How To Sleep With Shoulder Pain

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How To Sleep With Shoulder Pain
Best Ways to Sleep With Shoulder Pain – You may struggle to get a good night’s rest with shoulder pain or sore shoulders. However, you can decrease the pain in your shoulder simply by changing your sleeping position at night. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Avoid sleeping on one side. Instead, try lying on your back to help relieve pressure on the affected shoulder.
  2. Use specialized pillows. Your provider can help you choose a pillow that will help take the load off your shoulders.
  3. Sleep on your stomach. Sleeping in the prone position will naturally roll your shoulders forward and take the weight off them, including possible shoulder blade pain.
  4. Sleep with your arms at your side. Avoid raising your arm over your head while lying down. This position can result in too much stress on the sore shoulder.
  5. Change sides. If you must sleep on your side, try switching to the one that isn’t causing you pain. For example, when trying to decide how to sleep with left side shoulder pain, simply switch to the right side.

What is the best sleeping position for severe shoulder pain?

Sleeping On Your Back with Shoulder Support – If you face rotator cuff pain—or shoulder pain, in general—try sleeping on your back with a small pillow nested between your shoulder blades. Often, morning shoulder pain is caused by your body’s flatness during nighttime hours.

Why is shoulder pain worse at night?

Rotator cuff injury or tear – The rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons that connect the upper arm to the shoulder blade. Its purpose is to stabilize the shoulder and allow for smooth movement of the joint. These muscles are needed to raise your arm overhead and rotate your arm in front and behind your back.

Damage or tear to any of the muscles in the rotator cuff can lead to significant pain, weakness, and loss of motion. Simple tasks like getting dressed, reaching behind your back, and reaching overhead can become very challenging. Tearing and injury to the rotator cuff become more likely as tendons in the shoulder naturally wear down over time.

Due to gravity, laying down can cause the rotator cuff to stretch and pull, leading to significantly worsened pain at night.

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Why can’t I sleep with shoulder ache?

Skip to content What can you do if you can’t sleep from shoulder pain? And, why is shoulder pain worse at night Unfortunately for many, sleep disturbance is a common symptom for those suffering with shoulder pain. We know that sleep is key to good health and the tossing and turning that can be caused by shoulder pain, can lead to lower energy, daytime exhaustion, and low mood.

  1. Shoulder pain can cause some patients to have to change their preferred sleeping positions and this can sometimes lead to difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep, and even neck pain and other discomfort from sleeping in an unusual position.
  2. Several shoulder conditions are well known for causing sleep disturbance; these include frozen shoulder, rotator cuff problems, and shoulder bursitis.

Shoulder injuries including fractures and dislocations, and shoulder operations can also affect sleep. Frozen shoulder is an inflammatory condition that causes the lining (capsule) of the shoulder joint to become thickened, inflamed, and scarred, and leads to pain and progressive stiffness. Shoulder anatomy showing some structures that can cause shoulder pain. (Click to enlarge) The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles and their tendons that help to connect the arm bone (humerus) to the shoulder blade (scapula). They balance the ball of the shoulder (humeral head) on the socket (glenoid).

  • The rotator cuff muscles are the supraspinatus (at the top, subscapularis (at the front), and infraspinatus and teres minor (at the back).
  • Rotator cuff problems range from degenerative (wear and tear) problems, such as tendinopathy and chronic rotator cuff tears, to traumatic injuries, such as acute rotator cuff tears,

Rotator cuff problems are a common cause of shoulder pain and sleep disturbance. Shoulder bursitis or subacromial bursitis is one of the causes of subacromial shoulder pain, Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa, and a bursa is a small fluid filled sac located over tendons to help them glide past several structures.

How do I stop shoulder pain when lying down?

Optimal sleeping position – One of the simplest solutions to shoulder pain from sleeping on the side is to move into a superior position. All you need is a small pillow that you can nest between your shoulder blades while sleeping on your back.

What does rotator cuff pain feel like?

1. Pain – Rotator cuff injuries often result in a dull ache that can be felt deep in the shoulder. It can occur due to specific movements, such as lifting or lowering the arm. Some people experience discomfort during rest as well. Sleeping is often disturbed by pain, especially when lying on the affected shoulder. Tenderness and swelling may also accompany the discomfort.

Should I use hot or cold for shoulder pain?

Shoulder Pain: Use Ice or Heat –

Shoulder pain is often related closely to neck pain. Other than tension, it can also be caused by injuries to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the shoulders. Injured shoulders should be iced for at least 72 hours, or until the swelling has reduced. Tense or tight shoulders can get relief from heat, but be careful not to use heat on any swollen injuries.

