Es posible que no pienses demasiado en la cantidad de movimientos que realizan tus hombros cada día, al menos hasta que sufres un dolor de hombros que hace que todo te resulte incómodo, desde cepillarte los dientes hasta cerrar la puerta del coche. Puedes desarrollar dolor de hombro por muchas razones: uso repetitivo, lesión o artritis, por nombrar sólo algunas. ¿Otra causa común? Radiculopatía cervical: pinzamiento de un nervio en la parte superior de la columna vertebral. 

Un nervio pinzado que afecte a la región del hombro puede sin duda afectar a algunas de tus actividades cotidianas, pero la mayoría de los casos mejoran con ejercicio ligero y tratamiento en el Inicio. A continuación, obtén más información sobre las causas del dolor en el hombro por un nervio pinzado y tus opciones de tratamiento, incluidos los ejercicios del fisioterapeuta de Hinge Health.

¿Qué es un nervio pinzado que afecta al hombro?

Muchas veces, la gente cree que tiene un nervio pinzado en el hombro o en el omóplato porque es ahí donde siente dolor. Pero en realidad, un nervio pinzado en la columna cervical (cuello) puede causar síntomas que empiezan en el cuello y bajan por el hombro e incluso llegan al brazo. Suele ser un dolor agudo o quemante que empeora cuando mueves el cuello de un lado a otro o de un lado a otro, dice Steven Goostree, fisioterapeuta, DPT, fisioterapeuta de Hinge Health. Otra pista: el dolor puede disminuir cuando pones las manos encima de la cabeza, ya que esta posición alivia la presión sobre el nervio.

Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve

Other symptoms include:

• Numbness in your upper back, shoulder, arm, or hand

• Tingling or a “pins and needles” sensation in your neck, shoulder, hand, or fingers

• Muscle weakness in your arm, shoulder, or hand

Since cervical radiculopathy affects everyone differently, you may notice a few of the above symptoms, or only one.

Causes of Pinched Nerve that Affects the Shoulder

There are several reasons a pinched nerve can affect your shoulder. Here are some of the main ones:

• Disc degeneration. Intervertebral discs serve as cushions between the vertebrae (bones) in the spine. Just like the rest of your body, your discs sometimes change with age. Sometimes these changes cause the vertebrae to move closer together, leaving less room for the nerves. 

• Herniated discs. Other times, a disc can herniate, which is when the jelly-like center of a disc gets pushed out toward the spinal canal. This can put pressure on sensitive nerves, which can contribute to pain, numbness, and weakness in the arm. 

• Injury. "A pinched nerve can happen if someone experiences an acute injury, like falling on an outstretched hand or getting tackled in football," says Dr. Goostree. 

When to See a Doctor 

Most pinched nerve symptoms resolve on their own with at-home treatment, but if your symptoms don't go away after about a week, see your doctor. You should also see them right away if you experience any of the following: 

• Muscle weakness in your arm or hand. “If you experience any change in strength — for example, you can’t grasp things or start dropping things — it needs to be checked out,” says Dr. Goostree.

• Abnormal reflexes in your arm. 

• Any changes in your gait or balance, including feeling unsteady while walking.

• Loss of dexterity (such as difficulty writing or fastening the buttons on your clothing).

• Pain that worsens at night. 

Treatment for Pinched Nerve Affecting the Shoulder

Although shoulder pain can affect your daily activities, there’s a lot you can do to help yourself feel better. “Your body has an amazing capacity to heal itself,” reassures Dr. Goostree, most of the time, symptoms resolve with nonsurgical treatments, such as: 

• Ice and heat. Either ice or heat can help — it just depends on what feels best for you. Most people do well with applying ice (you can try an ice massage) to the neck and shoulder for the first 48 hours after pain starts to reduce inflammation. After that, heat can help muscles relax. 

• Physical therapy. A physical therapist can work with you to increase your range of motion and strength to help reduce symptoms and regain function. A 2019 review of 10 studies published in the journal Medicine found that therapeutic exercises, such as those done in physical therapy, help improve pain, quality of life, and overall physical function.

• Over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be helpful for a pinched nerve. It's important to make sure that you are safely able to take these medications, based on your medical history.

• Oral corticosteroids. If used for a short period of time, they can reduce swelling and inflammation.

• Steroid injections. If over-the-counter medication does not offer sufficient pain relief, your doctor may suggest cortisone (steroid) injections to help counter pain and inflammation. These are injected near the affected nerve to reduce inflammation.

• Cervical collar. This is a padded ring that you wrap around your neck. It allows your neck muscles to rest and limits neck motion to decrease nerve pinching. It's not recommended for more than a week or two, though, says Dr. Goostree. Longer than that can decrease neck muscle strength, which is ultimately what helps you heal.