Shoulder Pain Treatment

August 26, 2019

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder Pain Treatment

Let’s talk about shoulder pain and shoulder pain treatment, the one thing that gets on most people’s nerves because they don’t know what to do about it and think it’s just something they have to get on with the day in, day out…

Meet Suzie for example…(click here to read more about her story and see her video)

Suzie is a fellow physical therapist and long-time family friend. She works with kids at school and really needs her shoulder to at work. It had been bothering her for some time but one day when her 2-year-old grandson was jumping to her in the pool she caught him and felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. She was worried she was going to need surgery because she was not able to sleep, dress, or work without terrible pain

After the initial pain came on, she tried to get around it by switching up her job tasks and using her left hand instead of her right but noticed her left arm was not as good as her right.

Suzie’s shoulder was still in agony which meant she had to take some time off.

So What Happened to Suzie?

Something called ‘repetitive strain injury’ – this happens when a part of the body is overused while working in the wrong posture. But Nick, this happened when she tried to catch her grandson. Why are you trying to tell me something different? That’s because while the final straw to cause serious injury occurred that day in the pool, the truth is, her shoulder was already damaged and waiting for the time to surface.

Symptoms often include:

  • Aches and pains
  • Stiffness
  • Throbbing
  • Weakness and cramp in the arm and sometimes into the elbow

At first, you might only notice this kind of injury when you’re carrying out a particular task over and over again – in Suzie’s case, bending and reaching. But if you don’t do something to ease the pain as soon as you feel it, it can end up lasting longer, cause swelling, and can even stop you from going about your day and sleeping peacefully at night.

Read this blog to learn 2 exercises to help shoulder pain.

Any of this sound familiar?

If like Suzie, you’re suffering from ANY aches or pains in your shoulder area, then the good news is I’ve given you some quick and tips to ease shoulder pain…

Shoulder Pain Treatment

Use Ice (…Not Heat) To Stop Pain

Ice, by far, is the best (and quickest way) to ease shoulder pain.

My tip for you would be to apply ice as soon as you feel a slight twinge, or even a hint of shoulder pain coming on, and to apply it whenever you’re feeling achy or painful – such as at the end of a very long day.

Apply an ice pack for 10 minutes at a time – little and often, every hour.

Use Heat To Ease Stiffness

Just like ice, heat can also help to treat shoulder pain, inflammation, and swelling.

When to use it? I tell my patients to apply a hot water bottle on a morning when their shoulder is likely to be feeling more stiff than painful. Again, 10 minutes should do it. Watch this video to learn the best exercises to reduce arthritis.

Sleep With One Soft Pillow

Here’s a great tip you can start using as soon as tonight to help your shoulder pain when sleeping!

It might be difficult at first, especially if you’re used to sleeping with more than one pillow. But if you can persist and get into the habit of sleeping on one soft pillow instead, it will lower the amount of stretching and tension it brings to your neck and shoulder area.

Shoulder pain when sleeping can come along by spending 8 hours every night in the wrong position.

Drop down to just one soft pillow and you will notice a huge difference.

These are just a few of the ways to ease shoulder pain as soon as it strikes, if you’d like more ways on how to ease your shoulder pain, I’ve put together a free tips report just for you. Visit here to claim your free copy instantly: https://preferredptaz.com/shoulder-pain/

Nick Hunter, PT, DPT
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