Tips to Deal with Shoulder Pain
Although the shoulders carry the load on the arms and support the neck, it is prone to trauma as it is exposed and can be affected by health issues such as arthritis. Sometimes you would develop a frozen shoulder if you overuse the shoulder joint or sustain injuries due to trauma accidents. The frozen shoulder might predispose you to chronic pain, inability to move the arms, and spine pain. shoulder pain Brunswick can affect your life, making it impossible to move the neck and reducing the range of motion on the spine. These are tips for dealing with shoulder pain.
Use Heat Therapy
Heat therapy works for pain in almost all joints and alleviates the pain and discomfort in the shoulder. However, you should only apply the cold pack soon after the injury, as it numbs the pain and reduces inflammation. Additionally, the heat pack increases the blood flow to the shoulder removing toxins and supplying energy which leads to healing. You may alternate the heat and cold packs during the heat therapy treatment for ultimate pain control. Heat therapy can increase the range of motion on the shoulder and improve the frozen shoulders.
Opt For Over-The-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter medications might alleviate the acute pain that occurs soon after an injury but may not heal chronic pain. The chronic pain might persist for months, and over-the-counter drugs will not deal with the type of pain. However, the prescription medications will work on chronic shoulder pain as they are designed to numb the pain for an extended time. You may wish to avoid opioids when dealing with chronic pain, which leads to addiction over time. Once you start using opioid painkillers, your body might resist the medications, making it necessary to increase the dosage. Over time, you will rely on opioids to function or avoid the pain.
Opt For Epidural Injections
Although epidural injections are corticosteroids, they are not addictive but will block the pain transfer from the brain to the shoulders. The doctor will inject the epidural medications into the shoulders, instantly relieving the pain. The epidural injections alleviate a frozen shoulder and increase the range of motion, thus improving shoulder health. They may delay surgery, and in some cases, you would avoid surgery completely.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy increases the shoulder’s range of movement, but you should not opt for the treatment plan without engaging an orthopedic doctor. An orthopedic doctor will examine the shoulder and recommend physical therapy for mild injuries. Additionally, a physical therapist will recommend the right exercises to alleviate shoulder pain.
Surgery
Surgery is the last option when dealing with shoulder pain, as it is invasive and leaves undesirable side effects. The surgery might replace the cartilage with metal, plastics, and ceramics, which create sliding surfaces. The treatment is a long-term approach to frozen shoulders and chronic pain.
Chronic shoulder pain reduces your efficiency at work or school as it affects the hands, the neck, and the spine. A frozen shoulder makes it impossible to engage in field activities and reduces your competitive edge in sports. Thus, you should opt for home remedies such as heat therapy which alleviate pain and inflammation. The heat increases the blood flow removing toxins from the frozen shoulder. On the other hand, the cold pack numbs the pain-reducing inflammation. You may opt for medications that reduce pain and physical therapy to increase the range of motion.