What Causes a Sharp Pain in My Shoulder That Comes and Goes?

A sharp pain in your shoulder that comes and goes often appears during certain movements because the same irritated muscle, tendon, or joint area gets stressed only in particular positions.

A shoulder pain that comes and goes can be especially frustrating because the shoulder may feel completely normal between episodes. You might reach for something one minute and get a sudden sharp pain, then move your arm again later without feeling much of anything. The difference is often the exact position of your arm and how much stress that movement places on the irritated area.

You may also start noticing a pattern over time. The sharp pain might show up when you reach overhead, turn your arm a certain way, lift something away from your body, or make a quick movement without thinking about it. Even if the pain disappears afterward, repeatedly stressing the same area can keep bringing the sharp sensation back.

The Sharp Pain Appears In Certain Positions

Your shoulder may move comfortably through most of its range until one particular position suddenly produces a sharp pain.

This can happen when the rotator cuff or another structure around the shoulder is irritated and gets stressed more heavily at a specific point in the movement. You may learn to avoid that position because you know exactly when the sharp pain is likely to hit.

A Quick Movement Brings The Pain Back

You may feel fine moving slowly but get a sudden sharp pain when you reach, lift, or turn your arm quickly.

A faster movement can place more force on muscles and tendons that are already sore or irritated. The pain may disappear once the movement stops, but the same quick motion can trigger it again the next time you use your shoulder that way.

Why The Pain Keeps Returning

Your shoulder has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your shoulder feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Shoulder Feel Better

Your shoulder starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

What causes a sharp pain in my shoulder that comes and goes?

A sharp shoulder pain that comes and goes often happens when a particular movement repeatedly stresses an irritated muscle, tendon, or other structure. The pain may disappear when your arm moves out of that position.

Why does my shoulder only hurt with certain movements?

Different shoulder positions place stress on different muscles, tendons, and parts of the joint. If one area is irritated, you may only feel pain when a movement puts pressure or strain directly on that area.

Why does the sharp pain disappear after I stop moving?

The painful movement may temporarily stop stressing the irritated area once you lower or reposition your arm. That can make the pain disappear until you repeat the same movement again.

Can a rotator cuff problem cause sharp pain that comes and goes?

Yes. Rotator cuff irritation or injury can cause sharp pain during particular movements, especially reaching or lifting, while the shoulder may feel much better when the arm is resting.

When should recurring sharp shoulder pain be checked?

Persistent or worsening pain, significant weakness, loss of movement, or sharp pain following a sudden injury should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.