6 Tips for Reversing Your Shoulder Pain

6 Tips for Reversing Your Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain—for many of us it’s just a fact of life. But when it’s keeping you from enjoying your daily activities, it may be time to try some useful remedies.

Try out some of these options for reversing shoulder pain.

Stretch

If you have soreness in your shoulder that you suspect was brought on from exercise or physical activity, an inflammation or swelling may have occurred. One way to reduce mild, exercise-related shoulder pain is through stretches. These may include chest expansions by meeting your hands behind your back or across-the-chest stretches, bringing your arm across your chest and pulling your elbow toward it with your spare hand. These are exercises that should be recommended by someone who specializes in functional assessment, such as a physical therapist or athletic trainer.

Sleep Differently

One common cause of shoulder pain, particularly when it’s experienced first thing in the morning, is sleeping habits. A potential way to reduce this pain is to try out a new sleeping position. If you favor one side over the other, it might be an indication of where your pain is coming from. Use pillows or remove pillows to determine the best amount of cushion to avoid pain if you favor sleeping on your back or stomach. According to our experts, it’s best to sleep on your back with your hands below chest height. AVOID SLEEPING ON YOUR STOMACH. This can cause even more shoulder pain when you wake up.

Diversify Your Exercises

Another frequent reason for shoulder pain is found in athletes or otherwise physically fit people—especially when they tend to exercise or engage in sports with highly repetitive shoulder movements. The best way to combat this is to keep your regimen diverse. Select a variety of exercises that don’t put undue strain on your shoulders as compared to the workout your other joints are receiving.

Try Massage

Massage therapy can very often be beneficial for shoulder pain, because it can release muscle tension and increase range of motion in the joint – which in turn can improve function and help reduce pain. Best of all, you can give yourself a neck and shoulder massage almost anywhere and at anytime for temporary relief. If you still feel stiff and sore, talk to your doctor about other therapy options.

Apply Heat or Cold

Just like when you’re nursing an injury, applying heat or cold can go a long way toward reversing your shoulder pain. Use heat to soothe stiff joints and relax muscles after a strain or when recovering from an injury. Ice packs are typically used to numb sharp pain and reduce inflammation immediately following an injury. Whichever option you need, remember to protect your skin – and only apply the hot or cold therapy as directed.

Obtain Physical Therapy

There’s perhaps no better way to reverse your shoulder pain, particularly when it’s ongoing or chronic, than being seen by a physical therapist or orthopedic physician. It’s the best way to determine if your condition is diagnosable and how best to treat it.  Contacting Orthopedic Institute for an appointment is a good place to start.

4 Everyday Tips for Fighting Off Foot & Ankle Pain

4 Everyday Tips for Fighting Off Foot & Ankle Pain

 Are your “dogs” barking? You’re not alone! Every day, we take thousands of steps. So it’s no surprise that foot and ankle pain can occasionally be part  of our days, too – especially as we age. See your doctor for serious pain that interferes with daily life. But when it comes to occasional foot pain or discomfort, there are a few simple steps you can take for quick relief. 

Here are 4 tips to give foot and ankle pain the boot. 

1. Wear the Right Shoes

One of the best things you can do to relieve foot and ankle pain today – and prevent it from happening tomorrow – is to wear properly fitted, well-cushioned shoes. Have your feet measured at a shoe store at least once a year to make sure you’re wearing the correct size and width, and replace older shoes that no longer fit. This doesn’t mean you can’t be stylish, it just means you need to know what to look for when buying new footwear.

2. Support Your Arches

Arch support isn’t just for people with flat feet – it’s important for all of us! If you’ve been experiencing foot and ankle pain, especially from wearing flat-soled shoes, try adding Powerstep inserts to your shoes. Our pedorthist, Reid Herrboldt, swears by them. They can be tough to find, but good news … we carry multiple sizes! Stop by OI to pick up a pair. Or better yet, make an appointment with Reid for a professional fitting. Your legs and feet will feel better, because proper arch support helps reduce weakness and soreness all day long.    

