Shoulder Pain: What the Location May Mean

Shoulder pain can originate from the joint, rotator cuff tendons, biceps tendon, ligaments, bursa, cartilage, bones, muscles around the shoulder blade, or nerves traveling from the neck. Pain can also be referred from the heart, lungs, diaphragm, gallbladder, or upper abdomen—even when the shoulder itself is normal.

Location provides clues, but it does not establish a diagnosis. Front shoulder pain may involve the biceps tendon, yet rotator cuff disease can also be felt there. Pain around the shoulder blade may come from muscle strain, the neck, or a chest condition. Left shoulder pain is not automatically a heart attack, and right shoulder pain is not automatically a gallbladder problem.

The most useful assessment combines:

• Exact location and quality of pain
• Traumatic versus nontraumatic onset
• Movements that reproduce symptoms
• Active and passive range of motion
• Weakness, numbness, swelling, fever, or deformity
• Chest, breathing, abdominal, or neurologic symptoms
• Age, occupation, sport, medical history, and recent procedures

This guide explains common patterns, warning signs, home treatment, clinical testing, and when to choose urgent care or the emergency department.

Quick Answer: When Is Shoulder Pain an Emergency?

Call 911 or seek emergency care for shoulder pain with:

• Chest pressure, squeezing, heaviness, shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness, or pain in the jaw, back, or one or both arms
• Sudden breathing difficulty, sharp chest pain, coughing blood, fainting, or a rapid heartbeat
• Major trauma, obvious deformity, exposed bone, or inability to safely move the arm
• A pale, blue, cold, numb, or pulseless arm or hand
• Rapidly increasing arm swelling or bluish discoloration
• New facial droop, arm weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, vision changes, or severe imbalance
• A hot, markedly swollen shoulder with fever or systemic illness
• Severe right upper abdominal pain with fever, repeated vomiting, or jaundice

Seek same-day evaluation for a new injury with substantial weakness, inability to raise the arm, persistent numbness, focal bone tenderness, or pain that is severe and worsening. Sudden inability to move the shoulder normally after trauma may reflect dislocation, fracture, or a significant tendon tear.

Shoulder Pain Diagnosis Chart by Location

Pain location or pattern	Common possibilities	Clues that support the pattern	Important alternatives
Front of shoulder	Biceps tendinopathy, rotator cuff disorder, labral injury	Pain with lifting, reaching, throwing, or resisted elbow flexion	Arthritis, fracture, referred pain
Top of shoulder	Acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain or arthritis	Focal tenderness; pain reaching across the chest	Distal clavicle fracture, infection
Outer/lateral upper arm	Rotator cuff tendinopathy or tear, subacromial pain	Painful overhead arc, night pain, weakness	Cervical nerve irritation
Back of shoulder	Posterior rotator cuff or labral injury, muscle strain	Throwing-related pain, pain with rotation	Neck disease, referred chest pain
Shoulder blade	Rhomboid/trapezius strain, scapular mechanics, cervical radiculopathy	Posture or movement-related ache, muscle tenderness	Lung/pleural disease, gallbladder or abdominal referral
Deep joint pain and stiffness	Frozen shoulder or arthritis	Restricted active and passive movement	Infection, fracture, tumor
Pain below shoulder into arm/hand	Cervical radiculopathy or peripheral nerve disorder	Tingling, numbness, electric pain, neck-related symptoms	Cardiac pain, vascular disease

The chart is a starting point, not a substitute for an examination. More than one condition can coexist, and the perceived pain location does not always match the injured structure.

Front Shoulder Pain (Anterior Shoulder Pain)

Biceps tendinopathy

The long head of the biceps tendon passes through the front of the shoulder. Repetitive overhead work, throwing, lifting, or a rotator cuff problem can irritate it. Pain is often felt in the front of the shoulder and may worsen when lifting an object, reaching forward, or turning the palm upward against resistance.

