Pain Management for Your Shoulders

Out of all the joints in the body, your shoulder is the most flexible; and one of the most complex. Your shoulder allows you to perform movements such as throwing a ball, raising your hands into the air, and brushing your hair. A ball and socket joint, the shoulder is comprised of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons that work together to grant you an incredible range of motion. This level of flexibility, however, does involve a higher risk of injury.

Common shoulder injuries and conditions include but are not limited to:

• Arthritis
• Rotator cuff tear
• Ligament tears
• Tendonitis
• Pinched nerves
• Fractures
• Dislocation

Some of these issues are caused by overuse, overexertion, or an athletic or non-athletic injury (such as a car accident).

If you have pain in one or both shoulders (you can't, for example, reach an item on a high shelf without noticing mild to severe pain), you may be actively seeking ways to ease that pain and/or address other common symptoms/sensations associated with a shoulder condition or injury such as numbness, tingling or burning.

No matter your age or physical condition, anyone is susceptible to sustaining an acute shoulder injury or developing a chronic shoulder condition based solely on how vulnerable this particular body part is. The good news is that there are ways to manage the pain in your shoulders successfully and even perhaps in your neck. Consider exploring the pain management methods below:

Work on your posture

In this technological age, we are constantly sitting at a computer or on our phones with poor posture. Oftentimes, our shoulders are rolled forward and our spine is hunched over. This can cause a wide variety of musculoskeletal issues, including neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain and yes, of course, shoulder pain! Being conscious of our poor posture is very important to eliminate the pains accompanied by it. Here are a few quick tips to help improve your posture: Sit up straight, drop your shoulder blades and pinch them to each other in your upper back, and tuck your chin. While standing, ensure your feet are shoulder width apart, your knees are straight, your pelvis is neutral and tucked forward, and your shoulder blades are pulled back. These pointers might be uncomfortable initially, but with practice, they become easier and can alleviate discomfort.

Stretch

Shoulder stretches can help alleviate your pain and discomfort. One such stretch involves bringing your arm across your chest, holding that position for 30 seconds to one minute, and then repeating on the opposite side.

Here's another good stretch: hold an exercise band (or a towel) behind your back with both hands. Move both of your shoulder blades toward each other by opening and broadening your chest, lifting your chin as you perform the expansion.

One final recommendation is to place your hands on top of the door frame and walk closer to that frame. This will allow your arms to be stretched in an overhead position passively. Another option is holding or hanging onto a high horizontal bar, such as a pull-up bar.

These and other stretches (such as downward dog, a common yoga pose) can increase your shoulder's range of motion, but please don't forget to stretch only to the degree that is comfortable for you. If the pain or tightness is too much to bear, you may need to seek guidance from a physical therapist or yoga practitioner, who could recommend stretches that would be best and safest for you.

Strengthen

The best way to alleviate and prevent shoulder pain is daily exercise and strengthening. The shoulder relies on many muscles to make it a functional and stable joint. Regularly exercising these muscles will help with the long-term health of your shoulders.

There are many professionals who can help with strengthening techniques and exercises. Personal trainers, therapists, and exercise classes are great ways to maintain support and stability to your shoulders and your body as a whole. Seek consultation if you are unsure of how to start a strengthening/exercise program. Again, be mindful of your pain tolerance and always listen to your body.

Apply Ice or Heat

Many orthopedic specialists recommend applying ice to the affected area for acute pain after activity or after a painful workday. That's because ice works well to reduce swelling and decrease inflammation. If your pain and soreness are present when you have not been active, try a heating pad. This will allow the surrounding muscles to obtain more blood flow and reduce tightness, which helps with movement and function.

Schedule a Massage

Consider booking an appointment with a massage therapist who can help address your shoulder pain by using pressure to target the nerve pathways located around your neck and shoulders. Massages reach those deep layers of muscle, break up scar tissue, and get your blood flowing. After a massage, you may feel as if some of your mobility within your shoulders has been restored.

Acupuncture and Cupping

Regardless if you have pain in one shoulder or pain in both shoulders, you may find that alternative medicines such as acupuncture and/or cupping might help. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that involves the insertion of thin needles strategically placed along the body's acupuncture points, or meridians, in an effort to stimulate natural healing.

Cupping, on the other hand, involves the placement of cups across the skin's surface; using suction, the cups pull the skin upward and increase blood flow to your shoulders. Both acupuncture and cupping are believed to ease pain, promote healing and increase circulation.

A Final Note

If these or other pain management methods are not working for you, and the pain you are experiencing in one or both shoulders continues to linger and/or worsen, you may need to seek medical care. At Firelands Regional Medical Center, we're proud to offer exceptional orthopedic care in our facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Using a multidisciplinary team approach, our highly trained group of board-certified and board-eligible orthopedic surgeons specialize in both surgical and nonsurgical procedures to treat musculoskeletal disorders, including those relating to the shoulders.

Sandusky Orthopedics provides advanced orthopedic care to our community. From preventative medicine to joint replacement surgery, we provide patients with individualized care using advanced techniques. For more information, please visit Firelands Physician Group Sandusky Orthopedics at firelands.com/ortho or call 419-625-4900 for more information.