Treating Pain from Your Elbow to Shoulder

When you first experience pain in these areas, you may think that there is only one way to treat it. You stop doing the activity that caused the pain. In actual fact, there are many home treatments for your pain in your soft tissues. The sooner you apply these solutions, the more likely your pain will be alleviated. Stopping the activity that caused you pain is merely the first step.

What are the Home Treatments for Pain from Your Elbow to Shoulder?

Pain can be from many different sources. Most soft tissue pain is from a problem in the joint or in the tissue surrounding the joint. Here are some home treatments you can try.

• Stop the activity that caused your pain.
• Ice the area immediately after you feel the pain. Twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off several times a day is an excellent guideline to reduce inflammation in the area.
• You can support the area with a brace. By reducing the pressure on the tendon, it is possible to reduce your pain. There are elbow bans, and shoulder supports readily available at most pharmacies.
• Keep the area elevated so that you reduce ant swelling.
• Pain and Anti-inflammatory Medication: The pin medication will help you get moving again, and the anti-inflammatory medication will control swelling in the area.
• Medicated Rubs: These can be effective as they encourage blood flow in the area.
• Begin Activities: Do not stop all activities. Gradually build up your stamina to increase the strength of your muscles.

When to Seek Professional Help for Pain from your Shoulder to Elbow

• If your injury is the result of a blow such as is sustained in a fall or car accident.
• If you experience fever as well as pain, it is essential to check out your condition with a pain management physician.
• If you experience vomiting or incontinence, there may be other underlying factors that require medical assistance.
• If the pain is sharp or is increasing despite your care, seek help immediately as you may have more than a soft tissue problem.
• If the pain is not reduced within 4 to 6 weeks, it is time to seek medical expertise from a pain treatment clinic.

There are many medical conditions that may at first seem as if they are merely a soft tissue injury. An accurate diagnosis is critical to prevent any further problems.

Medical Assistance for Pain from Your Elbow to Your Shoulder

The first step in treatment is an accurate diagnosis. During your first appointment at the Pain Treatment Clinic, your expert pain doctor will request information about how you sustained the injury and will make a physical examination. He or she may have you move the extremity in certain ways and make a request for an image of the area that could include an X-Ray or an MRI. Once he or she fully understands the problem, then he or she will discuss a treatment regime. The least intrusive methods will be first suggested with the likelihood that there may be several treatments in combination. These can include any of the following.

• Massage: Often the pain you are experiencing is a result of issues with the muscle or tendon. A medical massage is not the same as a recreational massage. Your well-trained pain doctor from New York and pain doctor from New Jersey will co-ordinate with the massage therapist to target the areas of concern.
• Physical Therapy: Again, your physician will work with your therapist so that the exercises are for your exact condition. Your therapist will discuss ways in which you can continue your daily activities with modifications to prevent any further damage in the future. Also, he or she will train you to maintain the exercises at your home to strengthen your muscles.
• Acupuncture: This ancient Chinese pain treatment is rapidly becoming accepted practice for pain management. Very thin needles are inserted in specific areas of the body to reduce your pain. Once you do not experience pain you can continue with building your muscle strength in the area of concern.
• Prescription Pain Medication and Anti-inflammatory Drugs: Your pain doctor will be able to prescribe medication that is more effective than the over the counter brands.
• Injections: Pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication can be injected into the area of discomfort. This is a more targeted approach than oral medication.
• Surgery: Only after other less intrusive methods have failed to reduce your pain will the pain doctor suggest surgery.
• Shoulder Arthroscopy: This is the least invasive surgery. Small incisions are made by your surgeon to insert a miniature camera and cutting tools. Once the problem is identified the surgeon can remove small parts of the soft tissue to relieve your pain.
• Shoulder Resurfacing Arthroscopy: This type of surgery is ideal for young people who want to continue athletic pursuits afterward. Only a minimal amount of moving and cutting will occur.
• Reverse Shoulder Arthroscopy: The structure of your shoulder is changed so that a different muscle is used to raise your arm.
• Total Shoulder Replacement: In this surgery, your ball and shoulder joint will be removed and replaced by implants.
• Elbow Surgery: In a similar manner to shoulder surgery, there are less intrusive methods for elbow surgery right up to total elbow replacement.