Is there a pain in your shoulder? Read on to find out what could be causing it and what you can do to help get rid of it.

What are the common causes of shoulder pain?

Here are some of the five most common reasons for why you might have shoulder pain.

Tendonitis Tendons are the ‘stringy bits’ that attach muscles to bones. Repetitive tasks can cause them to become painful. The tendons around the shoulder are known as the Rotator Cuff.

Bursitis Bursae are fluid filled sacs that stop soft tissues (such as tendons) and bone rubbing together. Overuse or injury of the shoulder can inflame the bursa.

Frozen shoulder When the ligament around the ball and socket joint of the shoulder becomes contracted, this stops the shoulder moving in all directions.

Arthritis Any joint in the body can be affected by arthritis. Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joint.

Referred pain This is pain felt in the shoulder, but the source is elsewhere in your body i.e. the neck.

So what can you do to reduce the pain?

There are some straight forward things you can do yourself to help you relieve your pain. They include:

• Over-the-counter pain killers like paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin can help relieve your pain and reduce inflammation. This is important in rotator cuff injuries and the ‘itis’s’ (tendonitis, bursitis and arthritis)
• Keep the arm moving – within pain limits. Moving the shoulder will help keep it flexible and aid a quicker recovery. However, avoid movements/postures that aggravate the pain.
• Heat will help ease your muscles around the shoulder if they’re tense or your shoulder feels stiff. Think hot water bottle or similar, but take care and don’t place it directly on your skin.
• Cold in the shape of frozen peas or a cold compress can help reduce any swelling or inflammation. Again, add a barrier between your skin and the cold pac and don’t place it directly on your skin.
• Relaxation – chill and take some time out to help reduce any tension-induced pain you are holding in your shoulder. There’s an added benefit of some well-earned ‘you time’ too!

And if you need some extra help?

Talk to us! The good news is you’ve got several options including physiotherapy, osteopathy and Sports Massage treatments.

Get in touch and we can guide you to the right treatments for you. Seeing a therapist will help you with understanding why you have the pain – your therapist will carry out an assessment and look for what is causing your discomfort and use this to work with you to get rid of the pain.

Your therapist could:

• Design specific exercises for you that will tackle the reason for your pain
• Prescribe and carry out Acupuncture
• Provide advice about returning to activity/work
• Advise you on changes you could make to your posture that will help reduce your pain
• Prescribe relaxation!

What next?

Do get in touch if want to talk to us more about getting rid of your shoulder pain. Call us on 01454 618 525 or email info@bradleystokephysio.co.uk.