A positive Speed’s test may increase suspicion, but no single maneuver should be treated as a definitive diagnosis. Shoulder tests perform best when interpreted as part of a complete history and examination.[1]

Rotator cuff–related shoulder pain

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that stabilize and move the shoulder. Tendinopathy, bursitis, partial tears, and full-thickness tears can all cause front or outer shoulder pain. Symptoms often worsen with overhead use, reaching behind the back, or sleeping on the affected side. Pain may be felt down the outer upper arm but typically does not extend into the hand.[1]

Age-related tendon changes are common, and a tear seen on imaging is not always the sole source of pain. The examination must distinguish pain-limited movement from true weakness and consider whether the onset followed trauma.

Labral injury

The labrum is a rim of cartilage that helps deepen the shoulder socket. A tear can follow a fall on an outstretched arm, forceful traction, shoulder dislocation, or repetitive overhead throwing. Patients may describe deep pain, catching, clicking, instability, or reduced performance. Because these symptoms overlap with other shoulder disorders, selected cases require specialist evaluation and MRI or MR arthrography.[2,3]

Pain on Top of the Shoulder

AC joint sprain or separation

The acromioclavicular joint lies where the collarbone meets the highest point of the shoulder. A direct fall onto the shoulder can sprain its stabilizing ligaments. Pain and swelling are usually localized to the top of the shoulder and worsen with cross-body reaching. More severe injuries can create a visible bump or deformity.[2]

AC joint arthritis

Arthritis at the AC joint can cause focal top-of-shoulder pain during cross-body movement, pressing exercises, or overhead work. X-rays can show arthritis, but the clinician must determine whether the imaging finding matches the symptoms because degenerative changes can exist without pain.[1]

Outer Shoulder and Upper-Arm Pain

Rotator cuff pain is commonly perceived over the lateral deltoid region rather than directly over the tendon. A person may point to the outer shoulder or upper arm below the shoulder. Pain with lifting the arm, a painful arc, night pain, and weakness increase suspicion for rotator cuff disease.[1]

Tendinopathy versus tear

Tendinopathy generally develops from tendon overload and age-related changes. A tear may be degenerative or traumatic. Sudden pain with a pop and immediate weakness after lifting, falling, or forcefully pulling suggests a more significant tear.

True weakness matters. If the arm cannot be held up because the muscles fail—rather than solely because movement hurts—prompt assessment is appropriate. Acute full-thickness traumatic tears may benefit from timely orthopedic evaluation, while many atraumatic degenerative tears can begin with nonsurgical care. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons updated its adult rotator cuff injury guideline in 2025 to guide evidence-based nonsurgical and surgical management.[4]

Shoulder Pain When Lifting the Arm

Pain during overhead elevation commonly occurs with rotator cuff–related pain, subacromial bursitis, AC joint disease, or instability. The exact angle at which pain occurs may help the examination but cannot independently identify the structure.

Possible patterns include:

• Painful but possible movement: tendinopathy, bursitis, mild strain, arthritis
• Sudden weakness after injury: rotator cuff tear, fracture, nerve injury
• Both active and passive motion restricted: frozen shoulder or advanced arthritis
• Active motion limited but passive motion relatively preserved: rotator cuff disease or pain inhibition
• Feeling that the shoulder slips out: instability or labral injury

Do not repeatedly force the arm overhead to “test” it after a significant injury. Continued loading can worsen pain and does not replace a neurovascular and musculoskeletal examination.

Left Shoulder Pain: Muscle Problem or Heart Warning?

Most isolated left shoulder pain is musculoskeletal. It may follow lifting, exercise, awkward sleep, repetitive work, or a fall. Pain that is reproducible with shoulder movement or local pressure makes a shoulder source more likely—but does not fully exclude a heart problem.

Heart-attack discomfort can involve one or both shoulders or arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. Shortness of breath, cold sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, unusual fatigue, and central chest pressure increase concern. Symptoms may begin gradually and may occur without dramatic chest pain, particularly in women.[5,6]

Call 911 rather than driving yourself when shoulder discomfort is accompanied by possible heart-attack symptoms. Emergency medical personnel can begin assessment and treatment en route. Do not wait for antacids, pain medicine, stretching, or rest to prove that the cause is benign.

Right Shoulder Pain: Shoulder Joint or Referred Pain?

Right shoulder pain is often caused by the same musculoskeletal conditions as left shoulder pain: rotator cuff disease, biceps irritation, arthritis, strain, or injury. However, right shoulder or shoulder-tip pain can sometimes be referred from structures below the diaphragm.

