Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult when you have severe shoulder pain due to a rotator cuff injury. Tailor-Made Physical Therapy, a top-rated physical therapist in Troy, Illinois, explains how to relieve rotator cuff pain at night so you can get the rest you need in order to recover. This guide covers everything you need to know about helping your affected shoulder heal from a torn rotator cuff.
What Causes Rotator Cuff Pain?
The rotator cuff serves as a common source of pain in your shoulder. Rotator cuff tendons and muscles make up the shoulder joint where the upper arm bone, shoulder blade, and clavicle meet. Several ailments can cause pain in the rotator cuff muscle, including arthritis and bone spurs.
A torn rotator cuff may also occur due to a shoulder dislocation or traumatic injury. It’s possible to strain the muscles with a repetitive injury, which is also known as a degenerative rotator cuff tear.
Why Troy Residents Experience Heightened Rotator Cuff Pain at Night
If you’re wondering how to relieve rotator cuff pain at night, you might be curious as to what causes an uptick in pain once you hit the hay. Regardless of whether you suffer from rotator cuff tears or another shoulder injury, it’s common to experience notable shoulder pain at night. This tends to happen for the following reasons:
- Excess pressure on the muscles: If you sleep on your side, you put all of your body’s pressure onto your shoulder. Doing this consistently could cause one of the muscles to tear over time.
- Tight muscles: Limited motion or tightness in the muscles or around the shoulder joint can make it more difficult for you to get into a comfortable sleeping position.
- Inflammation: Your body goes through a natural cycle of inflammatory responses. It’s common for inflammation to increase at night and trigger shoulder pain.
How To Relieve Rotator Cuff Pain at Night
Discover proven ways that you can get through the night without any severe shoulder pain. Use the following tips to speed up your recovery process and enjoy plenty of sleep.
Change Your Sleeping Position
Sleeping on your affected shoulder can exacerbate pain in your rotator cuff tendons and muscles. If you’re a side sleeper, you can sleep on your healthy shoulder but keep in mind that this could also result in a degenerative rotator cuff tear. The best position to sleep in at night is on your back with your shoulder elevated.
Place pillows or folded towels under your shoulder to elevate it while you sleep. This helps combat swelling and inflammation so you can heal from your injury faster.
Perform Light Stretches
If you want to know how to relieve rotator cuff pain at night, the answer lies in stretching your shoulder throughout the day. Keeping your muscles active during the day reduces the impact of having your body inactive at night. Physical therapy experts recommend doing the following exercises during the day and before going to bed:
- Sleeper stretch: While lying on your bad side, stretch the back of your arm by bringing your elbow straight out from your shoulder and pressing your arm at the elbow down to the bed.
- Doorway stretch: Stand near a doorway and place your arms on the sides of the frame so your elbows bend at a 90-degree angle. Lean forward into the stretch until you feel a sensation in your shoulders.
- Trap stretch: Sit in a chair and use your hand to gently tilt your head to the opposite side and hold for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other side.
It’s important to be careful and listen to your body when stretching. You don’t want to cause further strain on your muscles by overstretching. Do each exercise so you feel a tugging sensation in your shoulder rather than pain.
Apply Heat and Ice
Whether you’re wondering how to relieve rotator cuff pain at night or treat another physical injury that causes swelling and inflammation, experts often recommend hot and cold therapy. Applying an ice pack to the affected area reduces swelling and inflammation by causing a numbing sensation. You can also use a heating pad to relax your body and relieve pain in your shoulder.
It’s fine to use either hot or cold therapy before bed, but many people opt to apply both heat and ice for optimum pain relief. Use one method for 15 minutes before switching to the other for 15 minutes.
Pain Medications
If you need help getting sleep with an injured rotator cuff, it’s fine to use an over-the-counter pain medication. These medicines contain anti-inflammatory properties that limit pain in your joints. Make sure you take the proper dosage and check with a medical professional if certain medications are safe to take.
Treat Rotator Cuff Pain During the Day with Physical Therapy
Taking steps to relieve shoulder pain at night can help you sleep better and heal faster. However, it’s in your best interest to receive physical therapy treatment for your long-term health. Torn rotator cuffs can take a while to heal and may be severe enough to require surgery.
Other common reasons for rotator cuff pain, such as arthritis, are chronic conditions that you must learn how to manage. Working with a physical therapist allows you to learn effective exercises that target common sources of pain in your joints. Doing these exercises during physiotherapy appointments and at home can present the following benefits:
- Improved mobility and range of motion
- Stronger muscles and increased flexibility in your joints
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- More independence and a better quality of life
Don’t hesitate to begin physical therapy if you experience frequent pain in your rotator cuff or other joints.
Rely On Tailor-Made Physical Therapy for Pain Relief in Troy, IL
Knowing how to relieve rotator cuff pain at night can make a huge difference in your healing process. Follow the tips above to manage nighttime pain in your rotator cuff and visit a seasoned physical therapist for additional shoulder pain relief strategies. The team at Tailor-Made Physical Therapy specializes in healing joint pain, including rotator cuff injuries.
Contact our Troy clinic today at (618) 505-0441 to make an appointment.
