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Symptom

Shoulder pain at night

Night pain is one of the most common reasons people finally come to see me. Losing sleep wears you down quickly, and it is a symptom worth taking seriously rather than waiting out.

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

What to expect at your consultation

We start with your story: how the problem began, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects your sleep, work and the things you enjoy.

I then examine your neck, shoulder and arm together, because they refer pain to one another. If a scan or nerve study would change what we do, I will arrange it; often it is not needed.

We finish by talking through the realistic options and deciding on a plan together.

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

Book a consultation with Miss Aparna Viswanath

If this sounds like what you are experiencing, my secretary can arrange an appointment at Woodlands Hospital in Darlington.

Request an appointment