Does your shoulder hurt at night?
Does shoulder pain wake you from sleep? Are you unable to lie on one side because of the pain, or does your shoulder limit you during normal arm movements? One possible cause may be an affection of the tendons in the shoulder joint.
The shoulder is a complex joint that allows for a wide range of motion. For this reason, however, it is also susceptible to overuse, wear and tear, and injury to soft structures.
What is the rotator cuff?
The shoulder joint is spanned by a cuff of muscle tendons that help rotate and stabilize the arm. This structure is known as the rotator cuff.
If these tendons begin to wear down, pain can occur. Typically, the pain often appears or worsens mainly at night. Patients may have trouble sleeping on the affected shoulder, lifting their arm, or performing common overhead movements.
Treatment depends on the condition of the tendons
As long as the tendons are not yet torn, treatment is usually conservative. This means without surgical intervention. However, not all conservative treatments are necessarily effective enough, which is why it is important to choose the correct procedure based on specific findings.
Methods that may be considered, depending on the findings, include:
- cryotherapy,
- pulsed laser,
- high-energy shockwave therapy,
- a combination of laser and shockwave therapy,
- stem cell application.
In the case of a complete tendon tear, surgical intervention often needs to be considered.
When is an examination appropriate?
If shoulder pain wakes you up at night, lasts for a long time, or worsens when moving your arm, an orthopedic examination is advisable. The goal is to determine whether it is irritation, wear and tear, or a tear of the rotator cuff tendons.
Are you suffering from nocturnal shoulder pain or restricted movement? Book a consultation at HR Clinic.