Gallbladder attacks usually cause upper-right abdominal pain, often after a heavy meal and sometimes lasting several hours.[7] Gallbladder or diaphragmatic irritation may also be perceived near the right shoulder blade or shoulder tip. Fever, persistent upper-right abdominal pain, jaundice, repeated vomiting, or marked illness requires prompt medical evaluation.

Location alone cannot diagnose gallstones. If moving or pressing the shoulder clearly reproduces the pain and no abdominal symptoms are present, a musculoskeletal cause becomes more likely. If the shoulder examination is relatively normal but abdominal symptoms dominate, clinicians consider a referred source.

Shoulder-Blade Pain

The shoulder blade, or scapula, is surrounded by the trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapulae, rotator cuff, and other muscles. Pain in this region often follows repetitive pulling, prolonged computer work, awkward posture, coughing, or unfamiliar exercise.

Muscular and scapular causes

Localized tenderness, pain reproduced by shoulder-blade movement, and improvement with heat or gentle activity suggest a muscle-related source. Scapular dyskinesis describes altered shoulder-blade motion and may accompany shoulder injury or muscle imbalance; it is a movement finding rather than a diagnosis by itself.

Cervical radiculopathy

A nerve irritated in the neck can refer pain to the shoulder blade and down an arm. Burning or electric pain, tingling, numbness, hand symptoms, and pain that changes with neck movement support cervical involvement. Pain extending beyond the elbow into the hand is less typical of an isolated shoulder disorder.[1]

Lung or pleural disease

Pneumonia, inflammation of the lung lining, pulmonary embolism, or pneumothorax can sometimes cause shoulder or upper-back pain. Pain that is sharp with breathing, accompanied by cough, fever, low oxygen, sudden shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, fainting, or coughing blood requires urgent or emergency evaluation.

Upper abdominal referral

The diaphragm and upper abdominal organs share nerve pathways that can refer discomfort toward a shoulder. The surrounding symptoms—abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, recent surgery, trauma, or breathing difficulty—help determine urgency.

Common Shoulder Diagnoses

Rotator cuff tendinopathy or tear

Typical clues include outer or front shoulder pain, overhead pain, night discomfort, and weakness. A traumatic tear may present suddenly; degenerative disease often develops gradually. Many cases begin with activity modification and rehabilitation, but major acute weakness deserves earlier specialist assessment.[4]

Subacromial bursitis

The bursa reduces friction around the rotator cuff. Irritation can create a painful arc and tenderness similar to rotator cuff tendinopathy. Bursitis is frequently part of a broader rotator cuff–related pain pattern rather than a completely separate problem.

Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)

Frozen shoulder causes progressive pain and marked restriction of both active and passive movement. Reaching overhead or behind the back becomes difficult. It occurs more often in adults over 40 and is associated with diabetes and thyroid disease.[1]

Frozen shoulder usually develops over months and can take many months—or occasionally longer—to resolve. Sudden severe restriction after trauma, fever, or a hot swollen joint is not typical and requires another explanation.

Glenohumeral osteoarthritis

Arthritis of the ball-and-socket joint causes deep pain, stiffness, grinding, and progressive loss of motion. X-rays are usually the initial imaging study when chronic arthritis is suspected.[3]

Shoulder instability or dislocation

A dislocated shoulder may look squared-off or deformed, and the person often supports the arm in a fixed position. Numbness can occur if nearby nerves are stretched. Do not ask an untrained person to force the shoulder back into place. Reduction should follow clinical assessment, pain control, neurovascular documentation, and imaging when indicated.

Recurrent instability may feel subtler, with slipping, apprehension, clicking, or pain during overhead or throwing movements. Younger active patients have a higher recurrence risk after a first traumatic anterior dislocation.[2]

Fracture

Falls, direct blows, and high-energy trauma can fracture the clavicle, proximal humerus, or scapula. Swelling, bruising, focal bone tenderness, deformity, or inability to use the arm raise concern. Scapular fractures often imply substantial trauma and may coexist with chest injuries.[2]

Cervical radiculopathy

Neck nerve irritation can mimic shoulder disease. Neck pain, symptoms below the elbow, tingling, numbness, or weakness in a nerve distribution favor a cervical source. Shoulder and cervical conditions can coexist, so a clinician may need to examine both regions.

