Patients who understand the causes of shoulder stiffness and soreness are better able to choose the right pain medications and therapy for shoulder pain relief. For moderate to severe pain, however, visit your doctor and get a professional opinion about available medical therapies.
There are many different over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and prescription pain killers for shoulder pain relief. When considering pain medications and therapy, you and your pain management specialist should consider risks such as side effects and drug addiction and chemical dependency.
Narcotic painkillers that contain opiates are especially addictive. In some cases, physicians would rather prescribe corticosteroid tablets or injections, or even hyaluronate injections. Physical therapies include massage, nerve stimulation, and shoulder exercises.