Shoulder Discomfort: Causes, Symptoms, and Cannabis – Muscle MX
Free Shipping on orders over $75
Free Shipping on orders over $75
Shoulder Discomfort: Causes, Symptoms, and Cannabis
CBD Topical
Sports Injury
Sports Performance
Sports Recovery

Shoulder Discomfort: Causes, Symptoms, and Cannabis

A healthy shoulder makes everyday life easier for everyone. A person can wave at their neighbor while driving into their garage or scratch their itchy back at any time. The shoulder's range of motion makes it the most flexible joint in the body. It's usually not until someone starts to experience pain around their shoulders that they realize the importance of this complicated joint. Everyone experiences wear and tear as they go about their daily activities. At times, the mobility of the shoulder results in painful side effects. This is more common as people grow older and is often brought on by various common conditions.

What Is Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder is made up of three bones — the collarbone, the shoulder blade, and the upper arm bone. The acromioclavicular joint and the glenohumeral joints make movement possible in the shoulder. The upper arm bone, also known as the humerus, fits into a socket containing tendons and muscles that keep the bone in place. If any issues arise in any of these parts, an individual is likely to experience shoulder pain. Shoulder pain is any pain a person experiences in or around the shoulder region. Various conditions and injuries can result in shoulder pain. Here are some of the common causes:
  • Dislocation
  • Fracture
  • Tendon tears
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Inflammation in the bursa
  • Cartilage damage
  • Arthritis
  • Shoulder impingement

What Are the Symptoms of Shoulder Pain?

Typical questions that usually come up when diagnosing shoulder pain include:
  • Is normal arm movement possible? Does the shoulder feel stiff?
  • Is the shoulder capable of performing day-to-day motions/activities with ease?
  • Does the shoulder feel like it could pop out at any time?
Different injuries and conditions may lead to different sets of shoulder pain symptoms. Some of the symptoms one may experience are:
  • Pain that worsens when using the arm or shoulder
  • Pain that doesn't disappear for months or years
  • Sudden intense pain in the shoulder
  • Swelling
  • Fever
  • Tenderness within the shoulder region
  • Sensations of needles and pins
  • Weakness in the upper arm

What Are the Top Treatments for Shoulder Pain?

Shoulder pain can affect anyone. But the good news is that it’s treatable. Early diagnosis and treatment of shoulder pain are both critical. The following treatment options can help to eliminate the symptoms of shoulder pain.

Physiotherapy

Patients suffering from shoulder pain can reap many benefits from physiotherapy. Massaging, stretching, and strengthening workouts combined with other therapeutic techniques can help alleviate shoulder pain. Physiotherapists can help people with shoulder pain regain full mobility of their arms. Physiotherapy aims to deal with weakness and stiffness in the shoulder region. Some of the methods these specialists use to get the shoulder to move are:
  • Advice on how to improve neck, spine, and shoulder posture
  • Manipulation and massaging of joints and soft tissue
  • Workouts to improve range of motion
  • Use of adhesive tape to minimize tissue strain

Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist (OT) can help individuals who find it hard to go about everyday tasks like driving or eating. OTs are trained to assist their patients to regain independence by advising them about how certain adaptations or instruments could reduce shoulder strain while performing everyday duties. An OT can help patients change how they do things at home or work, preventing shoulder pain from worsening or returning.

Neuromodulation

Neuromodulation is an electrical stimulation therapy that delivers electrical or pharmaceutical agents to the shoulder region to relieve pain. This minimally invasive treatment solution can also treat and stimulate damaged nerves. Its electrical stimulation can help with back and shoulder pain relief.

Steroid Injections

Interventional pain management injections can help patients suffering from debilitating shoulder pain. The goal of injections is to improve the overall quality of life of patients while relieving pain. The steroids administered with a local anesthetic reduce inflammation, allowing a patient to move their shoulder with ease. This treatment option also makes it easier for a patient to perform physiotherapy exercises with greater ease. Through ultrasound imaging, physicians can target inflamed tissues, ensuring the injection is directly administered to the pain generator. A local anesthetic may also come in handy if the patient is wondering how to relieve rotator cuff pain at night.

Surgery

Shoulder pain usually improves over time as the patient seeks conservative treatment options. However, this isn't always the case. Surgery may be required to treat shoulder pain caused by shoulder dislocation or a severe rotator cuff tear. Every year, nearly two million people visit physicians in the U.S. due to rotator cuff problems.1 Rotator cuff surgery pain repairs a torn rotator cuff by reattaching tendons to the upper arm bone. Pain killers, resting, heat and cold therapy, and adjusting one's posture are easy home remedies that can also help to manage the symptoms of shoulder pain.

How To Use Cannabis/CBD for Shoulder Pain

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a cannabis compound that has grown in popularity over the past decade. It is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that interacts with various receptors in the endocannabinoid system to treat shoulder pain and inflammation. CBD has analgesic properties that are effective for shoulder pain relief at night. The popular cannabinoid attaches itself to vanilloid receptors to help with pain regulation. It also reduces inflammation in tendons caused by shoulder infringement. Cannabidiol's anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce pain caused by shoulder arthritis.2 Sleep is also an issue for anyone with shoulder pain. CBD offers shoulder blade pain relief, making it easier to get a relaxing night’s sleep. Its anti-insomnia properties reduce disruptions at night, ensuring a restful night's sleep. CBD relaxes muscles around the shoulder, relieving any muscle stiffness and spasms.

Try Muscle MX Products For Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain can be quite uncomfortable, especially if it persists for a long time. It may be time to consider treating your shoulder pain with CBD balm. CBD is an effective solution for anyone having shoulder problems. Muscle MX products — balms, lotions, and tinctures — may help get rid of any pain and inflammation in the shoulders. Try our quality CBD products today to help relieve shoulder pain.

Sources:

  1. "Rotator Cuff Tears." OrthoInfo. Accessed Oct. 20, 2021.
  2. "Can CBD oil relieve arthritis pain?" MedicalNewsToday. Accessed Oct. 20, 2021.

Let's Stay Connected