How Is Shoulder Pain Treated?

The most common cause of pain in the shoulder joint is when the tendon becomes sore from overuse, or when affected by the rotator cuff. Other causes of sore shoulder is when the subacromial bursa – which is the sac of fluid above the shoulder – becomes injured due to repetitive stress injuries, such as playing sports – especially those sports that requires the player to keep their arms raised.

Often times, treatment that relieves the pain incurred by a repetitive stress injury requires plenty of rest, which includes doing nothing strenuous – including picking up heaving objects or playing sports like basketball or tennis. The application of ice, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen can often help.

Aerobic exercise also helps increase blood flow to the injured bursa or tendon which will help reduce the soreness of the inflamed joint. If the patient is a smoker then they should quit for the duration so that more oxygen can reach the injured tendon, thus helping the joint to heal that much faster.