Shoulder injuries are incredibly common, and if you’re like most people, your first instinct will probably be to rest the area and protect it from further trauma. In the vast majority of cases, this is the right plan of action, because pushing ahead as if nothing is wrong is an easy way to cause more damage to the weakened area.
However, after the first few days, rest is usually not your best option. If you baby your shoulder and simply hope that time will restore it back to a pre-injury level of fitness, not only will you likely be disappointed in your functional recovery, but it may end up taking you longer to heal. In today’s blog, we explain why rest is rarely the best long-term solution for your shoulder pain, and we explain which treatments you should pursue instead.
Why Rest Isn’t Best For Shoulder Pain
Before we dive into our advice, please keep in mind that this is just general guidance, and you should always prioritize the advice of a treating physician who can view your shoulder in person and provide individualized advice.
We can’t speak for every single shoulder injury, but in the vast majority of mild to moderate shoulder injuries that affect soft tissues or the shoulder joint, long-term rest isn’t going to help you to get back to full health as quickly as possible. Again, rest is great in the short-term when your injury is fresh and your body is at its most vulnerable for additional damage, but after a few days, it’s time to shift away from defensive actions and move into proactive treatments that will help to strengthen and improve the flexibility of the injured structures.
You should pursue active treatments gradually and only increase your activity level when your shoulder proves that it can handle lower levels of stress. Diving back into too much activity too soon is a recipe for a setback. However, a slow reintroduction to mildly stressful activities is often what’s needed to ensure your shoulder returns to pre-injury function. Strength, flexibility and range of motion are aspects of your shoulder health that can only recover to a certain point with rest alone. To make the fullest functional recovery, proactive treatments are a must.
But what types of active treatments are typically recommended for these types of shoulder injuries? In most cases, you’ll be told to consider a combination of the following techniques alongside smart passive practices like anti-inflammatory medications and avoiding specific strenuous activities.
- Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is probably the single best form of active treatment that you can pursue for soft tissue and shoulder joint injuries. PT helps you carefully target specific areas of need without overstressing them, which makes it easier for them to get back to full strength faster.
- Stretching Exercises – Stretching techniques are also great for expanding your range of motion and flexibility after shoulder injuries. Avoid lifting weights or doing anything that could overly stress the area and instead do some gentle flexibility stretches.
- Resistance Band Training – Resistance bands are perfect for rehabbing shoulder injuries because you can directly control the amount of resistance you expose yourself too, making it a valuable tool for slowly increasing the amount of stress you put on your recovering shoulder.
We’d be happy to provide a comprehensive diagnosis and set you up with an individualized treatment plan following your injury or surgery because that is what’s going to help you make the strongest recovery. For more information, or to talk to a shoulder specialist about your discomfort, give Dr. Holloway and his team a call today at (865) 410-7887.
