People often take their shoulders for granted until they suddenly start experiencing severe pain in them. Pain in one or both the shoulders can significantly impact a person’s range of motion. Even everyday’s tasks like combing hair and wearing clothes become monumental. With age, you become more likely to feel shoulder pain due to a variety of conditions developing underneath.
Whether your shoulder pain is gradual or abrupt, here are a few shoulder pain treatment options that you can choose as per your health condition:
Shoulder pain treatment with medicines
Medicinal treatment of shoulder pain aims at soothing inflammation and straightening the involved muscles. Some medicinal options include:
- NSAIDs are found to be highly effective in relieving pain and reducing inflammation. OTC drugs like aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen are often used, especially if your inflammation is caused due to tendonitis, arthritis, rotator cuff injury or any other shoulder injury.
- Muscle relaxants can also be helpful in shoulder pain treatment, like Baclofen, Tizanidine and Cyclobenzaprine. However, these drugs are not available over the counter, and need a doctor’s prescription for use. Remember, these medicines may make you feel drowsy, and should avoid their use if you are driving or using a machine.
- Pain killers like aspirin and acetaminophen can be used to reduce pain in the shoulders. Although these medicines do not treat the condition, but they may help you take rest and feel relieved while you recover. However, some of these medicines may cause heartburn and stomach upset in a few patients.
- Topical pain relief creams and gels reduce pain without any side effects associated with oral pain killers. Diclofenac is one such medicine used for the condition.
Shoulder pain treatment with home remedies
Before you rush to get cured with medicines, try these home remedies for shoulder pain treatment:
- Heat therapy: Application of heat in the affected area can help in relaxing tense muscles and soothing stiff shoulder. It is highly helpful in relieving muscle pain in the shoulder. You can apply heat on your shoulder with the help of a heating pad, hot water bottle, or heated gel pack.
- Cold compress: Cold compress is highly helpful in reducing swelling and pain in the shoulder. It can even numb acute and sharp pain, thereby helping you in feeling better. You will have to apply an ice pack in the affected area at least 5 times a day for 20 minutes each. You can use a frozen gel pack, frozen peas in a bag, or ice cubes in a bag to take a cold compress. However, do not apply ice cubes directly on the painful part.
- Compress: Use an elastic medical bandage to wrap the shoulder and help reduce pain and swelling. You can easily get shoulder wraps at your nearby pharmacy stores. The wrap should be snugly, and not too tight to stop blood flow. If you feel numbness or tingling under your compress, you should loosen it a little bit until you feel comfortable.
- Exercise: Watch your posture and do some shoulder-friendly exercises to relieve and prevent shoulder pain. If any exercise you are doing causes or worsens your shoulder pain, stop doing it immediately and consult your practitioner. Also find a few exercises that are meant to make your shoulder muscles stronger and more flexible.
Now that you know the different methods of shoulder pain treatment, it’s best to know the procedures on how to prevent shoulder pain and keep them protected. It’s important to maintain a well-balanced diet with all the necessary nutrients. Take enough rest, avoid smoking, and avoid repetitive movements that may causing you pain. People who have poor posture and who tend to slouch their shoulders are more likely to have shoulder pain in the long run. So, check these things and be safe.
