According to a poll, 10% of Americans wake up with pain on a daily basis. Whether you sleep on your side, stomach or back, your sleeping position can contribute to your shoulder pain. Thankfully, making small changes in your daily routine can help you limit the number of mornings you wake up with shoulder pain and increase the number of mornings you wake up feeling refreshed. 

5 things people can do to help prevent shoulder pain after sleeping 

The amount of pressure, stress and strain on your shoulder while sleeping can contribute to the shoulder pain you feel after sleeping. However, there are methods that help prevent these stresses from occurring. If you often wake up with shoulder pain, you can do these things throughout the day to help prevent your pain:

1. Swim during the day — Swimming can be a safe way to exercise and mobilize your shoulder. Water offers natural compression, lessening the pressures of gravity and body weight on your shoulder. By swimming on a daily basis, you can decrease joint stiffness, strengthen muscles and increase blood flow to your shoulder. 

2. Change your pillow or mattress — Pillows and mattresses that offer minimal support can contribute to shoulder, neck and back pain. A study found that medium-to-firm mattresses helped many adults reduce musculoskeletal pain. Ditching mattresses and pillows that are too soft or too firm can help alleviate shoulder pain after sleeping. 

3. Develop a healthy sleep routine — If your sleep is often interrupted, you may be more likely to experience shoulder pain. One study found that people who slept less were two times more likely to develop a pain condition. Adopting a consistent, healthy sleep pattern can help give your body time to rest and heal from the day.
4. Practice the RICE method — Adopting the RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) method can help treat and prevent shoulder pain after sleeping. During the day, you can protect your shoulder from extra strain by avoiding lifting or moving heavy objects. You can also ice your shoulder periodically, apply a compression wrap and elevate your shoulder above your chest. These techniques can give your shoulder time to heal and help increase blood flow to the area, limiting chances of shoulder pain after sleeping.
5. Go to physical therapy — When at-home treatments aren’t cutting it, physical therapists can introduce patients to exercises that help mobilize and strengthen the shoulder against injury. They can also educate patients on the best sleeping positions according to their symptoms. 

Arrow PTR can help your shoulder pain after sleeping 

Do you wake up regularly with shoulder pain? Your sleeping and other daily habits may be contributing to your discomfort. Our specialists at Arrow Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation can help you target the cause of your shoulder pain and develop a treatment plan that’s right for you. For instance, our team may add innovative manual therapy techniques like Active Release Techniques (ART) to your plan to help you recover faster. 

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.