My shoulder has been hurting me for a long time but I'm not sure what to do about it or what it could be. I haven't hurt myself by falling or anything. Can a doctor do anything anyway?

More and more, people in the Western world are developing upper extremity disorders (UEDs) and/or complaints of shoulder, arms, neck and/or shoulder (CANS).

According to a large survey done in the Netherlands, people who are employed and women tend to have these problems most often. Researchers theorize that this is because many types of work involved repetitive motions, and many of these jobs are done by women.

Your shoulder doesn't have to be injured by a sudden trauma or accident in order for there to be something wrong. By seeing a doctor, he or she can x-ray the joint and do other tests to see if a diagnosis can be made. At this point, you might be able to get relief from treatment aimed at the particular problem.