Top Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain Relief Permanently
Table of Contents
- Causes of Shoulder Pain
- Role of Home Remedies in Shoulder Pain
- Benefits of Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain
- Best Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain
- Things to Keep in Mind While Using Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain
- Lifestyle Changes for Shoulder Pain
- When Should One See a Doctor?
- Takeaway
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References
Although shoulder pain seems a minor issue, it can surely hamper day-to-day activities if it becomes serious or persists long. It can occur due to a variety of reasons and affects people worldwide.
Are you looking for solutions to how to cure shoulder pain? You’ve come to the right place. This article will reveal the best home remedies for shoulder pain. But before that, let’s get an insight into the causes of shoulder pain.
Causes of Shoulder Pain
- Fall or a sports injury to the shoulder
- Rotator cuff tendonitis or bursitis (injury to the rotator cuff muscles)
- Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of the joints)
- Frozen shoulder
- Shoulder impingement
- Tendinitis
Role of Home Remedies in Shoulder Pain
Home remedies like massage and dietary modifications help reduce shoulder pain and calm you down, thus relieving stress. Relieving stress is essential to take care of the pain, as excessive stress can worsen the pain further.
Benefits of Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain
These benefits of home remedies for shoulder pain are as follows:
- Easily accessible
- Easy to use
- Inexpensive
- Safe and reliable
- No medical expertise is required
- Saves the patient from medicine-related side effects if used in case of minor shoulder injuries or strains.
Best Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain
Before using any of these home remedies for shoulder pain, it is essential to know that they will help only reduce shoulder pain. These home remedies cannot cure shoulder pain associated with conditions like arthritis. Hence, proper treatment is needed alongside these home remedies for shoulder pain.
Cold Compression or Cold Therapy
- A popular home remedy for shoulder pain is applying an ice pack to the area that pains. Cold compression is a common answer to how to get rid of shoulder pain quickly.
- Cold compression to the shoulder for around 15 to 20 minutes and about five times a day using an ice pack or some wrapped-up ice cubes in a soft cloth can alleviate pain by reducing inflammation and swelling.
Hot Compression or Heat Therapy
- Taking a warm shower or applying a hot compress is another commonly used home remedy for shoulder pain. Hot compression increases the blood flow to the area applied, promoting healing and reducing the inflammatory process.
- Hot compression for about 20 minutes can help ease shoulder stiffness and alleviate pain by increasing blood flow.
Running an Epsom Salt Bath
- Taking a bath in Epsom salt for about 15-20 minutes helps loosen stiff muscles and joints and alleviates shoulder pain. Hence, taking an Epsom salt bath is one of the most accessible home remedies for shoulder pain.
Adequate Rest
- Take rest, something almost everyone suggests when there is an injury or pain, but how does one get rid of shoulder pain by resting? Well, adequate night sleep is essential to relieve strain and mild shoulder stiffness that might occur due to excessive physical activity like sports.
- Hence, taking adequate rest can help get relieve shoulder pain.
Posture Correction
- A bad posture cannot only cause pain but also worsen the already existing shoulder pain. A poor posture can also add extra pressure on the neck and the shoulder. Hence, it is extremely important to correct posture while walking, sitting, or standing to reduce or prevent shoulder pain.
- Using a good pillow to support the neck and shoulder can also aid in getting relief from shoulder pain.
Adapting Different Activities
- Sometimes, the shoulder pain experienced might result from doing certain activities like lifting heavy or sleeping in poor positions. Changing or stopping the activity that might have triggered the shoulder pain can help relieve it.
Oils
- Certain essential oils can be the solution to questions like how to reduce shoulder pain or how to get rid of shoulder pain.
- Essential oils like eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, ginger oil, and clove oil, mixed with carrier oils like coconut oil, can relieve shoulder pain when used for massages.
- These essential oils can be added to bath water or a hot or cold compress to relieve shoulder pain.
Massages
- Massaging gently around the shoulders can help relax them by releasing stress and reducing stiffness. Massage also helps promote blood circulation, which might reduce shoulder pain. Thus, adding massages into one’s routine can help alleviate shoulder pain.
Stretch it Out and Exercise to Knock that Pain Off
- To relieve shoulder pain, stretching can be beneficial. Simple movements like rolling the shoulders back and forth or shoulder raises can help reduce any shoulder stiffness that might be causing pain. However, stretching must be instantly stopped if it causes more pain. Directions on how to perform these basic exercises:
- Rolling the shoulders back and forth: To perform this exercise,
- Start by standing straight while maintaining the correct posture.