Serious Causes That Need Urgent Attention

Heart attack or unstable angina

Shoulder or arm discomfort with chest pressure, breathing difficulty, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, or unusual fatigue requires 911. The American Heart Association advises calling emergency services for heart-attack warning signs, even when you are uncertain.[5]

Pulmonary embolism or pneumothorax

A clot in a lung artery can cause sudden shortness of breath, pleuritic chest or shoulder pain, rapid heart rate, faintness, or coughing blood. A collapsed lung may cause sudden one-sided chest or shoulder pain with breathing difficulty. Both require emergency care.

Septic arthritis

Septic arthritis is an infection inside a joint. It may cause acute severe pain, swelling, warmth, reduced movement, fever, or systemic illness. Risk may be higher with immune suppression, diabetes, injection drug use, recent bloodstream infection, recent joint procedure, or an artificial joint.

Diagnosis generally requires urgent joint-fluid sampling; blood tests and imaging alone cannot reliably rule it out. Treatment often includes joint drainage and antibiotics.[8] Do not attempt to exercise through a hot, swollen, acutely painful shoulder with fever.

Neurovascular injury

Shoulder trauma can injure nerves or blood vessels. A pale, blue, cold, pulseless, markedly weak, or numb arm requires emergency assessment. Clinicians document pulses, capillary refill, sensation, and motor function before and after treating a dislocation.

Upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis

An arm-vein clot may cause sudden swelling, heaviness, pain, prominent veins, or bluish discoloration. Effort thrombosis can occur after intense or repetitive overhead activity, particularly in athletes and laborers, and requires urgent vascular evaluation.[2]

Cancer or bone lesion

Most shoulder pain is not cancer. Persistent progressive pain, unexplained weight loss, night pain unrelated to movement, a prior cancer history, or a new mass warrants assessment. Lung or upper chest tumors can occasionally affect nerves that supply the shoulder and arm.

How Clinicians Evaluate Shoulder Pain

History

A clinician may ask about injury mechanism, hand dominance, work and sports, exact location, night pain, weakness, clicking, instability, neck symptoms, numbness, chest or abdominal symptoms, fever, and previous dislocation or surgery.

Examination

The examination usually compares both shoulders and includes:

• Inspection for deformity, swelling, bruising, muscle wasting, or abnormal shoulder-blade movement
• Palpation of the clavicle, AC joint, biceps groove, humerus, scapula, and surrounding muscles
• Active range of motion performed by the patient
• Passive range of motion performed carefully by the examiner
• Strength testing of the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles
• Selected provocative maneuvers
• Neck examination when cervical referral is possible
• Pulses, sensation, and motor function after trauma

No single shoulder test is perfectly accurate. Clinicians interpret combinations of findings and decide whether imaging would change management.

X-Ray, Ultrasound, MRI, or CT?

X-ray

Radiography is generally the initial imaging test for acute traumatic shoulder pain and can identify many fractures, dislocations, and joint alignment problems.[9] It is also typically the first study for chronic shoulder pain when imaging is indicated.[3]

Ultrasound

Musculoskeletal ultrasound can evaluate rotator cuff tendons and the biceps tendon dynamically. Accuracy depends on equipment and operator expertise. It does not provide the same comprehensive view of deep cartilage, bone marrow, or the labrum as MRI.

MRI

MRI can assess the rotator cuff, labrum, biceps tendon, cartilage, bone marrow, and other soft tissues. It is often used when examination suggests a tear, symptoms persist despite appropriate treatment, or surgical planning is being considered. MR arthrography may be selected for certain labral or instability questions.[3,9]

CT

CT provides detailed bone assessment and may clarify a complex or occult fracture or characterize bone loss after dislocation. The choice of test should follow the suspected pathology rather than a desire to “scan everything.”

Shoulder Pain Relief at Home

Home care is reasonable for mild pain without major trauma, deformity, fever, progressive weakness, neurovascular symptoms, chest symptoms, or other red flags.

