Four home treatments for mild shoulder pain

Your shoulder is an incredibly complex joint made up of many interwoven ligaments, tendons and muscles. All these tissues operate together to help you rotate your arm, lift objects and raise your arms over your head. You use your shoulders for practically every activity. This means shoulder pain can make your life much more difficult. 

Serious shoulder pain requires professional health care assistance. However, some cases of shoulder pain are minor. Mild cases of shoulder pain can often benefit from a few days of rest and some simple home treatments. Here are a few tips you should follow at home for shoulder pain treatment: 

1. Rest — Pain may be your shoulder’s way of trying to tell you that it’s been worked too hard and needs a break. Take some time from physical activity that requires shoulder use, and avoid lying on your shoulder.

2. Use ice and heat — Applying ice to your shoulder can help reduce inflammation that may be related to your pain. Apply ice a few times a day for about 10 minutes each time. After a day or two of icing, you can apply heat to help soothe the pain. It’s important to wait this day or two to apply heat because it can make inflammation worse.

3. Stretch and exercise — Some light stretching and exercising can help encourage your sore muscles, ligaments and tendons to heal while keeping the healthy ones fit. This can also help improve your ability to prevent injuries in the future. Talk to your health care provider about exercises and stretches that are right for you.

4. Take some medicine — Some simple pain or anti-inflammatory medicine can help reduce minor shoulder pain. Talk to your doctor about what kind of medication is right for you if you’re unsure.

Signs that home treatment might not be enough for your shoulder pain

Home treatments are great for helping minor shoulder pain, but when the pain is serious, you need professional assistance. Severe shoulder pain that’s left untreated can grow worse over time and lead to greater problems like permanent disability.

A few signs that you need to seek professional assistance for your shoulder include: 

• Your pain doesn’t respond to home treatment.
• The pain you’re feeling doesn’t go away after a few days.
• Swelling around the affected shoulder hasn’t decreased.
• You’re feeling numbness or weakness in your shoulder, arm or hand. 

Find professional help treating shoulder pain at Advent Physical Therapy

Think that home treatments might not be enough for your shoulder pain? At Advent Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will work one-on-one with you to identify the source of your shoulder pain. We also excel at creating personalized treatment plans intended to reduce your pain and inflammation, and your plan can include physical therapy methods like: 

• Manual therapy
• At-home care
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Virtual therapy
• Ergonomics assessment
• McKenzie Method^®

Contact our team today for more information about our physical therapy services or to schedule an initial appointment.