What to do with shoulder pain? - Tips & tricks from experts

Many people struggle with pain of all kinds in their daily lives – often, however, the actual cause is not sought, but only the symptoms are combated. Even small daily incorrect movements or poor posture can lead to serious damage such as tension. In this article, we will take a detailed look at shoulder pain and what you can actively do about it yourself!

Tip: If you would like to relieve and support your back in addition to your shoulder, then feel free to check out the Deskspace blogs. Here you will find numerous articles on a wide variety of topics!

Shoulder Pain: Why It Should Not Be Underestimated

In Germany, shoulder pain is a widespread health problem – many people suffer from problems in this joint. The shoulder is a particularly complex joint that allows for great mobility, but is also quickly susceptible to injuries and damage.

Shoulder pain can always have various causes – these include, for example, tension, sports injuries, or poor posture. Shoulder pain can occur acutely and also disappear again; in the worst case, however, it can also become chronic. Everyday things such as lifting objects or a healthy arm movement can immediately become a challenge and severely impact your life.

In addition to shoulder pain, these are the most common complaints in Germany:

• Back pain
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Muscle pain
• Stomach ache

All these symptoms can also result from an incorrect working posture. Almost 60 percent of employees in Germany work daily sitting at a desk. Even small incorrect or compensatory postures can lead to severe pain that then becomes chronic. An ergonomic sit-stand stool like the Deskspace Motion can help reduce your back pain and improve your concentration. Feel free to check out our detailed product pages.

Now, let's look at what you can do yourself immediately for shoulder pain!

Causes of Shoulder Pain

You can suffer from shoulder pain at any age – however, it becomes more likely from a certain age group onwards and occurs more frequently without external influences. In most cases, shoulder pain severely restricts freedom of movement and causes daily life to be almost constantly associated with problems.

Shoulder pain occurs either isolated in the joint or as radiating pain from the neck. Pain originating from the wrist can also extend to the shoulder and cause problems. Overall, it can be said that shoulder pain has increased enormously in recent years. According to surveys, one in ten people now complains of shoulder pain, with typical symptoms being stiffness and pain in the joint. Night pain, in particular, is a major problem here, as the affected person can no longer lie on that side, which severely disrupts sleep.

Here is an overview of the most common causes of shoulder pain:

• Changes in the bone, joint capsule, or articular cartilage
• Trauma or accident to the affected shoulder
• Postural weaknesses
• Overexertion or muscle injuries
• Metabolic problems or inflammation

Due to the complexity of the shoulder joint, the pain can have numerous causes. Nevertheless, there are some countermeasures that you can try to get rid of the pain. In the next paragraphs, we will therefore look at some tips that you can apply for shoulder pain.

Shoulder pain – what you can do acutely!

In this paragraph, we will look at what you can do acutely yourself for shoulder pain – even if you don't know the exact cause yet. First of all, you should stop all activities that cause pain. So, if you have, for example, difficulty holding things overhead, you should probably avoid that for the time being. This usually already prevents the pain from getting worse.

Tip: It's best to write down when the pain appeared and where you suspect it came from. This way, you can give your doctor important information later and won't forget any crucial details.

When you have shoulder pain, you should naturally rest it first and foremost – but that doesn't mean you shouldn't move it at all. Because if you don't move your shoulder for an extended period, it can weaken the muscles and make your shoulder stiff. That's why we have some exercises for shoulder mobilization for you here:

• Circle arms forwards and backwards if it doesn't cause pain
• Circle shoulders forwards and backwards, letting arms hang
• Bring arms together stretched forward while standing and open them again
• Let arms hang by your side and then bring them together upwards with palms facing outwards

Painkillers like ibuprofen can somewhat relieve shoulder pain – however, these should not be taken for longer than two weeks at a time. Pain-relieving and warming creams can also help treat the affected area. In addition, you should find out which movements cause pain and avoid them. If the pain is persistent, we recommend seeing a doctor promptly.

• In these cases, you should definitely consult a doctor:
• The pain has an immediately recognizable cause, such as a fall
• The shoulder is red or swollen
• You have numbness or paralysis symptoms
• The arm is very weak or can hardly be moved

Preventing shoulder pain at work – here's how!

Often, shoulder pain comes from an incorrect working posture or neglecting physical health at the workplace. In this section, we will therefore give you some tips on how to prevent shoulder pain from occurring in the first place.

Definitely avoid letting your shoulders slump forward. When you sit upright, your shoulders should be relaxed and straight, and your elbow can rest on the table at a 90-degree angle. An ergonomic workplace is an important basis for preventing shoulder pain. Your screen, your chair, and your desk should be set at the ideal height. In addition, you should regularly alternate between working postures to keep your circulation and blood flow going.

Tip: With a height-adjustable desk from Deskspace, it's child's play to adjust your workplace to the correct height. Thanks to the electric, continuous height adjustment, you can switch between sitting and standing working positions in a matter of seconds. This promotes blood circulation, including in your shoulder joints.

With a healthy lifestyle and the right working posture, it is no problem to actively prevent shoulder pain. In addition, you can ensure that the pain disappears soon with many exercises, creams, and measures such as physiotherapy. We hope this blog article was helpful to you!