“I have a bad pain in my shoulders after playing handball. What should I do to get relief from the pain?”
I have a pain in my shoulders after I played a game of handball with a few of my buddies. What should I do to get relief from this pain?
10 Answers
Stretching the rotator cuff, and usage of heat is quite effective. Moist or dry heat 10 minutes at a time followed by stretching. A massage could be helpful and a short term amount of anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or aleve.
If your pain occurs primarily after your sports, you can treat it with ice or heat - whichever makes it feel better. You can use over-the-counter medication like Advil or Aleve mixed with Tylenol. Another technique is to take the medication 30 to 45 minutes before your sports. If the shoulder pain is occurring at night or outside of your sports, you should be evaluated by a therapist or physician.
Phillip H. Omohundro, MD, MBA
Phillip H. Omohundro, MD, MBA
Depending on the problem, usually a good rehab program works well. Some problems require surgery. A sports doc should be able to make that determination.
Depends on the location of the pain. You can try to ice it, deep tissue massage, and rest. Be careful with oral anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen), I prefer natural, like turmeric. If continuing to bother should get evaluated to make sure it doesn’t get really bad.
You need to see a shoulder specialist.
You should have an orthopedist examine you and take an X-ray ideally. For the short term, apply ice and maintain some motion by doing "pendulum exercises and finger wall climbing." Also, Ibuprofen or Aleve is appropriate.
Hopefully it's just an overuse situation and not an injury. If you put too much strain on your shoulder from overuse or new activity, the rotator cuff can get inflamed. Goals would be to reduce swelling and maintain mobility. So take anti-inflammatory med (like Advil or Aleve), ice your shoulder for 10 minutes at a time (no heat), and try and do slow hanging pendulum circle with your arm to stay flexible.
Use ice and an over the counter anti inflammatory, as long as there are no contraindications to the medication. If you are healthy enough for handball, then you should get a diagnosis, and be evaluated by a good orthopedic surgeon.
I would start with an anti-inflammatory like Advil or alleve and take it for 7-10 days. If no better, then I would see an orthopedic doctor.
Jody Smith
Jody Smith
When pain or discomfort occur bilaterally, or on both sides, from activity, one typically can attribute the pain to overuse as the likelihood of the same injury to each side is rare although not impossible. Therefore, a treatment focused on overuse should suffice. Try resting the shoulders or even modifying how often and how long you play your activity. Apply ice to both shoulders several times a day and for 10-15 minutes each time. Over the counter NSAIDS, if not contraindicated, can be helpful if approved by your primary care physician. Rehab for the shoulders can also help prevent this from recurring.
Usually a little activity modification, ice, NSAIDS and some rehab will allow you to stay active. Good luck!
Usually a little activity modification, ice, NSAIDS and some rehab will allow you to stay active. Good luck!