- Now, gently move your shoulder back and forth. Repeat this exercise a couple of times.
- Shoulder raises: To perform this exercise,
- Stand straight and gently raise the arms laterally while moving them away from the body.
- The arms should be at shoulder height and parallel to the ground.
- Slowly lower the arms to reach the initial position and repeat.
- Rolling the shoulders back and forth: To perform this exercise,
Diet
Certain foods have anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve shoulder pain. Examples of these foods include:- Turmeric: Consuming turmeric by adding tea, milk, or food can help relieve shoulder pain associated with arthritis. Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, which aid in relieving pain.
- Ginger: This spice contains the phytochemicals gingerols and shogaols, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Adding ginger to the diet or having a cup of ginger tea can help relieve shoulder pain due to arthritis.
- Lime juice: Another great anti-inflammatory source, lime juice can help ease arthritis-related shoulder pain. Lime is also rich in antioxidants. Consuming lime juice can aid in better healing of the shoulders.
- Green tea: It is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Green tea can be consumed once or twice a day to help reduce inflammation. It is also good for people having arthritis.
- Olive oil: A recent study found out that olive oil contains oleocanthal which has a working mechanism similar to NSAIDs. Hence, consuming olive oil (about two tablespoons) can help with shoulder and joint pain.
Things to Keep in Mind While Using Home Remedies for Shoulder Pain
- These remedies are only for pain management. They cannot cure shoulder pain associated with severe and chronic conditions like arthritis. It is best to contact a healthcare professional for such conditions to get the proper treatment.
- Even if it hurts, the shoulder must be moved, as not using it at all can slow down healing.
- Avoid doing excessive exercises without proper guidance.
- Avoid doing exercises without proper warm-up and correct form.
- While performing exercises, ensure not to overstrain or use heavy equipment without consulting a doctor or seeking proper assistance.
- Before taking any OTC medication, make sure to take advice from a doctor.
Lifestyle Changes for Shoulder Pain
Things to consider:
- Maintaining a correct posture is essential to prevent shoulder pain.
- Regular exercising can help in relieving and improving shoulder pain, especially in case of pain due to a frozen shoulder.
- While sleeping, proper posture is to be maintained. Investing in good neck pillows and mattresses is vital.
- Diet plays a huge role in healing. Hence, one must take a healthy diet with foods containing anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
- Excessive strain on the shoulder must be avoided.
- Never stop completely using your shoulders
- Avoid taking alcohol and smoking.
- Do not consume any over-the-counter medications or painkillers without consulting your doctor.
When Should One See a Doctor?
- Shoulder pain persists for more than a week.
- Shoulder pain worsens with home remedies or exercises.
- Extreme pain and difficulty in moving the shoulder.
- Any signs of infection, swelling, redness or fever.
- Shoulder pain is accompanied by sweating, breathing problems and chest tightness, which could indicate a heart attack.
Takeaway
Our team of qualified medical experts at HexaHealth can help you find the proper treatment for your condition and offer a permanent solution to relieve shoulder pain. A combination of medical treatment and home remedies for shoulder pain can help get rid of shoulder pain once and for all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to relieve shoulder pain?
How do I get rid of shoulder pain permanently?
Will shoulder pain go away?
When is shoulder pain serious?
How do I know what type of shoulder pain I have?
How do I relax my shoulder muscles?
What is better for shoulder pain, heat or cold?
How long does it take for an inflamed shoulder to heal?
- An injury that takes a couple of weeks to heal.
- Frozen shoulder, which takes about 1.5 to 3 years to heal.
- Bursitis, which might take a few weeks or more to heal.
- Arthritis, where the inflammation, must be managed with medications, exercise, and home remedies for shoulder pain.
How should I sleep with shoulder pain?
What helps shoulder pain at night?
What is the best painkiller for shoulder pain?
What are the Ayurvedic home remedies for shoulder pain?
Can turmeric help shoulder pain?
What is Ayurvedic oil for shoulder pain?
Should I exercise a sore shoulder?
Updated on : 30 September 2023
Reviewer
Dr. Aman Priya Khanna
MBBS, DNB General Surgery, Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery, FIAGES
12 Years Experience
Dr Aman Priya Khanna is a well-known General Surgeon, Proctologist and Bariatric Surgeon currently associated with HealthFort Clinic, Health First Multispecialty Clinic in Delhi. He has 12 years of experience in General Surgery and worke...View More
Author
HexaHealth Care Team
HexaHealth Care Team brings you medical content covering many important conditions, procedures falling under different medical specialities. The content published is thoroughly reviewed by our panel of qualified doctors for its accuracy and relevance.
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