If you have shoulder pain, it is important to avoid anything that causes more pain. This includes pushing on the joint or staying in one position for long periods of time without moving. If your symptoms are severe, do not try to move your arm at all until you can see your doctor.
Beforehand, ask yourself if the pain is the result of an injury or if it is new. If you have an old shoulder injury, it may be coming back. An inflamed rotator cuff will get better with time and does not need surgery.
But if your pain is new, it’s important to get diagnosed correctly so that you can start treatment right away. Poorly treated shoulder injuries can result in long-term shoulder problems if not diagnosed quickly.
What You Can Do
If you are unable to see your doctor right away, try treating an inflamed rotator cuff yourself. Massage the area around the shoulder, and stop any activities that cause pain until you see your doctor .
You can also use ice or heat on your shoulder for around 15 minutes to reduce swelling. This will help you get better sooner if your injury isn’t too severe.
You can also try taking anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, but make sure it does not interfere with other prescriptions you may be taking. Also make sure to take the correct dose when treating yourself with medication.
Surgery
If you are worried about needing surgery, it is important to get an appointment with a shoulder specialist as soon as possible . This way, you can start treatment for inflammation of the rotator cuff in the early stages. Although surgery becomes more likely in severe cases, there are several non-surgical treatments that may help manage shoulder pain without surgery.
Talking to your doctor is the best way to find out if you need surgery. If you choose not to see a doctor, there are still ways to get relief from shoulder pain at home.
If you wait for too long, it may be more difficult for surgeons to treat your rotator cuff tendon because of increased swelling and other associated conditions.
Causes
A rotator cuff injury is a common shoulder problem that can occur for many reasons. It can develop after an accident or over time from overuse of the muscles in the shoulder. The pain results when they swell and compress nearby structures, such as tendons and blood vessels around the joint .
Rotator cuff injuries are often described by the structures affected, such as a rotator cuff tendon or bursa. Swelling in any of these areas can cause pain and make it difficult to move the arm.
If you have shoulder pain, stop doing anything that makes it feel worse until you see your doctor . The more quickly you start treatment for inflammation of the rotator cuff tendon, the less likely you are to need surgery.
Before seeing your doctor, try other non-surgical treatments at home, such as using ice or heat for 15 minutes to reduce pain and swelling . This should help if your injury isn’t too severe. If other self-care methods do not work, talk to your doctor about treatment options