3. Stretch Often

Muscles can become stiff and painful whether you’re standing and walking all day, or simply sitting at a desk or table. Every hour or so, remind yourself to stretch, relax and lengthen the muscles in your feet and ankles. Start by pointing your toes down to stretch the top of the foot and ankle. Then, roll your feet in circles (clockwise and counter-clockwise) to loosen up your ankle. Finally, point your toes straight up to stretch the back of your calf. Our physicians and therapists like these six stretches from Prevention Magazine.

4. Baby Your Feet

You can help your feet recover from carrying you around all day with simple foot care techniques. Do the bottoms of your feet hurt? Try rolling them from heel to toe over a frozen water bottle, tennis ball or baseball. The gentle massage stretches muscles and helps your feet recover from the day. Pain on the top of your foot can be an indication of arthritis. Most people with plantar fascitis have very tight calf muscles. You can use the six stretches noted above for relief.

If your foot and ankle pain persists, it’s time to see a specialist at Orthopedic Institute.

5 Key Symptoms of a Neck Injury

5 Key Symptoms of a Neck Injury

Neck pain is a common problem that about two-thirds of the population experience at some point. After all, your cervical spine and supporting muscles and ligaments support a head that weighs approximately 15 pounds. Due to the flexible but complex structure of your neck, it’s quite vulnerable to injury, both serious and minor. Tracking down the source of neck pain and whether injury is present, though, can be difficult.

To help you out, here are several symptoms that can stem from a neck injury.

General Stiffness

Stiffness is a symptom of many neck injuries. Whether it’s whiplash or a minor strain, your neck may experience some level of stiffness. This symptom alone, though, isn’t reason to worry about neck injury. The remedy could be as simple as icing your neck or doing some stretches. You might also be experiencing symptoms of arthritis.

To help ease neck stiffness, try doing 10-15 reps of these stretches:

  • Tilting your head to each shoulder
  • Rolling your shoulders backward
  • Pressing your shoulder blades together

Want more at-home pain relief ideas? Download our free book: Home Remedies for Back and Neck Pain.

Decreased Range of Motion

Neck injuries can also result in less range of motion – which is often related to general stiffness symptoms above.

If you can’t quite tilt your head all the way in a certain direction—as much as you could before the pain began—you’ve lost range of motion. This can occur after strains and sprains but isn’t cause for alarm if the symptom recedes after a few days. If your range of motion doesn’t return after weeks or you can’t move your head at all, then it’s time to consider a visit to the doctor’s office.

Headaches and Dizziness

When your head is abruptly snapped backward and/or forward with quick force, it can cause what’s known as whiplash. When you experience whiplash, muscles and ligaments stretch beyond their typical ranges of motion. In technical terms, you experience a hyperextension when your neck extends backward beyond its normal limits and hyperflexion when it does so in a forward motion.

Whiplash can result in headaches at the base of the skull, dizziness and blurred vision. Aching and stiffness can also occur. It’s not unusual for symptoms to disappear and then reappear within a few days of the injury.

Sprains and Strains

A sudden jolt to your neck from a hard fall or serious collision, such as a car accident, can result in stretched ligaments and muscles in your neck. Any pain in the back of the neck that worsens with movement or muscle spasms near the upper shoulder can be indicators of a neck sprain or strain, especially if it peaks about a day after the injury occurred. A headache toward the back of the head and decreased range of motion are also signs of a neck sprain or strain.

Tingling and Numbness

One of the more concerning possible symptoms of neck injuries is tingling and numbness in limbs. If you start to feel a numbing sensation or that “pins and needles” feeling in your arms or legs after a neck injury, then it’s best to consult a doctor. Most neck injuries have the potential to produce this symptom but typically only in more severe instances. Usually these symptoms will resolve with non-surgical treatments.

Sources: OrthoInfo, Healthline, Spine Universe