Therapy for Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is a fairly common condition and can be triggered by a variety of problems, such as muscle spasms, shifts in joints, sprained ligaments, disorders of the spine (the middle part of the back or neck), or even because of heart disease. However, the most common cause of shoulder pain is because the muscles and / or ligaments are slightly attracted, usually because they are too excessive when used at work or when practicing. Most shoulder pain can heal itself in one week, sometimes even faster if you use beneficial home remedies. If you experience a severe shoulder injury, you may need professional medical help, including surgery (but this is rare).

Treating Shoulder Pain at Home

Rest your shoulders and be patient. In most cases, the cause of shoulder pain is because it is overused too often. In other words, this happens because you move your shoulder too often or lift objects that are too heavy. If that seems to be the cause of your shoulder problem, stop the activity for a few days or more. If your shoulder injury is related to work, ask your supervisor to handle other things temporarily (work that is not too repetitive or draining) or move the work area. If your shoulder injury is related to exercise, maybe the burden you lift is too heavy or you do the exercise in the wrong position. Consult with the trainer to get advice.

You should rest your shoulders, but it is not recommended not to move the shoulders at all using a sling if you only experience minor injuries. This can make your shoulder "freeze". You still need a little movement on the shoulder to stimulate healing and smooth blood flow.
Pain and aches usually indicate the presence of muscles that are interested, while stinging pain when making a move is often caused by an injury that occurs in the joints / ligaments.
The pain of bursitis and tendons that occur in the shoulder will usually get worse at night when the patient will sleep.

Stick ice on your shoulder. If shoulder pain or swelling appears, stick ice (or other cold objects) in the most painful area to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Ice therapy is perfect for severe injuries accompanied by inflammation. Stick the ice for about 15 minutes every few hours until the symptoms of your shoulder pain are reduced or gone.

You can reduce inflammation more effectively by pressing the ice bag (icepack) on the shoulder using a bandage.
Always pack ice cubes using a thin towel before sticking to the injury to prevent frostbite and irritation.
If there is no ice cube, use the frozen gel bag or frozen vegetables in the freezer.

Try applying a moist hot compress (moist heat). If your shoulder pain is chronic (lasts for a long time) and feels very stiff in the morning or before exercising, apply a wet hot compress to the affected area, and do not use ice. Wet hot compresses can warm the soft tissues (tendons, muscles, and ligaments) and increase blood flow to the painful area, so that it can be used to deal with pain caused by osteoarthritis (a type of wear due to usage) or a long injury due to exercise. A good wet hot compress material is a bag filled with grains (usually rice or wheat), herbs, and / or essential oils that hold if put in a microwave. Stick the hot compress for about 15 to 20 minutes in the morning or before doing the exercise.

Wet heat can also be obtained by taking a bath using warm water. You can add Epsom salt so that the muscles can relax and relax.
Avoid using dry heat such as traditional heating pads because it can make soft tissue lack of liquid and increase the risk of injury.

Take medicine without a prescription. If shoulder pain is unbearable and cannot disappear after being given cold or hot wet therapy, try taking an anti-inflammatory medication or pain reliever without a prescription. The most suitable anti-inflammatory drugs to treat shoulder swelling (eg bursitis and tendonitis) include naproxen (Aleve) and aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Painkillers (analgesics), such as acetaminophen (Paracetamol and Tylenol) are most suitable for dealing with ordinary pain that is not caused by inflammation. Remember that these drugs are only short-term solutions for treating shoulder pain and not for daily use for more than a few weeks because they cause negative effects on the kidneys, liver and stomach.

In addition, you can try using muscle relaxants (for example cyclobenzaprine) to deal with shoulder pain, but don't take it along with other drugs.
Ibuprofen is not suitable for small children, whereas acetaminophen should not be given to children under 18 years of age because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.

Do a simple shoulder stretch. Shoulder pain can be caused by tight and stiff muscles, which may occur due to poor posture or lack of movement. Provided you don't feel sharp, stinging, or stabbing pain when moving your shoulders, lightly stretching your shoulders may be beneficial. Muscles that are tight and painful can be restored by stretching because this will reduce tense muscles, increase blood flow, and increase flexibility. Flexible shoulders are important because they have the most range of motion than other joints in the body. Hold the shoulder stretch for about 30 seconds while doing deep breathing, and do this 3 to 5 times a day until the pain decreases.

While sitting or standing, point one hand forward to hold the bottom of the other hand elbow. Pull the back of the elbow bent transversely in front of the body until you feel a comfortable stretch in the shoulder that is connected to the elbow.
While sitting or standing upright too, point one arm to the back and the other arm towards the blades, then unite your arms. Gently pull the arm with the back pain until it feels stretched.