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What helps rotator cuff pain at night?

Heat or Ice Therapy for Rotator Cuff Pain Relief – Applying heat or ice to your shoulder can help relieve rotator cuff pain at night. Heat may work better for some individuals in relieving rotator cuff pain at night since it tends to soothe the area and increase blood flow.

Try applying a heating pad to your shoulder for 15 minutes at a time as you begin your bedtime routine. Alternate 15 minutes of heat and 20 minutes off while winding down in the evening. Make sure you don’t fall asleep with the heating pad on. Icing the shoulder is another great way to help relieve rotator cuff pain at night.

Ice helps reduce inflammation when applied to an injury. Once again, try 15 minutes of ice and then 20 minutes off. Alternating between hot and cold therapy is another option since cold therapy helps alleviate inflammation and warm compression helps increase blood flow to the area.

What age do you get rotator cuff pain?

Risk factors – The following factors may increase the risk of having a rotator cuff injury:

Age. The risk of a rotator cuff injury increases with age. Rotator cuff tears are most common in people older than 60. Some occupations. Jobs that require repetitive overhead arm motions, such as carpentry or house painting, can damage the rotator cuff over time. Certain sports. Some types of rotator cuff injuries are more common in people who participate in sports like baseball, tennis and weight-lifting. Family history. There may be a genetic component involved with rotator cuff injuries as they appear to occur more commonly in certain families.

What position should I sleep in with rotator cuff pain?

Best Sleeping Positions For Rotator Cuff Pain – We all have a preference when it comes to sleeping position. Some of us find that sleeping on our back provides the best runway for a peaceful night. Others find lying face down, or on their side, makes for a better night’s rest. However, regardless of your chosen position, you still need to pay your shoulder close attention.

We’d say that the best option to avoid pain when sleeping with rotator cuff pain is to rest on your back. When you sleep on your back, your shoulders are placed under less pressure. This neutral position helps to keep your spine aligned, with the opportunity to prop your arm/shoulder with extra support (bring on the pillows!), and keep your chest unrestricted.

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If you insist on sleeping on your stomach, you can prevent pulsating rounds of pain by setting up proper support. Although sleeping ‘on your front’ can cause increased pain across your shoulder area, you can place a pillow underneath your hips and pelvis.

Again, this might sound silly, but in practice, this extra pillow (or a rolled-up blanket or towel) will align your lower and upper body; which prevents your shoulders from sagging. We would not recommend sleeping on your side, if you can help it. Sleeping on your left or right side will create significant discomfort when dealing with shoulder impingement/rotator cuff pain.

However, if you can only grab some shuteye by sleeping this way, try to rest on your pain-free shoulder. While keeping the shoulder in a rested state remains essential for the first stage of recovery, having it completely immobilized for an extended period can actually thicken the connective tissue – resulting in a frozen shoulder.

How should I sleep if my rotator cuff hurts?

1. Sleep on your back – While there is very little research about shoulder injuries and sleeping positions, 5 Holdaway LA, Hegmann KT, Thiese MS, Kapellusch J. Is sleep position associated with glenohumeral shoulder pain and rotator cuff tendinopathy: a cross-sectional study.

BMC Musculoskelet Disord.2018;19(1):408. Published 2018 Nov 23. doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2319-9 most physicians recommend sleeping on your back. Laying on your back won’t put pressure on the injured shoulder or force it into an awkward position. For the first few days or weeks, when symptoms are at their worst, consider sleeping on a wedge pillow or in a recliner.

Sleeping on a slight incline will help you avoid rolling on to your side or stomach in your sleep. Sleeping on the affected shoulder is usually painful 6 Zenian J. Sleep position and shoulder pain. Med Hypotheses.2010;74(4):639-643. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.11.013, 7 Kempf B, Kongsted A.

What helps rotator cuff pain at night?

Heat or Ice Therapy for Rotator Cuff Pain Relief – Applying heat or ice to your shoulder can help relieve rotator cuff pain at night. Heat may work better for some individuals in relieving rotator cuff pain at night since it tends to soothe the area and increase blood flow.

Try applying a heating pad to your shoulder for 15 minutes at a time as you begin your bedtime routine. Alternate 15 minutes of heat and 20 minutes off while winding down in the evening. Make sure you don’t fall asleep with the heating pad on. Icing the shoulder is another great way to help relieve rotator cuff pain at night.

Ice helps reduce inflammation when applied to an injury. Once again, try 15 minutes of ice and then 20 minutes off. Alternating between hot and cold therapy is another option since cold therapy helps alleviate inflammation and warm compression helps increase blood flow to the area.