It is not uncommon for an athlete to experience shoulder pain because the shoulder is the joint that has the largest range of motion in the body so it is quite susceptible to injury. Most cases of shoulder pain are caused by pulled muscles, although joint sprains and shoulder dislocations are also quite common. Athletes certainly need to recover from joint pain quickly and completely so that they can return to sports. An athlete can treat their shoulder pain at home, but advice and care from a healthcare professional is always helpful and often necessary for a speedy recovery.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Treating Shoulder Pain at Home
Step 1. Rest your injured shoulder
Shoulder pain in athletes is usually caused by working too hard or falling in odd positions. These accidents can occur while playing sports (football, hockey, baseball, volleyball, and especially tennis) or while training in the gym. The best advice for people with significant shoulder pain (not just mild pain from exercise) is to stop all activities that put a strain on the shoulder. After a few days of rest, you will be surprised at how well your body is recovering.
- If your shoulder pain is caused by lifting weights during exercise, you may be training too aggressively or with the wrong posture. Consult your personal trainer.
- Although the shoulder does need to rest for a few days, it is not recommended to use a sling if you have a minor injury. Ambin will make the shoulder "frozen" (adhesive capsulitis). The shoulder still needs to be moved gently to improve blood flow and stimulate healing.
- A throbbing shoulder pain usually indicates a pulled muscle, whereas a sharp pain is often due to a joint/ligament injury. Shoulder pain is usually worse at night when lying in bed than pain from a pulled muscle. Certain inflammatory conditions (eg bursitis), can also make joint pain worse at night. If shoulder pain gets worse at night, see a doctor immediately.
Step 2. Apply ice for acute shoulder pain
If your shoulder pain is acute (new) and swollen, take a bag of ice cubes (or other cold object) and apply it to the area most sensitive to pain to reduce inflammation and pain. Cold therapy is best for acute sports injuries with inflammation. Ice is applied for 15 minutes every 2 hours until the shoulder discomfort is gone.
- Tightly compressing the sore shoulder with a Tensor or Ace bandage will be more effective in reducing swelling.
- Ice cubes should be wrapped in a thin towel before applying to the skin. This prevents possible irritation and frostbite.
- If you don't have ice, use a frozen gel pack or vegetable bag from the freezer.
Step 3. Apply moist heat for chronic shoulder pain
If your shoulder pain is chronic (long-term) and is the result of overuse or an old injury, apply moist heat instead of ice, especially if the pain is stiff and throbbing rather than sharp. Moist heat warms the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments) and increases blood flow to the area, which is helpful when recovering from a sports injury or dealing with worn-out arthritis (osteoarthritis). Good sources of moist heat include bags filled with wheat or rice, herbs and essential oils that can be microwaved for a few minutes and then applied to the injured shoulder for 15-20 minutes in the morning and before light exercise.
- Don't forget to wrap the herb bag in a towel so the heat doesn't dissipate too quickly.
- A warm bath will also heat the sore soft tissue. Add a little Epsom salt for added benefits. The magnesium in the salt will relax and relieve sore muscles.
- Avoid using dry heat from a regular heating pad. Dry heat will dehydrate the muscles and increase the risk of injury.
Step 4. Eat commercial drugs
If your shoulder pain doesn't get better with an ice pack or moist heat, try using an anti-inflammatory medication or a commercial pain reliever. Anti-inflammatory drugs are more suitable for acute shoulder injuries that cause inflammation, such as moderate or severe muscle strains or sprains, bursitis, and tendonitis. Commonly sold anti-inflammatory drugs are aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Pain relievers are better suited for pain that is not caused by inflammation, such as nerve irritation, and pain from ordinary wear and tear. Pain relievers (analgesics) almost always contain acetaminophen. Don't forget, these medications are a temporary solution and regular use should not be longer than 2 weeks (at most) as they can cause stomach, kidney, and liver problems.
- Another option for muscle pain, especially if you feel muscle spasms or tightness, is to take a muscle relaxant (eg cyclobenzaprine), but don't take it with anti-inflammatory or analgesic medications.
- Whatever medicine you try, take it after you have eaten and your stomach is not empty.
- Do not forget, ibuprofen and aspirin should not be given to young children, especially aspirin which has been shown to be associated with Reye's syndrome.
- Always follow the directions and dosage information on the medicine package.
Step 5. Perform light shoulder stretches
If your shoulder injury not' severe and does not cause sharp or stabbing pain, try to do a light shoulder stretch the day after the injury is rested. Stretching should not be performed on a dislocated shoulder or a severely strained or sprained muscle. However, lighter injuries will heal quickly because stretching will relieve muscle tension, stimulate blood flow, and increase flexibility. Hold the stretched shoulder for 30 seconds and do this at least 3 times a day until the pain subsides.
- Movement and light stretching reduce the likelihood of tissue damage, chronic stiffness, and loss of mobility from injury.
- When standing or sitting up straight, reach around the front of your body and grasp the elbow of the other hand. Pull the back of your elbows across your chest until you feel a stretch in your shoulder muscles. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Again, when standing or sitting up straight, reach from behind your back toward your shoulder blades and lock with your other hand. Then slowly pull the arm with the injured shoulder until you feel a stretch.
