You don’t necessarily need surgery to get rid of shoulder pain. Sometimes there’s something that works just as well.
My name is Dr. David Geier – orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine specialist, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine expert. I help you feel, look and perform your best, regardless of age or injury.
Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons for people to visit their doctor. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and injuries that may affect movement or limit your range of motion. The best treatment for shoulder pain depends on what’s causing it, but there are manyThe amount of time you need to rest or modify activities depends on the severity of the injury. If you have been exercising or working with a painful shoulder for some time, stop and consult your doctor about treatment options such as physical therapy or injections into the joint. options to help alleviate symptoms and get you back to normal without surgery.
Rest and activity modification
One of the best treatments for shoulder pain is rest, or at least activity modification. Resting your shoulder will help it heal and get rid of any inflammation that may be causing you discomfort. Often you don’t have to give up activities in the gym or in your sport or at work completely. Do what doesn’t cause your shoulder to hurt, and eliminate temporarily or modify ones that do. You might not be doing more damage by pushing through the pain, but it’s possible to aggravate the shoulder further, making it take longer to recover.
The amount of time you need to rest or modify activities depends on the severity of the injury. If you have been exercising or working with a painful shoulder for some time, stop and consult your doctor about treatment options such as physical therapy or injections into the joint.
Ice
Ice can be an effective treatment for shoulder pain. When you ice your shoulder, you are reducing inflammation and helping to decrease any swelling that may be present. You should use ice for 20 minutes at a time and apply it 2-3 times per day if possible.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy, in my opinion, is the best treatment for most causes of shoulder pain that don’t require surgery. PT can help you recover from a shoulder injury, strengthen your muscles and improve your range of motion. Physical therapists use a variety of exercises and tools to help people with shoulder pain, such as resistance bands, Thera-bands, or elastic tubing.
The physical therapist will also give you exercises to do at home. The exact exercises will differ depending on the cause of your pain. But generally, your exercise will strengthen your shoulder muscles, such as the rotator cuff and upper back muscles, stretch the muscles of your chest, shoulder, neck and upper back, and correct any issues with mechanics and movements in certain positions.
You should seek help for severe or continued shoulder pain.
If you have shoulder pain that lasts for a long time, is not getting better with the above treatments, or has more worrisome symptoms like pain radiating down the arm, numbness, tingling, weakness, or feelings of the shoulder sliding out of the socket, it is important that you seek help from an orthopedic surgeon.
We are looking for 5 patients with shoulder pain who want to get significantly better in the next 30 days, without cortisone shots, physical therapy, or surgery. Click this link and enter the term ‘Interested’ in the description box to learn more.
