How to Sleep with A Frozen Shoulder Pain at Night

The shoulder joint is enclosed within a covering of connective tissues. When this covering is thickened, the shoulder movement gets restricted, resulting in a frozen shoulder. There can be a variety of reasons behind this. Such as:

1. Long-term restricted movement of shoulders. This might occur due to other problems, like a broken arm, rotator cuff injury, etc. 
2. Strain from carrying a big object
3. Bodily pain from a blow or an accident
4. Sleeping in the wrong position

Signs of having frozen shoulders may not be instantly noticeable. However, a frozen shoulder may present as:

1. Stiffness of shoulder, accompanied by discomfort and pain.
2. Shoulder movements are getting limited.
3. Increased pain during night time. 

These symptoms usually differ in their intensity over three phases - freezing stage, frozen stage, and thawing stage. Nonetheless, all these symptoms shouldn’t be ignored.
Once a person has problems in the daily routine, one must pay special attention to get frozen shoulder pain relief.

You may often tend to sleep on your shoulders. This puts strain on the joint and reduces the blood flow resulting in severe pain, inflammation, additional stiffness and discomfort the next day. It is also likely that the absence of distractions during the night makes you more conscious of your discomfort while sleeping. 

This may make it difficult for you to sleep properly during the night. You may be tossing and turning in bed, looking for ways to sleep with a frozen shoulder and trying to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleeping with shoulder discomfort might feel like a never-ending cycle. The lingering pain might make it difficult to sleep. Thus, you might be wondering how to sleep with a frozen shoulder. Below are discussed five significant tips to get frozen shoulder pain relief at night:

1. Medications
   1. Consuming painkillers or anti-inflammatory medications before sleeping can help in sleeping better. It’s not a permanent cure to the problem, as the pain will resurface once the drug effect wears off. 
   2. Oral corticosteroids can also be used since they have a higher anti-inflammatory effect, but they should not be taken frequently owing to their possible side effects. Oral corticosteroids are only suggested in situations with a chronic refractory frozen shoulder that has remained persistent for a long time (e.g., more than two months) or is causing substantial discomfort.
2. Sleeping Positions
   1. Correct posture is one of the most important things to take care of while sleeping. 
   2. Try to sleep on the back, with arms by the side. This frozen shoulder sleeping position ensures that the spine is stable and that pressure is evenly distributed on the back. Most importantly, this frozen shoulder sleeping position will exert no pressure on the shoulders. 
   3. Another good frozen shoulder sleeping position is sleeping on the unaffected side, using a sleeping pillow as support. A pillow below between the shoulders shall keep them at an even position. 
   4. One may consider investing in a good-quality mattress to support the back while sleeping. 
   5. The following two sleeping positions for a frozen shoulder must be avoided to get frozen shoulder pain relief at night:
      1. Sleeping on the stomach: Sleeping on the stomach is not a stable posture and can worsen the pain and stiffness. Besides, your shoulder muscles can get strained by sleeping like this. 
      2. Sleeping on the affected side:  People may be habituated to sleeping on a particular side. However, sleeping on the affected side will only aggravate the shoulder pain. Too much pressure can be exerted on the already damaged muscles and joints; thus, this sleeping position for a frozen shoulder should be avoided.
3. Use pillows for support
   1. Using comfortable pillows to support the neck and head is another great idea for frozen shoulder pain relief. Irrespective of the sleeping position, the pillows help maintain a neutral position for the neck and shoulder joints. 
4. Dietary changes
   1. Looking after the daily diet is important for frozen shoulder pain relief at night. Try to include anti-inflammatory items in your meals, such as turmeric, nuts, fish, etc., as they are natural ingredients that help provide frozen shoulder pain relief. 
   2. Other food items may include oranges, spinach, tomatoes, etc. Drinking ginger tea in the evening may also help manage inflammation. 
   3. Minimise the consumption of alcohol, sodas, and caffeine. Avoid smoking and other tobacco products. 
5. Sleep hygiene
   1. It is good to follow a night routine daily. This will help you to fall asleep at the same time every night. Avoid heavy food before sleeping and take a warm shower if possible.

A few other methods have shown promising results in relieving shoulder pain. Most of these are very easy to perform for frozen shoulder pain relief at night. 

1. Massage
   Massaging the shoulder is particularly effective in the management of frozen shoulder pain. Massaging relieves muscle tension and stiffness, allowing your muscles to relax. Use essential oils such as eucalyptus and kalonji oil for massaging.
2. Salt bath 
   Salt baths help relax muscles and reduce inflammation in the joints. For that, one needs to immerse the affected shoulder in a tub of warm water mixed with Epsom salts. Keep it in for 10 to 15 minutes to get frozen shoulder pain relief at night. 
3. Heat packs
   One can also try using heat packs to get relief from shoulder pain. Heat therapy improves blood circulation thus promoting healing and reducing inflammation of the affected part. Use heat packs for around 10-15 minutes in the affected area before sleeping. 
4. Exercise
   Pick up a suitable exercise routine as suggested by the doctor or physiotherapist. Performing the right exercises will help mobilise the shoulder joint and indirectly help provide frozen shoulder pain relief at night. Exercises like pendulum stretch, armpit stretch and finger walking exercises can help strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joint and also improve its mobility.
5. Rest
   Resting well is as important as performing exercises. Give adequate rest to the body and avoid putting too much workload and pressure on the affected shoulder.

A frozen shoulder can make it hard to fall asleep at night. One can try several treatment options right from home remedies like massages and heat therapy to taking medications like painkillers. However, frozen shoulders may get worse over time if left untreated. Popping pills to suppress pain is not a long-term solution but a quick fix. It’s best to consult medical specialists regarding this problem as soon as possible to get frozen shoulder pain relief. 

To resolve patients' worries, HexaHealth offers a wide range of medical services. Along with a team of seasoned medical experts, we provide many more benefits to patients. Curious to know more? Schedule a call right away for a consultation.