How to treat shoulder muscle strain symptoms

Suffering from shoulder muscle strain has a particular impact on activities, restricting everything from dressing to eating to working, which is extremely distressing. Generally, this type of injury is caused by using too much force on the shoulder joint. Swimming, throwing a ball, and raising the arm to move things can indirectly cause shoulder joint injury. You should pay special attention to it, especially when working with excessive force on the upper limbs. Reducing the force and doing appropriate exercise can avoid this type of injury.

Currently, the best and fastest way is to do physical treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and heat therapy, which can improve symptoms in a short period of time. You can also use blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing drugs such as safflower oil and Li Tong for external application, and use hot towels for hot compresses, which is also effective. The main thing is to rest, strengthen muscle training appropriately, avoid working for long hours, and if you have to work for a long time, you also need to take appropriate rest in the middle.

Tui Na massage: The patient lies prone, finds the painful point, and rubs the painful point with the tip of the thumb, with the force increasing from light to heavy, in a circle shape for about 1 minute; then use the hypothenar massage method to rub the back Shu points on both sides of the cervical spine from top to bottom for about 5 minutes. Acupuncture treatment: select the "Ashi point" and nearby points at the most painful tender point to regulate local Qi and blood, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and achieve the effect of promoting menstruation and relieving pain.

Basic Overview

Shoulder injuries include shoulder tendinitis, shoulder instability and shoulder impingement syndrome. The causes of these three problems are related to pathology, and the three symptoms may exist at the same time.

Biceps longus tendinitis

It is caused by excessive tension of the biceps long tendon, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, triceps major and minor, and supraspinatus tendons.

Shoulder instability

Repeated forceful lifting of the upper limbs (throwing a ball) or extreme pulling movements (swimming) may strain the lower joint capsule and ligaments, causing the humeral head to be unable to sit firmly in the center of the glenoid cavity, which can easily cause shoulder impingement syndrome.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

When the upper limb is raised, the tendons and soft tissues located at the greater tuberosity of the humerus are squeezed between the humerus and the coracoacromial arc. Athletes often repeat the above movements during long-term training, which may cause inflammation and injury of the related tendons and soft tissues. Congestion and water in the tendons or joint capsules will further reduce the space of the coracoacromial arc, causing pain, disrupting the normal biomechanical characteristics of the shoulder joint, resulting in inhibition of muscle function (because of pain) and compensatory movements or postures.

treat

Please consult your doctor and physical therapist before starting any treatment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment

- Reduce pain and inflammation:

1. Rest - Stop the movements that cause shoulder pain.

2. Ice compress - three to four times a day within the first 24-48 hours. Apply ice to the affected area for fifteen to twenty minutes each time.

3. Medication - The doctor will prescribe the use of analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs depending on the situation.

4. Physical therapy - generally includes manual therapy and electrotherapy, which mainly has the functions of reducing inflammation, relieving pain and relaxing muscle spasms.

Causes

Main factors

1. The range of motion of the shoulder is too large.

2. The movement is too forceful.

3. The shoulder movement frequency is too high.

Secondary factors

1. Poor training and physical condition.

2. Wrong action.

3. Imbalance in muscle strength.

4. The joints are too tight or too loose.

5. Incorrect posture.

Western medicine treatment

- Rehabilitation training

1. The goal of physical therapy is mainly to restore the original range of motion, muscle strength and endurance of the shoulder joint. In addition, attention should be paid to muscle control, posture and technique.

2. Exercises should be performed within a pain-free range, with special attention paid to the control of the rotator cuff and thoracic muscles rather than simply training strength. When necessary, the therapist will use adhesive tape and biofeedback devices to assist with exercise.