Shoulder pain is usually considered severe if it is chronic or acutely painful. Rather than figuring out your pain on an ambiguous and arbitrary scale of 1-10, there are other signs to look for that are more indicative of a severe condition or injury. The line in the sand to determine if your pain is chronic or not is if you have been experiencing shoulder pain for at least three months. Signs of a severe injury with regard to shoulder pain could include a deformed-looking shoulder joint, an inability to move your shoulder, severe pain, sudden swelling, and a weak or numb arm or hand. Such symptoms could indicate dislocation, separation, fracture, cartilage tear, rotator cuff tear, bursitis, frozen shoulder, impingement of the rotator cuff tendons, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. If you experience any of the above symptoms with regard to shoulder pain or have experienced shoulder pain consistently for three months, call your doctor or make an appointment with us at Global Neuro & Spine Institute. It is crucial to be proactive with treatment so that your condition or injury does not worsen.