Can't Sleep Because of Shoulder Pain? We Can Help

It’s been a long day, on top of a long week, and you just want to get some good sleep. Unfortunately, a painful shoulder has you tossing and turning all night, robbing you of that rest you so desperately wanted.

To get to the bottom of your nighttime shoulder pain, our team here at Revive Spine and Pain Center pulled together a few points to consider.

Special nighttime considerations

First, we want to touch on the nighttime aspect of your shoulder pain. If your shoulder pain only occurs at night, it might be because of your sleep position. A national sleep survey conducted more than a decade ago found that 74% of Americans sleep on their sides.

While this position is generally considered to be OK for your body (it's certainly better than sleeping on your stomach), it can place a lot of pressure on your shoulder joint. Most side sleepers prefer one side, so that shoulder has the direct pressure, night after night, and it can start to stress the soft tissues.

Another point to consider is that nighttime musculoskeletal pain is very common. A bum knee, a bad hip, and shoulder issues are among the conditions that can flare up at night. This can happen when inflammation sets in and when you have no other distractions, so you notice the discomfort more. 

Common culprits behind shoulder pain

For shoulder pain that isn’t directly the result of your sleep position, there are some common culprits, including:

• Rotator cuff tears, which affect 30% of adults over the age of 60
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Dislocation
• Shoulder impingement
• Arthritis

Each of these conditions can lead to shoulder pain, and this pain may be flaring at night, making sleep hard to come by.

Easing your shoulder pain for better sleep

To resolve your shoulder issue and get the rest you need, the first step is to come see us so that we can properly diagnose the problem.

Through symptom review and digital imaging, we can identify the root of the problem, which guides us moving forward. Rest assured, we do have plenty of treatment options for shoulder issues, including:

• Medications
• Injections
• Physical therapy
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care
• Regenerative medicine

As you can see, we’re not only able to relieve your immediate discomfort so you can sleep better, but we also aim to provide you with longer-term solutions that rectify any underlying mechanical issues in your shoulder.

To be sure, we also address your sleeping position, and we can give you some ideas for taking the pressure off your shoulders at night.

If you want to wave goodbye to nighttime shoulder pain, we invite you to schedule an appointment at one of our locations in Marlton, Hamilton Township, or East Brunswick, New Jersey.