Causes of Shoulder Pain
- Since the shoulder is the most flexible joint, a number of factors and conditions can contribute to shoulder pain.
- The most prevalent cause is an injury to the soft tissues, including the muscles, tendons, and ligaments within the shoulder. This could be due to repetitive use or overuse injury.
- It can even be due to soreness of the tendon in the rotator cuff.
- Sometimes, the pain in your shoulder is actually emanating from injury to some other adjoining area, such as the neck or biceps. This is known as referred pain and does not aggravate with shoulder movement.
Prevention of Shoulder Pain
- If you have previously suffered from any shoulder injury or ailment, it is well advised to regularly perform a few simple range-of-motion exercises to keep your shoulder muscles and tendons properly stretched and flexible to avoid recurrence or a frozen shoulder.
- If you are prone to shoulder issues, it may be a good idea to follow up your regular workouts with 15 minutes of massaging your shoulder area with an ice compress.
- Massage is another good way to reduce shoulder pain. A gentle massage will help your shoulder muscles release stress and tension. In addition, it will improve blood circulation and reduce swelling and stiffness.
- Acupuncture and acupressure, which are traditional Chinese treatments, are beneficial and effective for relieving pain and improving shoulder function.
- Cold compresses are highly beneficial in alleviating shoulder pain. The cold temperature helps numb the area, which in turn reduces inflammation and pain.
- Hot compresses also help treat shoulder pain, inflammation, and swelling
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According to the Arthritis Foundation, both compression and elevation can help reduce shoulder pain and swelling, especially if the problem is associated with arthritis
