Shoulder pain is a very common problem, accounting for up to 40 percent of all orthopedic cases. The good news is that it can be alleviated through the use of simple and practical shoulder pain relief methods. There are several causes of shoulder pain, mostly related to injuries. The shoulder joint is probably the most active joint in the body and is involved in almost every activity including lifting, pushing, and many other daily tasks. As a result, the joint’s tendons and components are prone to damage. If you are feeling shoulder pain, it’s important that you’re diagnosed correctly and seek pain relief.
The main causes of shoulder pain include: shoulder bursitis, shoulder tendonitis, shoulder dislocation, shoulder instability, calcific tendonitis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tear, shoulder separation, torn labrum, bicep tendon rapture, and arthritis. Understanding the exact cause of your condition is critical to finding appropriate shoulder pain relief. Some of the signs you should look out for and inform your doctor accordingly include: inability to use the arm or carry objects, any deformity of the joint due to injury, persistent pain that goes for several days, sharp pain that occurs even while resting or at night, inability to move or raise your arm, symptoms of an infection, including swelling, redness, fever, or warmth, as well as any other unusual symptoms.
There are a number of effective shoulder pain relief methods that you can use to deal with your problem. The treatment option you’re going to use will depend on the underlying cause as well as your symptoms. But regardless of the cause, there are a number of things you can do to ease the pain. First, you should avoid activities or strenuous movements. By doing so, you can avoid making your symptoms worse. Patients with shoulder instability and other injury related should pains are usually advised to keep from performing tasks or any movements that are likely to make their condition worse. So consider taking a break from your daily routines and just relax.
Applying an ice pack is another effective shoulder pain relief. Just get an ice pack and apply it on the affected shoulder. Let it stay there for about 10-40 minutes. This will reduce inflammation and pain. You can also use a bag of frozen peas as they produce similar results as well. Remember to wrap your ice pack in a towel so it doesn’t get into direct contact with your skin – which may cause an ice burn. However, if your pain is due to a frozen shoulder, you cannot use cold therapy (ice pack). Instead, you should heat on the affected area to eliminate pain. Light exercises may also help.
The other shoulder pain relief method you can use is taking pain mediations. There are a wide variety of over-the-counter medicines or painkillers that you can use to relieve pain on your shoulders. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or diclofenac are often recommended for shoulder pain as they can relieve pain and reduce any swelling.
Aside from over-the-counter drugs, you can use prescription medications including corticosteroid tablets, corticosteroid injections, or hyaluronate injections. Visiting a physiotherapist may also help relieve shoulder pain. Physiotherapy techniques such as massage, laser therapy, nerve stimulation, and shoulder exercises have been shown to reduce shoulder pain.
