Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain – what to do about discomfort?

Are you also one of those people who are plagued by shoulder pain? Acute problems with our shoulder joint are becoming more and more common, not only in older people, but also in younger ones. If you suffer from shoulder pain, you should take it seriously and do something about it. Not only because it can limit your everyday life enormously, but also because in the worst case the discomfort can get worse. We’ll show you where shoulder pain comes from and what you can do about it.

Shoulder pain – causes for your problem

Especially when there is a pulling in the shoulder after getting up, in most cases tension is the cause. Shoulder pain after sleeping can come from an unhealthy posture while sleeping. For example, stomach sleepers tend to cross their arms under their head, which overstretches their shoulders while they sleep. That’s why the right mattress is paramount to healthy sleep. However, if shoulder pain develops after exercise, it may be due to reasons other than tense muscles. Sports such as weight training, boxing, tennis, basketball or handball put strain on the shoulder joints and can therefore result in injuries to muscles, ligaments and joint capsules. Age and bone or joint disease also cause aching in the shoulder. This type of shoulder pain is usually chronic and therefore should definitely be treated. Our shoulders are particularly vulnerable, not only because we use them frequently in our daily lives, but also because they are connected to an extremely large number of muscle cords that all run over each other. They guarantee that you can move your arm in so many different directions, but are easily overstretched. Lastly, injuries during sports, work, and everyday life can also lead to bruises, pulled muscles, sprains, or even broken bones.

Shoulder pain: which doctor helps?

For shoulder pain after an accident

Which doctor you should go to with your shoulder pain is particularly related to how long you’ve had problems and where they’re coming from. If you have shoulder pain after an accident, you should see a trauma surgeon as soon as possible to make sure nothing is broken. In most cases, the trauma surgeon will recommend that you immobilize the joint, with the help of a splint in the case of a fracture.

Shoulder pain after exercise

If you suffer from shoulder pain after exercise, it may be a simple strain, as explained earlier, or it may be a serious strain or injury to the joint capsule. If you are unsure, monitor your discomfort. Does a bruise form, does an area on your shoulder swell? Does your shoulder joint feel hotter than the rest of your body? These can all be signs of serious injury. Also, if the pain lasts longer than 2-3 days and doesn’t lessen despite cooling, you can assume there’s more to it than simple muscle soreness. In this case, you should consult a surgeon who can find out the cause of your injury and prescribe physiotherapy, for example.

What shoulder pain home remedies are available?

Massage and heat

Tense muscles need heat to be able to relax. That is why massages, for which warm oil can be used, help. But if the pain gets worse from the massage, you should not continue, but see a doctor, because then, for example, inflammation can be the cause.

Healthy diet

In fact, shoulder pain can also be related to metabolic problems. If your body is over-acidified, this can manifest itself in shoulder aching. To help inflammation subside more quickly and the pH level in your body re-regulate, it helps to drink a glass of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar twice a day. Ginger tea helps fight inflammation, and you can apply a mixture of turmeric powder and coconut oil to your shoulder to relieve pain.

Exercise

Regular and light exercise helps especially if the cause of your shoulder pain is chronic discomfort. Even if your shoulder muscles are sore, you should be careful not to fall into a relieving posture, but still perform slow movements. For example, we recommend a few easy yoga exercises for beginners. If you are injured, you should always consult your doctor about exercises to relieve shoulder pain.

Do not adopt a restraining posture

What is generally important for pain is especially important for shoulder pain: make sure that you do not fall into a relieving posture. This will alleviate the discomfort in your shoulder, but at the same time you will accept an unnatural position of your spine or head. As a result, your shoulder pain will not decrease, but you will experience additional discomfort in other areas. Therefore, make sure that you maintain a healthy posture, especially when you are in pain.

Immobilize the shoulder

If, for example, a pulled muscle is the reason for your pain, your doctor will probably recommend that you keep your shoulder still. As you can imagine, keeping your shoulder immobilized with bandages is a bit awkward. An easier and more unobtrusive way to give your shoulder more stability while allowing movement is Kinesio tape. The advantage: with a little guidance at the beginning and the help of your partner, you can easily apply the tape yourself at home. Even though the effects of Kinesio tape are not yet 100% medically proven, athletes as well as people with chronic illnesses report time and again that the “bandage to stick” has helped them with pain.

What are the best exercises for shoulder pain?

Light exercise for shoulder pain

Just when your shoulder joint feels a little stiff, you can relieve the pain with light exercise. Sit upright on a chair without armrests and let your arms and shoulders hang down. Now alternately swing your arms slightly forward and back again. At the same time, turn your upper body slightly. Do this about 10-30 times until you notice that the pain is less.

Stretching exercise against shoulder pain

Our shoulders are moved by a large number of muscles that stretch throughout the upper chest and back, and are also connected to the neck muscles. Therefore, it may be that tight shoulder muscles lead to pain in the head, neck or chest area. Conversely, tension in these areas of the body can also lead to shoulder problems. Therefore, stretching exercises not only help the shoulder muscles, but also the neck or chest muscles. For a stretching exercise for the shoulder muscles, stand in front of a wall and put both hands up against the wall as far as you can. Then push your chest forward against the wall as far as your discomfort will allow and stay in that position for 15 seconds. Repeat 5 to 10 times. If you need more stretch, simply stand a little further away from the wall.

Massage roller for shoulder problems

Tension or stuck tissue can be common in the shoulder area because there are so many muscle strands running over each other in different directions. That’s why a massage roller can help you relieve the pain. For example, you can lie on your back on the roller, support your feet and cross your arms in front of your chest. Now, lift your buttocks to put pressure on your back area and slowly roll back and forth between your neck and upper back, stopping each time you feel a pain. Using a massage ball that you wedge between your upper arm and a wall, you can release tension in the arm muscles, which are, after all, also connected to the shoulder.