AV Orthopaedics — specialist shoulder and upper limb clinic

Symptom

Shoulder pain at night

Night pain is one of the most common reasons people seek help for a shoulder problem. Many patients describe being unable to lie comfortably on one side, waking repeatedly during the night, or experiencing a deep aching pain that seems worse when they finally stop moving and try to rest. Although night pain can sometimes be worrying, it is very common and is often treatable without surgery.

What it often feels like

  • A deep ache in the shoulder or upper arm once you lie down
  • Waking whenever you roll onto that side
  • Difficulty finding any comfortable position, even propped up on pillows
  • Feeling stiff and sore for the first part of the morning

Common reasons it happens

  • Rotator cuff problems, including tears, impingement and bursitis
  • Calcific tendonitis, which can flare severely and settle again
  • Frozen shoulder, particularly in the early painful phase
  • Wear in the shoulder joint or the AC joint at the top of the shoulder
  • In younger or active individuals, irritation or overload of the rotator cuff tendons
  • Shoulder arthritis, often described as a dull ache with sharper pain on certain movements
  • Problems arising from the neck, muscle imbalance around the shoulder blade, posture-related strain, or tension within surrounding muscles
  • Pain travelling down the arm, tingling in the hand, or symptoms extending below the elbow, which can suggest involvement of the neck or nerves

Treatment options

A careful assessment, examination and simple X-rays can often provide a huge amount of information. Many patients do not initially need extensive scans. The aim is not simply to reduce pain, but to help restore comfortable movement, sleep and confidence in using the shoulder again.

  • Physiotherapy and muscle retraining
  • Improving posture and shoulder mechanics
  • Activity modification
  • Anti-inflammatory medication
  • Ultrasound-guided injections
  • Occasionally surgery, if symptoms are persistent or structural damage is significant

Why we treat

Getting you back to the things this is stopping you doing

shoulder pain at night matters because of what it takes away. Your sleep, your work, and the parts of the week you look forward to.

  • Two walkers and a dog on a path across the Yorkshire moors

    Walking the moors

  • A group of friends knitting together around a table with tea and cakes

    Hobbies with friends

  • Someone using a cordless drill to build a wooden bench at home

    Jobs around the house

Conditions this can point to

Related symptoms you may also wish to explore

Book a consultation with Miss Aparna Viswanath

If this sounds like what you are experiencing, we will find the earliest suitable appointment for you at Woodlands Hospital in Darlington.

Request an appointment