Treatment and Tips For Shoulder Pain

Self-Treatment Tips:

Some minor shoulder pain can be treated at home. Icing the shoulder for 15 to 20 minutes, three or four times a day for two to three days can help reduce pain. Use an ice bag or wrap ice in a towel.

Other home treatments include:

·         resting the shoulder for several days before returning to normal activity and avoiding any movements that might cause pain

·         using over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications to help reduce pain and inflammation

·         compressing the area with an elastic bandage to reduce swelling

When to Seek Medical Help:

If you’ve never experienced shoulder pain before and your pain is not related to an injury, sudden shoulder pain can be a sign of heart attack. If shoulder pain continues to your neck, jaw, or chest, and you also experience trouble breathing, tightness in the chest, dizziness or excessive sweating, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you injured your shoulder and it is bleeding, swollen, or you see exposed bone, tissue or tendons, go to an emergency room or urgent care center as quickly as possible.

Additionally, you should contact your doctor if you experience:

• ·         fever
• ·         inability to move your shoulder
• ·         lasting bruising
• ·         heat and tenderness around the joint
• ·         pain that persists beyond a few weeks of home treatment

 

Diagnosing the Cause of Shoulder Pain:

Your doctor will want to find out the cause of your shoulder pain. Your doctor will conduct a physical examination, feeling for injury, and assessing your range of motion and joint stability. Imaging tests, such as an X-ray or MRI, can produce detailed pictures of your shoulder to help with the diagnosis.

 Your doctor may also ask questions to determine the cause. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

• ·         Is the pain in one shoulder or both?
• ·         Did this pain begin suddenly? If so, what were you doing?
• ·         Does the pain move to other areas of your body?
• ·         Can you pinpoint the area of pain?
• ·         Does it hurt when you are not moving?
• ·         Does it hurt more when you move in certain ways?
• ·         Is it a sharp pain or a dull ache?

Treatment for Shoulder Pain:

Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the shoulder pain and may include:

• ·         physical therapy
• ·         use of a sling or shoulder immobilizer
• ·         nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
• ·         corticosteroids (powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that are injected into the shoulder)
• ·         surgery
• ·         arthroscopic surgery, which is performed through a tiny incision
•    If you’ve had surgery on your shoulder, follow after-care instructions carefully.

Preventing Shoulder Pain:

Simple shoulder exercises can help to stretch and strengthen muscles and rotator cuff tendons. A physical therapist can show you how to do them properly.

If you’ve had previous issues with your shoulders, use ice for 15 minutes after exercising to prevent future injuries.

After a bout of bursitis or tendinitis, performing simple range-of-motion exercises every day can keep you from getting frozen shoulder.