Try changing your work area. Shoulder pain can be caused by a poor work area design. If the computer, table and / or chair is not properly arranged according to your body height and type, this condition can make your neck, shoulders and middle back tense. Therefore, when sitting in front of a work desk and staring straight ahead: your eyes should look at 1/3 of the top of the monitor, then your forearms parallel to the floor when typing and supported by the armrests. Your elbow must be a few centimeters from the side of the body, and the soles of the feet should be flat on the floor.

If you work while standing, make sure your body does not rotate continuously. The key is to maintain harmony and balance.
To prevent shoulder injury, minimize work that requires you to look up using a higher ladder or move closer to something you're working on.

Looking for professional treatment

Perform deep tissue massage. If shoulder pain lasts longer than expected, try doing a deep tissue massage from a qualified massage expert. Tissue massage in dealing with chronic stiff and tense muscles, which makes movement become limited, reduces flexibility, inhibits blood circulation, and causes inflammation. Massage is the most useful action for treating mild to moderate levels of auto spasms, but it is not recommended for more severe joint injuries.

Start with a 30-minute massage session that focuses on painful shoulders, but also include the lower neck and middle back between the shoulder blades.
Let the massage expert do a deep massage that you can hold without making you feel pain. There are many layers of muscle on your shoulder that must be accessed by massage experts.

Go to a physical therapist. If shoulder pain is caused by fatigue or overuse, try strengthening your shoulders by doing muscle building strength training. Physical therapists can provide guidance on strength training specifically aimed at your shoulders (using exercise machines, weight lifting equipment, exercise rubber straps and / or exercise balls) so that the shoulders can be used to work or exercise better. Furthermore, physical therapists are also trained to deal with muscle pain using ultrasound therapy or electronic muscle stimulation, if needed.

Usually physical therapy is done 2 to 3 times a week for 4 to 6 weeks to have a positive effect on shoulder problems.
If shoulder pain is caused by a dislocated joint, a physical therapist can help reduce pain by dressing the area with a bandage.
Good activities to strengthen the shoulder include swimming, rowing, archery and bowling.

Go to an osteopath or chiropractor. If the pain you are experiencing is related to a joint, such as the shoulder joint or spinal joint, go to an osteopath or chiropractor to undergo a physical examination. Osteopaths and chiropractors are basically joint specialists who focus on restoring normal range of motion and function in the spinal and peripheral joints, such as the joints that make up the shoulder. Shoulder pain can of course be caused by the underlying joints (glenohumeral and / or acromioclavicular), but the pain that occurs can also be caused by dysfunction or injury that occurs in the lower spine (neck) or thoracic spine (middle back). If needed, the injured joint can be restored or slightly shifted by manual adjustment, which usually results in a "burst" or "crack" sound.

Although one joint adjustment can sometimes improve musculoskeletal problems, patients usually need to undergo several treatments to overcome the problem.
Osteopaths and chiropractors can also use manual joint maneuvers to restore shifted shoulders.

Try an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is a type of treatment that has been around for centuries, especially in ancient China, designed to relieve pain and stimulate healing. This treatment is done by sticking a small needle into the skin at certain points (sometimes near the injured area, but often in areas that spread throughout the body) for about 20 to 60 minutes at a time, which makes the compound relieve pain is released in the body. Scientific research does not support the ability of acupuncture to relieve most of the causes of shoulder pain, but there have been many reports that acupuncture has proven to be very effective. Because it proves to be very safe, this treatment is worth trying if you can afford the cost.

Acupuncture is practiced by a variety of medical practitioners including doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists. Whoever you choose, make sure they have an NCCAOM certificate.
One acupuncture treatment may not have a significant effect on shoulder pain, so try to treat it at least 3 times before you assess its effectiveness.

Consult with your doctor about more invasive treatment options. If shoulder pain cannot be treated with home remedies or other more conservative therapies, consult your doctor about more invasive treatments, such as corticosteroid injections and / or surgery. Injecting corticosteroids (such as prednisolone) into the swollen shoulder can reduce pain and inflammation quickly, so that the shoulder can have a better range of motion and function. Injections are very suitable for treating severe bursitis and tendonitis. On the other hand, surgery is used to repair broken tendons, severe arthritis, broken bones, blood clots, or to drain fluid buildup. Maybe the doctor should refer you to a specialist to do treatment. Specialists may do x-rays, MRIs, bone scans, or nerve conductance studies in order to understand your shoulder problems more deeply.

Some possible complications from steroid injections include atrophy and weakening of muscles / tendons, nerve damage, and reduced immune function.
Some of the possible complications of shoulder surgery include excessive bleeding, local infections, allergic reactions to anesthesia, paralysis, nerve damage, reduced movement due to scarring and chronic pain / swelling.
Consider a new type of treatment, namely platelet-rich plasma or PRP (platelet-rich plasma). Platelets are in the blood and have proteins that are very important for healing wounds. During this treatment, blood will be taken and platelets will be separated, so that blood concentrations will increase. Then the platelets will be injected into the area experiencing pain.