Relative rest—not total immobilization

Temporarily reduce lifting, overhead work, pressing, or the movement that triggered pain. Completely avoiding shoulder movement for prolonged periods can increase stiffness. A sling may provide brief comfort after selected injuries, but extended unsupervised use can contribute to frozen shoulder and weakness.

Cold or heat

Cold can reduce discomfort soon after an injury; heat may feel better for chronic muscle tightness. Use a cloth barrier and limit exposure to approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Avoid extreme temperatures on numb skin and do not sleep on a heating pad.

Medication precautions

Acetaminophen or an NSAID such as ibuprofen or naproxen may help some adults when taken exactly as labeled. Avoid combining products with the same active ingredient. Excess acetaminophen can injure the liver, while NSAIDs can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney injury, fluid retention, and cardiovascular complications in susceptible people.[10]

Ask a clinician or pharmacist before an NSAID if you have kidney disease, ulcers or prior GI bleeding, heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, take anticoagulants, or are pregnant. Ask before acetaminophen if you have liver disease, drink substantial alcohol, or take another acetaminophen-containing product. Do not use medication response to rule out heart or lung disease.

Sleep positioning

Avoid lying directly on the painful shoulder. Side sleepers may hug a pillow or support the affected arm on a pillow in front of the body. Back sleepers can place a small pillow under the forearm to reduce traction. Pillows may improve comfort but do not treat a dislocation, fracture, infection, or major tear.

Shoulder Exercises: When Are They Safe?

Exercise is appropriate only after major injury and red flags have been excluded. Early goals generally include comfortable motion, followed by gradual rotator cuff and shoulder-blade strengthening. The exact program depends on whether the problem is tendinopathy, instability, frozen shoulder, arthritis, or postoperative recovery.

Stop and seek assessment if exercise causes:

• New or increasing weakness
• Numbness, tingling, or a cold/pale hand
• A feeling that the shoulder dislocated
• Marked swelling or deformity
• Chest pain, shortness of breath, or faintness
• Severe pain that persists after stopping

Avoid copying aggressive online exercises before knowing the likely diagnosis. A movement used to regain motion in frozen shoulder may aggravate instability, while heavy strengthening may be inappropriate soon after an acute tear or fracture.

Urgent Care vs ER vs Primary Care

Level of care	Appropriate examples
Call 911 / ER	Possible heart attack or pulmonary embolism; major trauma; dislocation with neurovascular symptoms; open fracture; cold/pulseless arm; severe breathing difficulty; hot swollen joint with systemic illness
Urgent care / same-day evaluation	New injury with substantial pain or weakness; possible fracture without major instability; inability to raise arm; persistent numbness; worsening pain; concern for infection but clinically stable
Primary care / sports medicine / orthopedics	Persistent or recurrent pain, suspected rotator cuff disease, frozen shoulder, arthritis, instability, rehabilitation, or symptoms not improving with initial care
Home care initially	Mild movement-related soreness after ordinary activity, preserved function, no major trauma, no systemic symptoms, and gradual improvement

Urgent care may perform an examination, obtain X-rays, provide a sling when appropriate, prescribe short-term treatment, and arrange follow-up. Complex fractures, unreduced dislocations, neurovascular injury, septic arthritis, and cardiopulmonary emergencies require emergency-department or specialist resources.

Recovery Timeline and Prognosis

Recovery depends on the cause:

• Mild strain or overuse: often improves over days to a few weeks
• Rotator cuff tendinopathy: may require several weeks to months of progressive rehabilitation
• AC joint sprain: mild injuries may improve within weeks; severe separations take longer
• Frozen shoulder: typically evolves over months and may take a year or longer to substantially resolve
• Fracture: often requires at least several weeks of bone healing plus rehabilitation
• Dislocation: pain improves after reduction, but rehabilitation and recurrence prevention are important
• Rotator cuff tear: prognosis varies by tear size, traumatic versus degenerative onset, weakness, age, and treatment

Arrange follow-up if pain is not clearly improving after one to two weeks, repeatedly wakes you, interferes with work or self-care, or requires frequent medication. Seek earlier care for progressive weakness, increasing swelling, fever, new neurologic symptoms, or loss of function.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my shoulder hurt when I lift my arm?

