A person should see a doctor for shoulder pain that does not improve after a few days of resting the affected arm. Also, see a doctor if the pain is severe, recurring, or occurs following an injury. People with a dislocated shoulder or a severe injury should go to the emergency room.

When should you see the doctor about your shoulder pain? If you experience sudden or severe pain, obvious infection or swelling then you should obviously see a doctor promptly. For chronic or degenerative conditions, the symptoms appear slowly and incrementally and it is often easy to become accustomed to the situation and just put up with it.