Shoulder Lump & Pain: Causes, Relief, and When to See a Doctor

Question
I am a 51 year old woman who has suffered from shoulder pain in my right shoulder for the last 6-7 years. At times the pain is so intense that I have extremely limited ROM. At one point I did have cortisone injected to no avail. Recently the shoulder hasn't felt too badly and I was able to even do limited workouts that pertained to the shoulder (ie: overhead weightlifting etc.), I found, however that swimming put too much pressure on the shoulder. I haven't been to the gym in the last few months due to a busy work schedule but somehow last week a large, bony type protrusion has emerged in the center of my upper shoulder bone that leads from the neck to the top of my shoulder. It is quite noticeable and a little sore. I find I have to carry my purse or any over the shoulder item on the other shoulder. Do you have any ideas what it could be or how to treat it?

Answer
Dear Lynne,

When it comes to lumps, bumps and protrusions I would not meant to venture a guess. You need to have the area looked at by your physician. You did not say if the "protrusion" is moveable or not.  You need to know what it is before you can treat it properly and I would give this same advice to a family member.  Especially in this day it is always better to be safe than to venture a guess and be sorry.

Diane