Rotator cuff–related pain, bursitis, AC joint disease, arthritis, and instability are common possibilities. Sudden inability to lift after trauma or a pop may indicate a significant tear, fracture, or dislocation and should be assessed promptly.

How can I tell if shoulder pain is from the rotator cuff?

Outer or front shoulder pain, overhead pain, night pain, and weakness support rotator cuff involvement. These findings overlap with other conditions, so an examination is more reliable than pain location alone.[1]

Is left shoulder pain always related to the heart?

No. Most isolated movement-related left shoulder pain is musculoskeletal. Call 911 when it occurs with chest discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, unusual fatigue, or pain in the jaw, back, or arms.[5,6]

Can gallbladder problems cause right shoulder pain?

Gallbladder and diaphragmatic irritation can refer pain toward the right shoulder or shoulder blade, usually alongside upper-right abdominal symptoms. Fever, jaundice, repeated vomiting, or persistent severe abdominal pain requires urgent evaluation.[7]

Is shoulder-blade pain coming from my neck?

It can. Cervical nerve irritation may cause pain around the shoulder blade and into an arm, often with tingling, numbness, or neck-related symptoms. Muscle strain and referred chest or abdominal pain are other possibilities.

Should I use a sling for shoulder pain?

A sling may briefly improve comfort after selected injuries, but it should not be used indefinitely or to avoid evaluation. Prolonged immobilization can increase stiffness and weakness. Follow the duration recommended by the treating clinician.

When should I get an MRI?

MRI is not required for every sore shoulder. It becomes more useful when the examination suggests a substantial soft-tissue tear, symptoms persist despite appropriate care, the diagnosis remains unclear, or surgical planning is being considered.[3,9]

Can I exercise through shoulder pain?

Mild discomfort during a clinician-approved rehabilitation plan may be acceptable, but sharp or escalating pain, new weakness, instability, numbness, swelling, or loss of function means stop and seek guidance. Do not exercise through suspected fracture, dislocation, infection, or acute major tear.

The Takeaway

Shoulder pain location can narrow the possibilities: front pain may involve the biceps or rotator cuff, top pain may arise from the AC joint, lateral upper-arm pain frequently accompanies rotator cuff disorders, and shoulder-blade pain may originate from muscle, neck, chest, or abdominal structures. But location alone is not a diagnosis.

Movement-related pain without red flags often begins with relative rest, gentle motion, safe short-term pain relief, and gradual rehabilitation. Seek prompt evaluation after trauma, for substantial weakness or loss of motion, or when pain persists.

Call 911 for shoulder discomfort with possible heart-attack symptoms, sudden breathing difficulty, fainting, a cold or pulseless arm, or stroke symptoms. A visibly deformed shoulder, significant fracture, rapidly swelling arm, or hot swollen joint with fever also requires urgent or emergency care.

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References

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4. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Management of rotator cuff injuries evidence-based clinical practice guideline [Internet]. Rosemont (IL): American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2025 Aug 18 [cited 2026 Aug 13]. Available from: https://www.aaos.org/quality/quality-programs/rotator-cuff/
5. American Heart Association. Warning signs of a heart attack [Internet]. Dallas (TX): American Heart Association; 2024 Dec 12 [cited 2026 Aug 13]. Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2024 May 15 [cited 2026 Aug 13]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/heart-attack.html
7. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms and causes of gallstones [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2017 Nov [cited 2026 Aug 13]. Available from: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gallstones/symptoms-causes
8. Ravn C, Neyt J, Benito N, Abreu MA, Achermann Y, Bozhkova S, et al. Guideline for management of septic arthritis in native joints (SANJO). J Bone Jt Infect. 2023;8(1):29-37. doi:10.5194/jbji-8-29-2023.
9. Expert Panel on Musculoskeletal Imaging. ACR Appropriateness Criteria acute shoulder pain: 2024 update. J Am Coll Radiol. 2025;22(5 Suppl). doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2025.02.015.
10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The best way to take your over-the-counter pain reliever? Seriously [Internet]. Silver Spring (MD): U.S. Food and Drug Administration; [cited 2026 Aug 13]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/safe-use-over-counter-pain-relievers-and-fever-reducers/best-way-take-your-over-counter-pain-reliever-seriously-four-panel-brochure