Shoulder ache is a common problem among many people. It mostly affects those who spend most of their time working over a desk and those who do repetitive shoulder motions. Sometimes, the pain can be so little such that you only experience it when you stretch or when performing some activities. It can also be so intense to the extent that you cannot even move your shoulders. The following points will provide with the right strategies of staying away from any kind of should pain. They also provide you with effective ways on how to deal with the pain if you are already a victim.
Give your Shoulders Enough Exercises
There are 22 muscles which stabilize your shoulders and if any of them is weak, you will experience some pain and reduced mobility. The following exercises will help you and increase mobility of your shoulders.
- Strength training will be a good option. You can use light weights or elastic bands and ensure that you go for more repetitions and apply less tension in order to achieve the desired results.
- You might also consider exercising by swimming especially if you feel uncomfortable when doing strength training.
- Do some stretching before performing any exercise. This can be a good way to lessen the shoulder pain during and after your exercises.
- Avoid intense training as it can damage your weak or injured shoulder leading to more problems.
Work Out Your Shoulder Knots
Sometimes, you may experience shoulder ache because of presence of muscle knots in the shoulders. To get rid of these knots, you need to work out your shoulders with applied pressure. The following techniques will help you give your shoulders a good workout.
- You can perform some self-massage, go for professional massage or even use electric massage equipments to apply the required pressure on your shoulders. This will help eliminate the pain-causing shoulder knots.
- Deep tissue massage is also recommended especially if you have chronic muscle tension. This tension causes limited movement, inflammations and sometimes blocks blood circulation in the shoulder leading to muscle knots and intense pain which can be relieved by this type of massage.
- You can have acupuncture performed on your shoulders.
Keep Your Shoulders Flexible
Your shoulders experience more motion as compared to other joints in the body. If they become stiff, you will definitely suffer from shoulder ache. You should always keep them flexible by:
- Regularly stretching them
- Use of yoga for should pain
You Can Apply an Icepack
Applying an icepack to your shoulders about 15 to 20 minutes each day can work greatly in dealing with this pain.
Ensure Your Workstation Has An Ergonomically Correct Set Up
You may experience shoulder ache because of the straining you undergo in your work place due to the poor set up. While performing your tasks, consider the following:
- Keep your neck, back and shoulders bent at proper angles all the time. If you are already experiencing the pain, you can just restrict yourself at your office seat. This is an effective way of reducing undue strain on the shoulders.
- Maintain your wrist in a neutral position, change your postures regularly by standing up from time to time and make adjustments to your chair such that your feet stand on the floor always.
- If you are performing a manual job such as carpentry, joining machine parts, ironing of cloths, etc, make use of a working table that is set in a way that your body posture is maintain in the right position.
Avoid Performing Painful Activities
If you find that a certain activity is making you develop some undue shoulder pain, just avoid it. These are mostly the jobs requiring a lot of efforts or in positions where you have to strain your shoulders in order to do them.
Make sure you consult with your doctor on the possible reason to prevent future complications.
Use Anti-Inflammatory Medicine
Some shoulder problems such as bursitis are inflammatory and you can manage them by taking the right medicine. You can seek advice from your doctor on the right medicine to take. If you consider taking over-the-counter medicines to relieve your shoulders, you can try products like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), Tylenol and naproxen (Aleve). However, you should not always rely on over-the-counter medicine
when dealing with shoulder pain. This is because the pain may sometimes occur due to other complications in the body. Seeking the help of a doctor is always the best solution.
Seek Medical Attention
If you notice that your shoulder is red, swollen or warm and tender around the joint, it is necessary to seek visit your doctor since this can be serious. The following cases may result.
- It may become impossible to move your shoulders if the pain is intense. In such situation, your shoulders may swell suddenly or even appear deformed. You should get someone to help you reach your doctor immediately.
- Sometimes, the pain may be accompanied by shortness of breath or tightness of the chest. This can be an indication of possible heart attack. Call emergency services immediately to get the necessary help because any delay can cost you a lot.
It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you lead a healthy and comfortable life. These are very simple and easy techniques to follow. If you abide to them, you will always be free from any kind of shoulder pain which can stop you from comfortably handling all your daily chores.