- While sitting in a chair, bring the injured shoulder behind your back, with your palm facing away from your body. Lean back slowly so that your back rests against the back of the chair and presses your hands. Slowly rotate your body to the same side as the shoulders stretched. You should feel a gentle stretch. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Rest, and then repeat the stretch 4 more times. If you experience pain or discomfort, stop the exercise.
Part 2 of 2: Getting Professional Treatment
Step 1. Consult your family doctor
Even if your doctor is not a shoulder specialist or athlete therapist familiar with sports injuries, he or she will be able to help you understand the type and severity of your injury. Most injuries are mild to moderate muscle strains or sprains, and usually take 1-2 weeks to heal. More serious shoulder injuries include shoulder dislocation, shoulder separation (sprained acromioclavicular joint), torn rotator cuff muscles, bursitis, and bone fractures (in the upper arm, shoulder blade, and/or collarbone). This serious injury can take up to 6 weeks to heal (depending on the complications), but doctors will be able to give a good prognosis and the treatment needed.
- If warranted, the doctor may take an X-ray, bone scan, MRI, or perform a nerve conductance study to diagnose your shoulder pain/injury.
- Fractures, muscle tendon/ligament tears, and some dislocations require shoulder surgery. Your doctor will refer you to an orthopedic surgeon.
- Bursitis (inflamed bursa), tendonitis, shoulder sprains and severe muscle tension can be relieved with local corticosteroid injections (prednisolone). Corticosteroids will quickly relieve inflammation and pain, and restore your range of motion. Ask your doctor about the advantages and disadvantages of corticosteroid methods.
Step 2. Ask for a referral to a physiotherapist
For athletes, shoulder pain must not only be cured, but the joints must also be stable and strong so that they are able to endure the sports activities they are involved in. Therefore, seeing a physiotherapist is very important as he or she can show you specific stretching and strengthening exercises to rehabilitate your shoulder. Strengthening exercises usually involve lifting weights or pulling a resistance band. Physical therapy is usually done 2-3 times per week for 4-8 weeks to have a significant impact on shoulder injuries. You will be able to return to exercise when your shoulder is pain free and has full strength and movement.
- If guaranteed, a physiotherapist can treat your injured shoulder muscle with therapeutic ultrasound or electrical muscle stimulants which have a rapid effect on pain.
- In addition to resistance training, other strengthening exercises that are good for the shoulders include push-ups, pull-ups, swimming, and rowing.
Step 3. Try a shoulder massage
If the shoulder pain is not too severe and you can still move the joint without much difficulty, consider getting a deep tissue massage from a qualified therapist. Deep tissue massage relieves muscle tension and tightness, increases flexibility, and heals inflammation. All of them will relieve the pain in your shoulder. This massage is most beneficial for mild to moderate muscle tension, but is not recommended for more serious shoulder injuries (as mentioned above). Request a diagnosis of a shoulder injury before considering this option.
- Start with a 30-minute massage session on the injured shoulder, but also massage the neck and mid back between the shoulder blades. One massage session may “cure” your pain, but several additional sessions may also be needed.
- Let the therapist massage as deeply as you can, as there are many muscle layers in the shoulder that need to be massaged.
- Always drink plenty of water after a massage so you don't feel dizzy or slightly nauseous.
Step 4. Try a trigger point treatment
Some cases of shoulder pain may originate from muscle bundles, also known as trigger points. Trigger points can often cause pain locally or in other areas of the body. for example, muscle bundles in the mid-back can refer to pain in the upper shoulder joint. Trigger point therapy or myofascial release can help relieve this muscle pain.
Try seeking trigger point treatment from a healthcare professional trained in trigger point therapy. Sometimes, a specialist trained in trigger point therapy can search your shoulder muscles and muscles in other areas, such as your mid-back, to find the cause of your pain
Step 5. Consider getting an acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional treatment that was developed centuries ago in China to reduce pain and stimulate healing. Acupuncture is performed by inserting very thin needles into the skin at specific points (sometimes close to the injury, but not infrequently far from the injury) for 15-45 minutes per session. The needle is inserted triggers the release of pain-relieving compounds (such as endorphins) into the bloodstream so that pain can be quickly relieved with acupuncture. Although the effectiveness of acupuncture for shoulder pain has not been specifically studied, it has been shown to help with most musculoskeletal injuries. What's more, this method is safe and affordable enough that it's worth trying for athletes looking to cure their shoulder pain.
- Acupuncture is now widely applied by various health practitioners, including physicists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and massage therapists.
- Whichever professional you decide to do, make sure they have a competency certification.
- One acupuncture treatment may have a significant impact on your shoulder pain, but sometimes it can also take several sessions so you need to be patient.
Tips
- If there is an abnormality or deformity in the shoulder muscles and you experience severe pain, it means you have a shoulder dislocation. Visit your doctor immediately.
- The most common type of shoulder surgery is arthroscopy. In this operation, the surgeon will insert an arthroscope (a small camera that displays images onto a monitor screen) into the shoulder.
- To reduce shoulder pain, try sleeping lying down. In general, sleeping on your stomach can irritate your shoulders and lower neck joints.
- If your shoulder pain is chronic and recurring, try taking supplements of glucosamine, chondrotine, MSM and/or various fish oils. This supplement can help lubricate the joints and reduce inflammation, although the results will only be felt 2-3 weeks later.
