Shoulder pain suggestions

May 24, 2024 5:37 PM

I have some pain in my shoulder that won't go away...

I have this intermittent pain in my right shoulder for a couple weeks now. It's worse in the morning then gets better throughout the day. I don't remember injuring it at all.

Things I've tried:
- Got a better computer chair and tried to improve my posture.
- Advil, helps some but not completely.
- Not sitting so much looking down at my phone
- Yoga (just not for me)
- Applying heat (helps but only temporarily)

I also am a side sleeper, and sleep on my right as well. I did get a new pillow yesterday which has a shoulder cutout. Hasn't changed anything yet but it has only been 1 night.

Just looking for suggestions. Could this be something I should see a Dr for? Would a massage help?

posted by cozenedindigo to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

Dr visit may be in order. My "shoulder hurts all the time" turned out to be arthritis.

Even if yoga isn't your thing, do try to find 2 or 3 stretches that you think you can do consistently.

For me, the miracle cure is swimming. I was supposed to have a full shoulder replacement 2 years ago; started swimming for unrelated reasons, and the pain is mostly non-existent now, as long as I avoid one or two angles of movement. I think it was the combination of gentle stretching and building up the muscles that surround the joint that comes with swimming.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:54 PM on May 24 [3 favorites]

I agree that a doctor visit is a good idea.

I've had shoulder pain twice. The first time, my oncologist told me it was probably a rotator cuff injury. This was at the height of COVID and I didn't want to go to physical therapy, so I used the exercises from the "Bob and Brad" YouTube channel and it got better. (Link may not be to the exact exercises I used - they have several videos on rotator cuff injuries).

My current pain was diagnosed from an MRI as "frozen shoulder." I turned down a steroid shot and will probably do physical therapy. Or I might just go with Bob and Brad again.
posted by FencingGal at 6:36 PM on May 24 [4 favorites]

Perhaps it's a shoulder impingement. I had this last year; my left shoulder's range of motion was restricted. I dealt with it by avoiding additional strain (lifting my arm too high, reaching for heavy objects, etc) and took ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. It took a few weeks, but it gradually got better.
posted by SPrintF at 9:07 PM on May 24

If you’re a woman in midlife it’s very likely frozen shoulder. This is one of those things no one tells you is related to menopause, but it is.
posted by Violet Hour at 10:25 PM on May 24 [6 favorites]

You say that it's worse in the morning, but gets better through the day - so I'm thinking something about your sleep setup.

How old is your pillow, and/or do you sleep on your side? If you sleep on that side, I'm wondering if your current pillow is starting to go a bit flat, and maybe your shoulder is hunching up in your sleep to sort of bulk up the pillow. I had a similar problem and finding a firm enough pillow finally helped. As did switching WHICH side I slept on time to time (I would always sleep on my right side specifically, but have started switching to the left side now and then because my right shoulder is a little mis-aligned now after 50 years).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:37 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Depending on where you live, you may be able to just go to ("self refer" to) physical therapy. When I jacked up my shoulder in martial arts, I gave my PCP a heads up - she got the reports and I don't think had to do anything else.
posted by cobaltnine at 4:23 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It is also possible that you have a wonky (for lack of knowing the official term at this moment) muscle in your neck, that can cause shoulder and pectoral pain. And it is a common ailment in desk workers.

If self-referral to physical therapy is an option, they can give you specific exercises to strengthen the area and help minimize the discomfort.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:40 AM on May 25 [2 favorites]

Yoga (just not for me)

If you want your body to function properly, you have to follow the maintenance schedule described in the owner's manual.

It doesn't have to be yoga. I'm a huge believer in a morning movement routine, even if it's only a couple minutes long.
posted by daveliepmann at 7:57 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]

My shoulder pain is due to osteoarthritis and impingement, which led me to physical therapy for pain relief. My PT recommended some of these exercises to do at home. My advice is to start slow and easy, then increase reps as the muscles around your shoulder get stronger and are able to support the joint better.
posted by Lynsey at 8:43 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]

I am at the beginning of getting treatment for a similar issue. I was having the "oh, there's pain but it goes away throughout the day..." until it DIDN'T and then it got so bad nothing would help. See a doctor now before you hit the levels of pain I did. (Note: a massage helped the pain enough that I was able to think sufficiently to make that doctor's appointment.)
posted by rednikki at 9:00 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I had shoulder pain for more than a decade and it got worse as time went on, stealing my sleep and everyday tasks painful. I had no idea what to do and finally asked my doctor. We both assumed that I would need surgery but she allowed me to try physical therapy first, without much hope. In 2 sessions (plus my daily home exercises assigned by PT) I was already feeling better and in 10 I was basically healed!

I love physical therapy now and think it is a miracle cure for every ache and pain. Highly recommend.

It was mostly the exercises that healed me but the therapist did do some massage as well. I couldn't understand how exercising something painful would make it better. Turns out there are muscles around the pain spot that are weaker. When those get stronger then it puts everything back in alignment.

Good luck!
posted by halehale at 10:28 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]

Another vote from me for physical therapy!

Also, if you can manage it, a personal trainer or classes that focus on resistance training can be really helpful. Especially if you can find somewhere where the goals are around functional fitness (i.e.: making the things you want and need to do in life easier). If you do physical therapy your PT may have suggestions on that anyway, and will be able to advise on what exercises should be avoided or concentrated on.
posted by eekernohan at 3:56 PM on May 25 [1 favorite]

My sister has something similar, and, yes, frozen shoulder.

If you're a woman in midlife, frozen shoulder is very common.
posted by champers at 1:16 AM on May 27

Best answer: Physical Therapy. Depending on your insurance, (assuming you're in the US) it might cost an arm and a leg, but they actually do make your arms and legs feel better. I was really skeptical too, but the improvement was pretty amazing (4 sessions, once a week). They will also suggest better sleeping and body positions for you, which was very valuable.

Thing I learned from my therapist - people tend to underestimate how long it takes to get better.
posted by Dotty at 7:02 AM on May 28

Response by poster: Thanks all! About 6 weeks later and the pain is mostly gone. A combo of PT stretches, a massage and just being generally mindful of my posture/ergonomics.
posted by cozenedindigo at 4:12 PM on June 21 [1 favorite]