Treatments and Remedies for Shoulder Pain
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When you feel pain in your shoulder, it may be time to seek out some shoulder pain treatment. Whether it’s dull and achy, or sharp and stingy, shoulder pain is no fun. We’ve put together this guide on how to get rid of shoulder pain.
Shoulders have a wide range of motion. So, when something goes wrong, shoulder pain can really hamper your ability to move freely and carry out basic, everyday tasks. In fact, continued movement of your arm or shoulder can often make shoulder pain worse. Shoulder pain can be caused by... friction in the shoulder joint itself, or injury to the surrounding muscles, ligaments, tendons. Pain can also radiate, causing neck, arm, and shoulder blade pain.
There are a number of shoulder pain remedies you can try out to get moving again and put a little joy back into your favourite everyday activities (hello, taking the pup for a walk around the block again!) However, if your shoulder pain doesn’t start feeling better after 7 days of shoulder pain remedies, consult a doctor to make sure there's nothing more serious at play.
Home remedies and treatments for shoulder pain
Not all shoulder pain needs a doctor’s visit. There are a number of at-home shoulder pain remedies you can try out. They include:
- Rest
There’s nothing like rest to speed recovery. Repeat motion is likely to further aggravate you shoulder joint and the surrounding muscles, tendons, and nerves. Avoid using your shoulder in ways that make your pain worse. Consider resting your arm on a cushion in your lap. - Ice
Icing your shoulder can help reduce inflammation, as well as numb the area so that pain subsides. An ice pack, or even a bag of frozen veggies, should do the trick. Be careful not to place ice directly... on your skin. Always wrap any ice pack or frozen veggie bag in a thin towel before applying it to your skin. Do this for around 20 minutes, 4 or more times per day. If after 2 days this isn't doing the trick, consult a pharmacist. - Over-the-counter pain medication
Our shoulders serve us in nearly any task we undertake throughout the day. Taking a break from all activities can often be unfeasible, plain and simple. If your pain is from a sprain, strain or bruise to your shoulder muscles or tendons, you can use an NSAID like diclofenac (which is the ingredient in Voltarol products), which fights inflammation, reduces pain, and helping you so you can get back to doing the little things in your day that make you happy. Read the label to check how long you should use the medication before seeking advice from a healthcare professional if the pain isn't getting better.
- Maintain good posture
Keep your shoulder down and gently back. Maintaining good posture will take the pressure off your shoulder muscles. In this way, you can reduce stress on your shoulder joint and relieve tension in your shoulder muscles.Learn more about posture here:
- Dispense prescription pain medication
Depending on the severity of your shoulder affliction your doctor may recommend another course of treatment beyond what you can do at home. That could be a prescription for medication that you can't get over the counter from your pharmacist, or they could give you an injection directly into your shoulder while you’re at the doctor’s office in order to reduce pain and swelling. - Recommend physiotherapy
Your doctor may recommend that you make a regular appointment to see a physiotherapist. Alternatively, he or she may provide you with some physiotherapy exercises and stretches that you can perform on your own at home. These often involve stretchy exercise bands and it's important to keep to the routine set to make the difference! - Immobilise your joint
If it turns out that your shoulder is sprained or broken, your doctor may provide you with a sling or brace to keep your shoulder from moving too much.
Voltarol Pain Relief Gels work as they are formulated with the active ingredient diclofenac. The powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient in Voltarol gels, diclofenac, gets to work with a triple effect
- Relieves pain
- Reduces inflammation, a major cause of shoulder pain
- And so helps speed up the natural healing process
Diclofenac is a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Voltarol pain relief gels are specially formulated with microemulsions, (hence 'Emulgel') which penetrates... deep through the skin to target one of the major root causes of shoulder pain, inflammation. As diclofenac accumulates under the skin, it acts as a reservoir from where there is a sustained release of the pain-relieving ingredient into underlying tissues.
Unlike non-medicated gels that may have a sensorial effect (providing a cooling or heating feeling which masks the pain) or even heat patches that provide heat to the affected area, Voltarol gels are medicated and clinically proven not only to relieve pain but also to reduce inflammation, a main source of pain.
Voltarol gels are also gentle on the body, unlike pills that need to travel through the stomach to work on your pain, they are targeted to the point of pain; because of this they also have a low risk of systemic side effects.
Voltarol Medicated Plasters are indicated for short term treatment of pain from acute strains, sprains, or bruises, that happen when you get an injury, like a sports injury. They provide effective muscle pain relief. All of which can apply to your shoulder!
They contain diclofenac, a potent NSAID, which deeply penetrates the targeted painful area, and reduces pain, fights inflammation, and so speeds up natural healing.
Voltarol Medicated Plasters continuously release diclofenac for up to 12 hours, meaning once applied you can enjoy your day without the distraction of pain, and begin to move freely once more.
Explore Voltarol products for pain relief
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Health, wellness & your pain
Pain is rarely just physical nor is it always solved by taking medicine alone. Voltarol is your ally in helping you take more control of your pain journey, from the way to sleep, to what you eat, mental wellbeing and complementary pain relief therapies.
