How To Ease Shoulder Pain From Sleeping (Hint: NSAIDs May Not Be Your Best Bet)
Plus see the sleep position that takes pressure off a sore shoulder
Yard work, carrying groceries, serving up aces in pickleball games — almost all of us have experienced sore shoulders due to overexertion from time to time. And while a good night’s rest can help us recover, shoulder pain from sleeping can make getting the healing sleep we need all but impossible. Here, experts reveal the sleep position that could be to blame and share the easy ways to send pain packing.
What causes shoulder pain from sleeping?
“If you’re experiencing shoulder pain during or after sleep, it’s typically caused by the compression of the tissues and nerves in and around the shoulder while you sleep on your side,” notes Thomas Pontinen, MD, co-founder of Midwest Anesthesia and Pain Specialists in Chicago.
The pressure can produce pain in and of itself, as well as aggravate shoulder conditions such as arthritis, shoulder bursitis, frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries or tears.
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“In a nutshell, sleeping on a healthy shoulder can often make it less healthy, potentially causing inflammation, impingement and pain,” says Dr. Pontinen. “And sleeping on an already injured or inflamed shoulder will most likely make symptoms worse and impair recovery.”
Adding to the problem: Sleep quality can suffer due to shoulder pain from sleeping. In fact, researchers reporting in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found that disruptions in sleep quality impacted more than 70 percent of patients with shoulder pain.
This can trap women in a painful cycle, notes chiropractor and manual osteopath Liza Egbogah, DOMP. “Most of our recovery when it comes to injuries actually happens during sleep,” she explains. “So if your sleep is interrupted, that’s going to delay healing and increase inflammation.” What’s more, a PLOs One study reveals that poor quality sleep ups sensitivity to pain.
How to ease shoulder pain from sleeping
Dealing with shoulder pain at night can make you tired (literally!) of tossing and turning and struggling with ongoing soreness. Fortunately, these simple strategies can speed relief and help restore your range of motion.
1. Use pillows to switch your sleep position
Sleeping on your back is the ideal position to prevent and ease shoulder pain from sleeping, Egbogah says. She advises choosing a pillow with a depression in the center, which helps to discourage you from switching to your side and amplifying shoulder problems.
“Plus it supports your neck so you avoid flexion, which is a head-forward, chin-down posture that can contribute to neck and shoulder pain,” she notes. A pillow she recommends: Core Products Tri-Core Gentle-Cervical Support Pillow for Neck, Shoulder, and Back Pain Relief.
Can’t fall asleep while lying on your back? “Another option is to prop a body pillow behind you so you’re sleeping half on your shoulder and half on your back,” says Joseph Hribick, DPT, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at Lebanon Valley College. This takes some of your body weight off your shoulder to reduce the risk of night time shoulder pain, he explains.
2. Take a soothing soak
If your shoulder hurts at night, try hopping into a warm bath. “I’ve found that heat therapy before bed can significantly help reduce shoulder pain during and after sleep because heat increases blood flow and reduces muscle tension and stiffness,” Dr Pontinen says.
He suggests soaking in a warm bath for about 10 to 15 minutes, adjusting the temperature and duration according to your comfort level and submerging as much of your body as you can.
“Direct heat on the shoulder will be ideal, but you will still experience many of the benefits if you can’t submerge your shoulder because your body is heating up and blood is circulating,” he notes.
And better sleep is one of those benefits. A study in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology found women who took a warm bath 1.5 hours before bed enjoyed significantly deeper, more restful sleep.
Note: Though rare, some individuals with chronic pain conditions may experience increased pain from heat exposure. Dr. Poninten’s advice: “If heat worsens your pain, avoid it and discuss it with your doctor.”
3. Stretch before and after sleeping
Performing simple shoulder stretches in the morning and evening tames muscle tension to both ease and prevent shoulder pain from sleeping, Dr. Hribick says. One he recommends: A cross-body stretch.
- Start in a standing position or sit on the end of your bed.
- Cross one arm across your chest. Use your opposite hand to grasp your arm just above the elbow and pull it gently across your body.
- Hold for 20 seconds, then release.
- Repeat for a total of three times on each side.
An exercise known as the pectoral stretch can also alleviate shoulder pain from sleeping while safeguarding against soreness, says Egbogah.
- Place your hands behind your back at the level of your buttocks, then lace your fingers together.
- Keeping your arms straight, take five slow, deep breaths as you squeeze your shoulder blades together for five seconds on each exhale.
- Repeat the cycle two to three times.
4. Opt for natural pain relief
Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen seems like a logical way to ease shoulder pain from sleeping. But findings in the journal Physiology and Behavior reveal the anti-inflammatory medication can lower levels of the sleep hormone melatonin to disrupt sleep.
Plus, research suggests NSAIDs can impede tendon healing. And a study in the journal Scientific Reports determined taking NSAIDs regularly over a four to five year period increased joint deterioration due to arthritis.
“Instead of NSAIDs, I usually recommend patients use a natural topical cream,” says Egbogah. She suggests adding one drop of lavender essential oil, one drop of lavender oil, two drops of peppermint oil and one drop of frankincense oil to a dollop of unscented hand lotion, then applying it to painful areas. “These essential oils have been shown to reduce inflammation, calm nerves and improve sleep quality,” she notes.
Also smart: Supplementing with curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its vivid yellow color, twice daily. Authors of a report in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine found curcumin delivered better pain relief than NSAIDs. One to try: Terry Naturally Curamed Super Absorption Curcumin.
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