The neck and shoulders are complex and interconnected areas, and medical problems that affect one often affect the other, as well. Pain and dysfunction from injuries or conditions that impact the joints, muscles, and other structures can easily spread from the neck to the shoulder(s) and from the shoulder(s) to the neck.
Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint and very mobile. It may hurt for many reasons, from injury and overuse to chronic conditions or diseases. You need to know the cause to get effective treatment.
Collarbone pain is usually caused by an injury, such as a fracture or joint separation. However, your collarbone (clavicle) can also hurt because of health conditions like arthritis or even certain sleeping positions.
While dead hangs may be OK for people with good upper-body strength and no shoulder problems, they can be risky for others. People with shoulder hypermobility (excessive motion of the shoulder) or shoulder instability (such as those who easily dislocate their shoulder) may need to be cautious. The shoulder, by design, is a relatively unstable joint. It has a large ball-type bone called a humerus, which sits in a relatively small socket called a glenoid.
A scapula fracture is an uncommon injury. The scapula, or shoulder blade, is a wide, flat bone that sits behind the rib cage. The scapula connects to the clavicle (collar bone) in the front of the body, and to the humerus (arm bone) at the side. Part of the scapula is lined with cartilage (the glenoid) and forms the socket of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint.
