What could cause pain in deltoid when lifting an arm to the side?

Answer by  RichardM (16)

first if your doing any kind of weight lifting regiment.. possibly its taking your body longer to adjust to the rigors. If not get tested for arthritis and bursitus. Also make sure your getting enough calcium and iron in your diet. lastly You should have a specialist look at your shoulder

Answer by  lonelywolf (2117)

Several things - shoulder impingement, pulled deltoid muscles, or a week rotator cuff. I suggest seeing a physical therapist as soon as possible.

Answer by  DebCochran (26)

You might have torn a ligament which attaches the muscle to the bone. You might have injured the tendons. You might have over exerted the shoulder muscle during lifting of heavy objects or weight training, so the muscles might just be sore. See a doctor if the soreness lasts longer than 24 to 48 hours.

Answer by  Fleetwood (56)

The axillary nerve supplies and services the deltoid muscle. If the nerve is inflamed due to sickness or trauma, the deltoid will hurt when being used. Also ligaments and tendons around the should joint are prone to overuse and inflammation of the joint capsule or bursa under the muscle. This pain can be referred to the deltoid muscle when used.