The shoulder is a ball and socket joint that has the largest range of motion of all the joints in the body and thus enables a great variety of movements that we use in everyday life. Due to increased mobility, the stability of the shoulder itself is reduced. A painful shoulder is one of the most common reasons for coming to the primary care clinic and the second most common reason for musculoskeletal pain. A painful shoulder can occur as a result of acute or chronic events affecting bony and soft tissue structures. Acute shoulder pain can be a result of a fracture, dislocation or muscle rupture in the shoulder area. Chronic shoulder pain is the result of various etiologies that are presented most often with pain during movement, loss of range of motion, shoulder instability or loss of muscle strength. Impingement syndrome is one of the most important causes of shoulder pain and it will be discussed the most in this paper. Impingement syndrome is a pathological condition in which there is a mechanical conflict between different structures of the shoulder, and this conflict leads to the development of symptoms characteristic of impingement syndrome. There are different forms of impingement syndrome but the most attention will be focused on subacromial impingement syndrome. The correct diagnosis of a painful shoulder is based on a properly taken medical history, a quality physical examination and the implementation of specific shoulder tests. Imaging diagnostics is used to confirm the diagnosis or in the case of an unclear clinical picture. Choosing the right form of treatment after determining the cause is also of great importance, because often after the treatment, shoulder pain, instability, limited movement or loss of muscle strength can greatly affect the patient's quality of life.