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Surgery and pain medication are common solutions to shoulder pain, but they come with some concerns. The use of opioids for pain management and invasive surgeries with lengthy recovery periods cause numerous people to seek alternative forms of treatment for their shoulder pain. Fortunately, you have many safe options available, including laser therapy for shoulder pain, to help you lead a pain-free life.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the best alternative treatments so you can manage your shoulder pain without the use of drugs or surgery.
What Is Chronic Shoulder Pain?
Chronic shoulder pain includes consistent, unpleasant sensations in one’s shoulder over an extended time, whether it be weeks, months or even years. Inflammation is a typical bodily response to exertion and aggravation, but it could seem impossible to overcome the pain from chronic shoulder inflammation. If you’re suffering from chronic shoulder pain, you should be careful to avoid overexertion, as this movement could lead to even higher levels of discomfort.
When suffering from chronic shoulder pain, you could feel pain from simple daily movements or more complex actions, including lifting, pulling or pushing. Something as simple as raising your hand over your head could result in excruciating pain. This discomfort is why people desire a real solution, but many are unaware that other answers to chronic shoulder pain exist besides painful surgeries and prescription painkillers.
5 Ways to Treat Shoulder Pain Without Surgery or Pain Medication
You can skip the scars left behind from surgery and the adverse side effects of opioids in treating your chronic shoulder pain by engaging in the right activities and alternative treatments. From exercise to laser therapy, you can explore many options to relieve pain. Be sure to consult your doctor before you make any decisions so you choose the safest treatment for your individual condition.
1. Exercise
Exercising is part of a healthy mental and physical lifestyle, and exercising your shoulder can help treat your shoulder pain. Regular exercise of joints and muscles is crucial in improving strength and flexibility, helping decrease pain in your shoulder while increasing movement and reducing how quickly you experience fatigue.
Talk to your doctor about exercises that could help treat your chronic shoulder pain. Trying out the wrong exercises could damage your joints or increase the inflammation you’re experiencing. However, undergoing the right regimen can help return some strength to your shoulder and decrease your pain levels. Experiment with light exercise before you jump into intense workouts to protect your shoulder.
2. Hot and Cold Therapies
Many people apply hot or cold packs to the body to treat inflamed areas. This remedy can provide some relief from stiffness and pain, although the results can be temporary. As a result, those with chronic pain may want to seek out more permanent treatments to improve their quality of life for good.
Try using a cold pack on your shoulder to reduce inflammation and manage flare-ups when they occur. If you want to relax the muscles in your shoulder while increasing blood flow, you should apply heat to the area. A soak in warm or cold water can provide similar results. Both forms of temperature-assisted therapies can help you find some relief during the most difficult moments of shoulder pain.
3. Injections
Ask your doctor about anesthetic or cortisone injections for the treatment of your chronic shoulder pain. Many people use injections to manage their pain while waiting for their surgery date, but you can use them to control your pain without having upcoming surgery, as well. It depends on your condition.
Some may view injections as a “band-aid” instead of a holistic answer to chronic shoulder pain. However, the process could give you positive results for as long as the injection remains effective. When it wears off, you’ll have to schedule another appointment to keep the inflammation at bay.
4. Physical and Occupational Therapy
Physical and occupational therapy programs can give you a personalized experience in treating your chronic shoulder pain. The goal of physical therapy is to achieve long-term results that can increase your quality of life. Treatments include the use of special exercises, equipment and massages to help you regain the pain-free use of your shoulder while resisting further decline.
Physical therapy is a long process, but it could provide exceptional results depending on your situation. Talk to your doctor to see if this treatment is right for you.
5. Laser Therapy
Can laser therapy work for shoulder pain? In recent years, it’s become a popular method for treating chronic shoulder pain. This method provides similar results to corticosteroid injections, leading to significant improvements in shoulder pain. However, laser therapy is more comfortable and bearable than shots or surgery, so many people with chronic pain are now looking into this option. For those with intense shoulder pain, laser therapy can provide lasting results in an innovative way.
How Does Laser Therapy Work for Shoulder Pain?
Laser therapy works for shoulder pain by stimulating the mitochondria of the cells in the affected area. The low-level laser equipment uses cold, gentle light instead of heat or radiation to penetrate the targeted area, encouraging your cells to repair themselves at a faster rate than they would without the laser treatment. The best part is that the treatment is non-invasive, meaning you can avoid scars, long recovery periods, anesthesia and prescription pain medication.
As you proceed with your laser therapy treatments, you may start to experience a decrease in your inflammation. These results can help you regain the use of your shoulder with less pain and more maneuverability. All it takes is relaxing for several minutes as your doctor applies the laser equipment to the specific area. Talk to your doctor today to see if laser therapy is the right choice for your shoulder pain.
Learn More About Laser Treatment for Shoulder Pain From Erchonia
Erchonia is your solution for low-level laser equipment for the treatment of chronic pain. Our business model includes never compromising on quality while staying on the cutting-edge of the laser therapy industry. We engage in clinical trials and other research because we care about your experience with our products and your increased quality of life as a result of your treatments.
Whether you want to find an Erchonia treatment provider for your shoulder pain or offer Erchonia to your patients to serve them better, we’re the low-level laser solution for you. Contact us today to find a provider or to learn more about our products. We look forward to helping you or your patients work toward a pain-free life.
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