Being able to manage pain when you experience it is essential. It can cause many aspects of your life deteriorate, and this can lead to you losing the things you once loved, especially when they are related to movement. These negatives can quickly seep into your mental health, too, and you might experience anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions.
As there are risks to using pain killers long-term, it’s understandable why individuals would seek other forms of treatment. Long-term can be as little as ten days, too, so knowing other ways to treat the pain from your shoulder injury is definitely worthwhile. With this in mind, this post has outlined three of the most common ways to treat shoulder pain.
Ice and/or Heat
Ice and heat can both be used when suffering from pain. However, it can be difficult to decide when one should be used over the other. In fact, sometimes both should be used to achieve the best result when managing pain. If you suffer from pain caused by a shoulder injury, then you should take the time to understand the basic rule of thumb.
Icing, which is also known as cryotherapy, has become a common method for managing the pain from shoulder injuries. It is most often used for acute pain, like pain from shoulder tendonitis, inflammation, and swelling. If you’re suffering from muscle pain and stiffness, though, heat, or thermotherapy, is a better choice. While ice can dull the pain, heat can improve the blood flow.
There are numerous methods to apply ice and heat, though. For cold therapy, you can achieve this through coolant sprays, ice baths and massages, and frozen gel packs, or heat pads, hot baths, and saunas can be used in your need thermotherapy.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy, or physiotherapy, can be used to relieve shoulder pain. If you have injured your shoulder, then you can improve your flexibility, mobility, and strength through this form of treatment. A physiotherapist will search your shoulders for the source of your pain, and they will also look for areas of stiffness or weakness that could be affecting your pain. All issues the physiotherapist finds will be treated to minimize the pain you are experiencing.
For shoulder pain, like that caused by rotator cuff injuries, you might find a physical therapist that specializes in treatment. For example, the physical therapists at Broadmead Physiotherapy use various techniques to treat this type of injuries, including intramuscular stimulation (IMS), manual therapy, and stretching and strengthening exercises.
Rest
There is no way to rush the healing process when you are suffering from shoulder pain. It will take time to recover, and resuming regular activities before you are ready can result in setbacks, like increased inflammation and even re-injury. This is why it is essential to listen to your body and medical professionals when they tell you to rest up.
Adequate rest allows the body to focus more energy to repairing injured tissue and reducing any swelling in the shoulder. This does not mean you have to be completely inactive. Instead, you should prioritize proper sleep and nutrition; this means getting at least eight hours of sleep per night and consuming foods that are rich in minerals, protein, and vitamins. As time passes, you will be able to increase the amount you exercise gradually.
Understanding three of the best ways to treat pain from shoulder injuries can help you in the long run, especially if you are suffering from a chronic condition.
