8 Best Treatment Options for Shoulder Joint Pain

Are you experiencing pain in your shoulder joints? Shoulder pain usually occurs if you have stiff, tense muscles or if your posture is not right. Sometimes, the discomfort is just temporary, so you may recover naturally over time. In other instances, the shoulder joint pain could persist for a long period of time. If your shoulder joints have been hurting for a while, you should consult with a chiropractor.

However, you may want to try out various remedies for treating shoulder joint pain. These pain relief treatments are simple to perform and could be effective for alleviating the pain in your shoulder joints.

Here are the eight best treatment options for shoulder joint pain:

1. Shoulder Stretches

Shoulder pain is often caused by injury, weak muscles, or the instability of the shoulder joint. Stretching will help to restore the stability and strength of your muscles, thus preventing further damage.

Shoulder stretches will ease the tension in your shoulders, while also improving blood flow and flexibility. These stretches can either be done while sitting or standing. Choose a method you are most comfortable with. Hold your stretches for about a minute and take deep breaths. Repeat this exercise up to five times daily until you no longer feel the pain.

Stretching helps to relax the muscles and gets rid of pain after a few sessions. However, you should get clearance from your doctor and exercise under the supervision of a professional fitness trainer. The trainer will take you through stretches and exercises that don’t exert undue strain on your muscles.

2. Ice Therapy

Ice therapy is particularly effective for healing recent injuries. This method works by reducing shoulder swelling and inflammation in the shoulder joint. To apply ice therapy, place the ice on the affected shoulder for roughly 10 minutes at intervals of 2 hours for two days (48 hours). The shoulder joint pain should go away and allow you to resume your daily activities.

3. Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is one of the most popular ways to soothe tense muscles. This is an effective method for getting rid of the pain in your shoulder joints.

You may choose to have your massage done by a professional, or you can do it yourself at home. If you decide to go for the latter, substitute your massage oil with a topical menthol rub, which will make the pain-relieving process more efficient. It is also important to remember that the massage strokes should be towards and not from the heart.

4. Occupational Therapy

Severe shoulder joint pain may prevent you from carrying out your daily activities with ease. In these instances, you should see an occupational therapist for treatment.

These occupational therapists will draft a personal treatment plan that is specific to your pain. Furthermore, the therapists will advise you on how to continue with your daily activities without making the pain worse or causing more injury. You may be given possible recommendations on how to modify your workspace or alter your sleeping position. The goal is to ease the day-to-day strain on the affected shoulder.

5. Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy involves the application of warm water to reduce the pressure on the shoulder joint and muscles. An effective way of hydrotherapy application is by taking a warm bath to ease your shoulder joint pain. Just make sure you immerse the affected shoulder in warm bathing water to stimulate blood flow. This method works for both recent and older injuries.

6. Compression

Use a medical bandage to wrap the affected shoulder, which will reduce the swelling and pain. You may opt to use either a basic ACE bandage or a cold compression bandage. Make sure you do not wrap the shoulder too tightly as this may interfere with the blood flow. The dressing is too tight if you feel the need to loosen it or if your arm feels numb.

7. Pain Medication

Medicines such as aspirin and acetaminophen may help you recover from a shoulder joint injury. However, you should always consult with your doctor for clearance before taking any medication.

These oral medicines may have side effects such as heartburn or stomach pain. There are, however, some pain relief gels you can use to avoid these side effects. An example of a pain relief gel is diclofenac, which has been approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration for osteoarthritis treatment.

Similarly, muscle relaxants are effective in relieving pain if the muscles around your shoulder joint are tense. Your doctor may prescribe any of the following muscle relaxants: cyclobenzaprine, tizanidine, or baclofen. Since these relaxants could cause drowsiness, you should avoid consumption when driving or operating heavy machinery.

8. Acupuncture Needle Treatment

Acupuncture needle treatment was used in ancient China. This treatment was highly effective in reducing pain and stimulating healing. It involves sticking needles into the skin at strategic points, typically for 20 to 60 minutes, which makes the body release pain-reducing compounds.