5 Home remedies for shoulder pain

You just finished a long day of work or a great workout at the gym, and then it strikes you again: a deep, achy pain in the front of your arm or in the back around your shoulder blade and spine.

Shoulder pain can be a big problem, and it affects millions of people every year in the United States.

Below are five treatments you can do at home to help relieve shoulder pain.

Home remedy for shoulder pain 1

Refrain from activities that are causing shoulder pain…Rest your shoulder
Oftentimes, shoulder pain is caused by tendonitis from repetitive movements of the arm and back. If you are able to stop and rest from the movements or activities that are causing the underlying shoulder pain it will give your shoulder a chance to heal and decrease the pain and discomfort that you are experiencing.

Home remedy for shoulder pain 2

Use ice again, one of the main causes of shoulder pain is tendonitis and inflammation in the ligaments and muscles in the shoulder. Ice is a natural remedy for tendonitis and inflammation. Ice acts by restricting blood circulation, dulling pain signals in the body, and decreasing inflammatory chemicals that get released when the body is experiencing inflammation and injury.

Try to combine number one above (rest) with number two (ice) for optimal results. Picture the baseball pitcher after a long game wrapping his shoulder in an ice compression to minimize shoulder pain and repetitive injury.

Home remedy for shoulder pain 3

Take care of your neck problems in the neck are often the underlying cause of shoulder pain. A pinched nerve in the neck can cause pain in the shoulder.

Tight muscles in the neck, which run down and attach close to the shoulder and around the shoulder blade, often contribute to shoulder pain as well. Try some neck stretches at home to keep your neck and shoulder muscles loose and limber.

Consider a massage to work the kinks out in the muscles around the shoulder and neck. If your neck pain is coming from your pillow or mattress at home consider switching them out until your neck and shoulder pain are resolved.

Home remedy for shoulder pain 4

Strengthen the muscles between your shoulder blades, and stretch your chest muscles. Oftentimes, shoulder pain is caused by poor posture. A condition called kyphosis, where your upper back and shoulders are rounded too far forward (picture the Hunchback of Notre Dame), can cause biomechanical stressors on the shoulders and lead to shoulder pain.

If you like to focus on chest and biceps at the gym, take some time to learn how to work your back muscles. Consider taking up yoga or pilates which strengthens the muscles around the shoulder blades and spine. Develop a plan to combat the 8 to 10 hours that most of us spend during the day in flexion at the computers, along with all the other activities of daily life.

On the other hand, as we sit in flexion for 8 to 10 hours a day, our chest muscles become chronically shortened and tightened. This pulls the shoulders forward, rounding them excessively, causing shoulder pain.

Stretching your contracted pectoral muscles, which may be pulling your shoulders forward, will release your shoulder tension and may decrease your shoulder pain.

Home remedy for shoulder pain 5

Come up with a home exercise strengthening plan for your rotator cuff you don't need fancy equipment or a gym membership to strengthen your rotator cuff and shoulder muscles at home. In fact, most research suggests that low tech equipment, such as Therabands, and using your own body's weight are superior to heavyweights when strengthening your rotator cuff.

If you need any help with a home strengthening plan feel free to contact us to discuss it.

It's important to note that, oftentimes, there may be a more serious underlying pathology or dysfunction in the neck or back joints causing your shoulder pain. These conditions require the attention of a licensed medical professional. So, if you have tried treating your shoulder pain at home with no success make sure to seek out an appointment to get an evaluation by a licensed medical professional.

If home remedies are not enough -  or if you are looking to add in a layer of professional help to combat and treat your shoulder pain, book an appointment with us today.

In health,

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C.