Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your doctor.

Conditions

• A problem or condition present since birth (congenital defect)
• Previous neck or shoulder injury
• Previous surgery to shoulder area
• A problem somewhere else in the body that might cause pain in the shoulder (referred pain)
• History of heart attack (myocardial infarction)

Lifestyle choices

• A job or hobby that requires you to work with your arms raised over your head
• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Smoking or other tobacco use

Medicines

• Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection

Diseases

• Cancer
• Cervical arthritis or cervical disc disease
• Diabetes
• Gout
• Heart disease
• Hemophilia
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Infectious arthritis
• Inherited bone disease
• Kidney disease
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteomyelitis
• Osteoporosis
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scleroderma
• Septic bursitis