Four tips for treating rotator cuff pain at home

You use your shoulder a lot throughout the day, so when it’s in pain, simple tasks can suddenly become more difficult. Usually, shoulder pain is related to the muscles and ligaments that hold the ball of your shoulder in the socket. This collection of muscles and ligaments is called the rotator cuff.

Rotator cuff pain can be caused by a traumatic injury such as falling and landing on your shoulder. It can also be caused by:

• Lifting heavy objects
• Frequently lifting your arms over your head
• Frequently throwing a baseball or swinging a tennis racket

If you’re experiencing prolonged or severe rotator cuff pain, you should seek assistance from a physical therapist. Our therapy specialists are trained and experienced in providing rehabilitative treatments for a variety of conditions, including rotator cuff pain.

However, minor cases of rotator cuff pain may benefit from some simple home care techniques. Please note, though, that if you’re in doubt about the severity of your shoulder pain, you should seek medical assistance anyway. Ignoring severe pain can lead to permanent disability to the injured area.

These four tips can help you treat rotator cuff pain at home

If you have minor rotator cuff pain, try the following at-home techniques to help reduce pain and improve your recovery:

• Ice your shoulder — Apply ice or a cold pack to your shoulder three or four times a day for about 15 minutes each time. Icing should help manage pain and reduce inflammation.
• Rest the painful shoulder — If you’re involved in sports, work or other activities that require the use of your shoulder, you should take a break. You don’t need to sit on the couch all day, but continuing to push yourself through the pain can result in a more serious injury.
• Take some pain medication — Over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce rotator cuff pain.
• Do some easy exercises — Simple exercises, like shoulder rotations, can help strengthen and stretch the rotator cuff while it heals. Such an exercise is also gentle enough that it shouldn’t irritate the shoulder or cause more damage. The goal here is to maintain some level of activity to promote healing. But you should not overdo it, since this can potentially cause more harm.

Where to turn when treating rotator cuff pain at home isn’t cutting it

If your rotator cuff pain is severe or long lasting or if home treatments aren’t cutting it, you should contact Advent Physical Therapy. Our physical therapists can assist with minor and severe rotator cuff pain. We can also assist you in your recovery from rotator cuff surgery if it’s required. 

Studies have shown that physical therapy can reduce rotator cuff pain and improve function. One study reveals that people with one type of rotator cuff tear responded well to physical therapy 89% of the time. Part of the reason that therapy plans can be so successful is they’re personalized to you. They can also include many helpful therapy techniques, such as: 

• Manual therapy
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Virtual care
• At-home therapy
• Redcord® therapy

Are you ready to speak with one of our physical therapists about developing a personalized treatment for your rotator cuff pain? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.