use an analgesic, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve pain until you see your doctor.
See your doctor.
URGENT See your doctor right away, especially if you have a fever.
URGENT See your doctor right away.
For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.
See your doctor. Apply heat to the affected area and take an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, for pain. Avoid fatty meals or alcohol, which may trigger a attack or flare.
Use an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, and apply heat to the affected area. If your symptoms worsen or do not improve, see your doctor. Stretches or strengthening exercises may help with the discomfort.
See your doctor. This condition is usually treated with special exercises you can do on your own, but may require a referral to a physical therapist.
DISCLAIMER
Symptom Checker content is provided for informational purposes only. This tool may leverage certain generative artificial intelligence tools to generate results, but you should not rely on this tool as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health or the information provided when you use this tool, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your healthcare professional because of something you may have read using this tool or on the FamilyDoctor.org website. Use this content solely at your own risk. If you think you may have a medical emergency, dial 911.
