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Today, physical pains have become very common due to the busy lifestyle of people. They suffer from different kinds of pains in their various parts of the body, among which, pain in back, neck, shoulder, and joints are the most common ones. These pains start with a mildness and then, reach a stage where your routine activities start getting affected.
When you suffer from any kind of pain, generally, you will take medicine from the chemist and try to reduce and eliminate the pain. It may give you some temporary relief from pain, but in the long run, these medicines have their own side effects which are fatal for the body. Likewise, if you suffer or have a shoulder pain, it equally affects your routine life and activities.
Let us first take a look at some of the common causes of shoulder pain and then, we will move on to take the tips to manage it.
- One of the most common causes of the shoulder pain is soreness of the tendon, a cord that attaches a muscle to a bone of the rotator cuff.
- This part of the shoulder is responsible for the circular motion and mobility of the hand.
- Another common cause of the pain is soreness of the subacromial bursa, which is a sac of fluid under the highest part of the shoulder.
When you suffer from the above-mentioned causes of pain, you may feel the pain while lifting items, pulling, pushing or playing any kind of sport that involves the use of hands. Moreover, you may also have a shoulder pain due to any injury you might have got in the past due to any reason.
There are only two things, you can do about your pain; either do nothing and wait for the pain to subside on its own or get it medically treated. The first suggestion is, usually, not recommended to anyone suffering from any sort of pain. Because physical pain becomes chronic if left unattended or untreated.
Let us move on to see what you can do about your shoulder pain.
Apply Cold Or Heat To The Joint
- If you have a shoulder pain due to an injury or inflammation, it is advisable that you apply an ice pack.
- Leave the ice pack on the affected part for at least 10 minutes.
- For other types of shoulder pain, heat packs are also available, which you can use to treat it.
- Heat pack is used if you have pain due to muscle soreness or if your muscle is tensed.
- For using a heat pack, you can heat it up in a microwave or alternatively, you can also use a hot water bottle for this purpose.
It is advisable that you do not keep the ice or heat packs directly on your shoulder, rather wrap it up in a towel or napkin and then place it. It is because it may irritate or burn the skin.
Improve Your Posture
When you have poor postures, you are bound to produce pain in your body parts. For example, if you have poor posture habit while sitting or standing, it will create a pain in your neck, back as well as shoulders.
- Lie on the good side with a pillow under your neck while sleeping.
- Keep a pillow or a cushion under your affected arm to give it a support.
- You can also keep another pillow behind your back to prevent yourself from rolling back.
- If you have a habit to sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your painful arm to support it off the bed.
- Your upper back posture can improve if your lower back is supported while sitting.
To Avoid:
- Avoid leaning forward for long periods while sitting, which will pressure your arm and can create pain in your neck.
- Keep changing your position frequently while sitting and have an upright support.
- Avoid making your shoulders rounded or slouching while sitting at a desk.
Reduce The Strain On Your Shoulders
It is always good to carry out your routine activities, but when you have pain in your shoulders, it is advisable that you do not overdo your activities. You should do them a bit more each day, gradually increasing your capacity.
- When at home, do your routine work such as vacuuming, keeping your body upright and keep the cleaner close to the body.
- Always use a trolley when shopping or use bags with long straps that you can cross over your body from shoulder to hip.
- Take lots of rests by moving around and switching tasks and positions if possible.
- Do not overdo a task for a longer time, take breaks if you have to finish it anyhow.
- At work, try to get up and move around, to avoid sitting in the same position and giving strain on your shoulder.
- Make regular and gentle movements through the range of your neck and shoulders.
- Keep your keyboard and monitor directly in front of yourself, so that you do not have to strain your neck.
To Avoid:
- Avoid holding your neck in fixed or twisted position for a longer period.
- Don’t hold the phone between your shoulder and head, while making a call.
- Avoid any sort of manual work that hurts you while doing it.
Take The Rest And Do Proper Exercise
It is good to do exercise, as it keeps your body fit and healthy. But, it is also necessary for you to maintain a balance between your exercise and rest. Yes, rest is also needed when you exercise.
You can reduce your pain of the shoulder by these simple exercises:
- Keep your elbow bent and on the side of the body.
- Keep your palm facing the ceiling while reaching up.
- When lowering arm, bend your elbow, and bring your hand closer to your body.
To Avoid:
- Try to avoid movements that are most painful, especially the ones, which hold your arm away from your body and above the shoulder height.
- If you feel pain while exercising, then stop doing it and seek medical advice.
Thus, there are numerous ways you can deal with your shoulder pain if you take necessary precautions. However, it is advisable that you should seek medical guidance in the case of chronic pain and take help of physical therapy treatment from Kinect Physical Therapy to heal your pain.
