Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Pain
Help for Frozen or Stiff Shoulders
Shoulder pain is one of those mysterious hurts that sneaks up on your body after doing something that you haven't done for months (if ever), like washing and waxing the car or cutting the grass with a push mower for the first time all season.
In women, shoulder pain is most often a symptom of either tendinitis, muscle strain or something called adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder, where the shoulder gets so stiff that you can't move it freely, says Stacie Grossfeld, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Unfortunately, when you don't use your shoulder, it loses its flexibility and stiffens. "One day, after not using your shoulder muscles for months, you'll find that you literally can't reach back to grab your seat belt or unhook your bra," says Dr. Grossfeld.
Or your shoulder muscles can get pinched between the bones and ligaments in your back, a disorder called impingement that results from intense overhead activity, like throwing a softball or swinging a tennis racket, says Dr. Grossfeld.
STEER YOURSELF TOWARD RELIEF
Women doctors and physical therapists say that luckily, most shoulder pains can be eased by following these simple suggestions.
Give it a rest. "If your shoulder hurts, the first thing that you need to do is stop the activity that's causing the pain," says Dr. Grossfeld.
Reach for the ice. "Ice is the cheapest form of pain medicine there is with almost no side effects," Dr. Grossfeld says. Ice decreases inflam
mation. Wrap an ice pack or ice from the freezer in a towel and apply it to the site of pain for no more than 15 to 20 minutes every hour.
When To See A Doctor If you try home remedies, but your pain doesn't improve after seven to ten days, see a doctor, says Stacie Grossfeld, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
If your shoulder pain results from a fall or a car accident, see a doctor immediately to rule out a fracture, she says.
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Allow yourself a painkiller. No need to be a martyr: An anti-inflammatory such as aspirin, ibuprofen or ketoprofen (Orudis) taken several times a day according to package directions will ease the pain and swelling, says Dr. Grossfeld.
Move it gently. Women doctors say that shoulder pain is a classic catch-22: Your shoulder hurts, so you don't want to use it, but if you don't use it, it's likely to get so stiff that you'll end up with a frozen shoulder, and then you won't be able to use it.
The solution? "Once your pain subsides, try gentle range-of-motion exercises," says Dr. Grossfeld.
Lynn Van Ost, P.T., a clinical specialist at the Sports Medicine Center in Philadelphia, suggests this exercise routine: Begin each exercise with your arm hanging down at your side. First, raise your arm straight in front of you until it is over your head (or go as far as you can without feeling any pain) and lower it back to the starting point. Then raise your arm out to the side and lower it. For the third exercise, keep your upper arm tucked against your body, but bend your elbow so that your forearm is in front of you. Rotate your forearm in toward your stomach and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise again, rotating your arm away from you. Repeat each motion ten times before moving on to the next, and do the entire routine once or twice a day as long as you don't feel pain.
(For practical ways to manage tendinitis or muscle strain, see pages 537 and 383.)