You can treat some shoulder injuries at home for a few days with rest and ice. You can bandage it to hold it in place if necessary, and raise it above your heart. But some injuries need professional help. Here are signs that you need to see a doctor right away:
Because the shoulder is such a complicated and busy joint, it can be easy to hurt it. Most shoulder injuries are caused by overuse (repetitive use injuries), but they can also happen through force or falls.
Your doctor will start with a physical exam to check for any structural problems and rule out anything that might involve your spine or neck. Next, they’ll test your range of motion to see how strong and flexible your shoulder is. That will involve moving your arms in various ways, like above your head, across your body, or behind you, and rotating it 90 or 180 degrees.
Your doctor also might recommend one or more imaging tests to get a closer look:
- X-rays. These can help your doctor find bone spurs, arthritis, and other bone-related causes of your shoulder pain.
- MRI scan. This uses radio waves and a powerful magnet to make detailed images of your shoulder.
- CT scan. This is a series of X-rays taken from different angles. When they’re put together, they can give your doctor a better look at what’s happening with your shoulder.
- Electromyography (EMG). This measures the electrical activity in your muscles to see if there are any problems with your nerves.
- Arthroscopy. This surgery lets a tiny fiber-optic camera show your doctor high-definition images of your shoulder. In some cases, your doctor may also be able to treat the problem during the procedure.
- Arthrogram. This is an imaging test (CT, fluoroscopy, MRI, or ultrasound) done with an injected dye. First, the dye is injected into your joint, where it is absorbed to make it easier for the radiologist to see any problems in your shoulder’s tissues.
For dislocations, separations, and fractures, you need a doctor’s help to get your shoulder back in the right position and then a sling to hold it in place while it heals.
For many other issues, your doctor may suggest rest, heat or ice, and a medicine like aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce the pain and swelling.
If your shoulder doesn’t improve after these first steps, your doctor may try injecting a corticosteroid (an anti-inflammatory medicine) straight into the joint to relieve swelling and pain.
Sometimes, cartilage tears, rotator cuff tears, and frozen shoulders don’t improve with rest and medicine. Your doctor may recommend surgery.
With any problem in your shoulder, your treatment plan will probably include exercises to help you stretch and strengthen the joint and to improve your range of motion.
There isn’t any one particular shoulder pain treatment because the type of help you need depends on what type of shoulder injury you have.
Dislocated Shoulder: If you have a dislocated shoulder, it must be put back into the socket as quickly as possible to prevent complications. The most common treatment is called a closed reduction or manipulation.
This must be done in the emergency department because it’s easy to cause more injury if you try it yourself. The doctor, with help from another health care professional, physically moves your arm and shoulder back into the right position.
It is a painful procedure, so you will likely need sedation beforehand. Once the shoulder is back in place, you’ll need to wear a sling to keep it there and to keep your arm from pulling on your shoulder, so it doesn’t dislocate again. Ice and over-the-counter pain relievers may help with the pain. You will also likely need physical therapy.
A physical therapist will help you move your arm so that your shoulder doesn’t get too stiff. Therapy also helps strengthen the muscles around your shoulder to protect it. If a closed reduction doesn’t work, you may need surgery to put it back into place.
Separated Shoulder: Usually, the only treatments needed for a separated shoulder are a sling to keep you from moving it, ice packs, and pain relievers. You will also likely need physical therapy, and your doctor will tell you when you can start lifting above your head or heavy weights. Surgery for a separated shoulder isn’t common, but you might need it if your separation is severe.
Shoulder Fracture: In many cases, a shoulder fracture – a broken shoulder – will heal if you keep your arm in a sling. But sometimes, shoulder fractures need surgery to put the bones back together and repair any other damage.
If your fracture is severe, your doctor may recommend a joint replacement, also called arthroplasty.
Rotator Cuff Tears: Rotator cuff tears can only be repaired with surgery, but not all rotator cuffs need to be repaired. If your tear is minor, your doctor will likely recommend a sling, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physical therapy, or steroid shots.
Most Other Injuries: The first-line treatment for most other shoulder injuries usually include resting your shoulder, taking NSAIDs, and doing physical therapy. Your doctor may recommend a cortisone shot. If these don’t work, you may need surgery.
Home treatments may help you manage many types of shoulder pain, from overuse to arthritis. But if the pain gets worse, you lose function of your arm or hand, or you get other symptoms, contact your doctor as soon as possible because you don’t want the injury to worsen.
Ice: Icing the painful area can help reduce inflammation (swelling) and relieve pain. But do not put ice directly on your skin. Make sure there is fabric between the ice and skin to prevent damage to the skin.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Relievers: Medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce inflammation and pain. Follow the directions, and if the drugs don’t help relieve the pain, speak with your doctor because you may need higher doses or a different type of pain medicine.
Immobilization: Using a sling to keep your shoulder from moving can help relieve shoulder pain. It also helps keep the weight of your arm from pulling on your shoulder. But it’s important to not use a sling for too long without your doctor’s advice. Keeping your arm immobile for too long can cause other complications, like muscle weakness.
Exercises/Physical Therapy: Unless you’ve been told not to do exercises that work your shoulder, using your shoulder could help ease the stiffness and pain of some types of shoulder injuries. Check with your doctor or physical therapist first, though, because, depending on the injury, exercise could make things worse.
If you have shoulder pain and any other signs of a possible heart attack (chest pain, tightness in your chest, pain radiating to the jaw, sweating, a hard time breathing), call 911 right away. This is a life-threatening emergency.
If you have shoulder pain along with any of these problems, contact your doctor as soon as possible because the injury could be serious:
- Your shoulder looks abnormal or deformed.
- You can’t move your arm or use your shoulder.
- The pain is intense or unbearable, or is getting worse.
- There is sudden swelling.
- Your shoulder is red, warm, or tender to the touch.
- You were able to use your shoulder, but it is getting hard to.
You use your shoulders a lot, and they allow you to move your arms many different ways. Because you use them so much, it’s easy to injure one – or both. Most shoulder injuries, especially if they’re caused by overuse, can be managed at home as long as the symptoms don’t get worse. But some, like a shoulder dislocation or fracture, need medical attention. Also, shoulder pain doesn’t always mean there is something wrong with your shoulder. It is sometimes a sign of a more serious condition, like a heart attack.
What Causes Sudden Shoulder Pain Without Injury?
You may not always realize your shoulder is injured, especially if you have an overuse injury. Rotator cuff injuries are a common example of that. But you could also get sudden shoulder pain if you are having a heart attack, so when in doubt, seek medical help.
What Are the Symptoms of a Serious Shoulder Injury?
The most obvious signs of a serious shoulder injury include not being able to move your arm or use your shoulder or getting an obvious deformity, such as if you break or dislocate your shoulder. But if you have a hard time breathing or chest pain with your shoulder pain, this may be very serious, because they are signs of a heart attack.
