Stephanie Yip is one of our physiotherapists here at Ladner Village Physiotherapy with a passion for treating shoulder injuries. In her latest blog post, Stephanie shares her top tips for acute shoulder management.

The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in our body, but that also makes it the most unstable joint and prone to injury. Chances are you’ve experienced an achy shoulder at some point in your life. With rock climbing and paddle boarding being my two favourite activities, I have definitely had my share of annoying shoulder pain. I get it - you can’t sleep, easy tasks feel impossible, and you just want to get back to life.

To learn more about shoulder anatomy and the muscle of the rotator cuff, check out this blog post. Today, I am here to share some practical, easy-to-implement, everyday tips for managing your sore shoulder in the early days of your rehab journey.

EVERYDAY LIFE

If your shoulder is in pain, you will automatically want to hold your arm to your side and not use it as much. This will only increase the stiffness and tension in the surrounding muscles, and add to your discomfort.

Instead, follow these tips:

Continue to use your arm in pain-free ways throughout the day - The best way is to use it for easy tasks like turning a page in your book, picking up your keys, or taking out your credit card.
Keep tasks within an easy arm’s reach - Avoid long levers. Carry loads close to your body. Avoid reaching far away for items by moving your body closer to what you need.
Avoid repetitive overhead motions - The most unstable and (muscle-speaking) demanding position for your shoulder is overhead. When your shoulder is healing, avoid being up here as much as you can.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

So your shoulder is sore and bugs you all the time – now what?

Avoid compensating movements - The most common one is hiking your shoulder up to reach items overhead. This will create more tension and discomfort in the muscles around your shoulder.
Try heat or cold to ease the pain - This is 100% your choice; pick the one that feels better for you.

POSTURE

Your posture plays a huge role in where your shoulder is positioned and as a result, how much pain you experience while at rest.

Don’t let your shoulder poke forward - This means no slouching!
Support your arm when resting - If you’re chilling on the couch or at your desk for a while, support your arm with a cushion/pillow/armrest so that it’s in a neutral, stable position
Use the “fish hook” rule - Imagine there’s a fish hook pulling you up by your sternum. This will help set your back in a better position.

SLEEP

It is normal to feel more pain or discomfort at night while trying to fall asleep. When sleeping, you aren’t aware of where your arm is in space and are much more likely to put it in a position that can get quite painful.

If you’re a back sleeper - Place a rolled up tea towel under your elbow. This will help keep your shoulder in a more neutral position.
If you’re a side sleeper - Sleep on your unaffected side and hug a pillow with your injured arm so that it is comfortably supported.
DO NOT TUCK the injured arm under your pillow

EXERCISE

You get some shoulder rehab exercises, and you’re super excited to get started. Remember these key points:

Do your exercises in small, but frequent bouts - Your shoulder is like a young puppy: it wants to get exercised regularly but gets tired quickly.This means it’s better to do your exercises 3 times per day for 5-10 minutes, rather than doing just one session for 30 minutes.
Use pain as a general guide - It’s okay to feel mild discomfort while performing your exercises (think 3-4/10 on an imaginary pain scale) but it shouldn’t feel excruciating. It’s normal to feel a bit of soreness afterwards for a couple of hours but it shouldn’t leave you in agony for days.

If you need this as a printable tip sheet, download it here - Shoulder Management 101

Are you experiencing shoulder pain? Book an appointment online, through email or by calling (778) 630-8800 - we will help get you started on your own rehab journey to getting back to what you love to do most!