Pain is no laughing matter. Whether the pain comes from an injury because you got too “into” your game with a friend or because you suffer from arthritis or fibromyalgia, it still hurts. Shoulder pain interferes with sleeping, sitting and work, making life extremely unpleasant. Rather than just gritting your teeth and suffering, you can try to alleviate the discomfort.
Below are remedies you can try without having to see a doctor. If your pain worsens or doesn’t improve, be sure to seek help from a medical professional. For those who suffer from chronic arthritis or fibromyalgia shoulder pain, though, give these a whirl.
1. Ice. When you first injure your shoulder, Medical News Today recommends icing the area three to four times a day for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. A bag of frozen vegetables makes a great ice pack if you don’t have anything else on hand.
2. Heat. After the swelling goes down, generally after the first 72 hours for an injury, WebMD recommends applying heat to the area to help stimulate the flow of blood and encourage healing. You can even alternate between applying heat and ice throughout the day. For chronic pain sufferers, alternating between heat and ice can give a lot of relief.
3. Sling. Within the first 48 hours of a shoulder injury, WebMD recommends using a sling to keep the shoulder immobile. If you suffer from chronic shoulder pain, on really bad days, a sling might still be needed to keep from aggravating the problem.
4. Massage. For those suffering from chronic shoulder pain, PainScience.com recommends massaging Spot 14. It’s a “small, specific patch of muscle at one end of that strip, closest to the middle of the back: the upper, inner “corner” of the shoulder blade, just under the ridge.” The article says that the specific spot can be hard to locate, but just getting near may help alleviate the discomfort.
5. Stretches. Another thing you can do to help alleviate pain is to do stretches for the muscle. These can be done at home, at work or even when you’re out with friends. A couple that Healthline recommends are shoulder rolls and over the head stretches, reaching one arm straight up and with the other hand, grabbing the arm behind your head and stretching it to the opposite side.Pain relief doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the simple remedies really are the best.