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How to Sleep with a Frozen Shoulder? [ANSWERED]

How to Sleep with a Frozen Shoulder? [ANSWERED]

The worst part about having a frozen shoulder has to be the pain at night. It affects both your sleep quality but also your normal day-to-day activities. A few ways exist to improve your night's sleep despite your frozen shoulder.

When sleeping with a frozen shoulder, use pillows to support your weight. Sleep on the side opposite the frozen shoulder, and stretch before bed. You also want to improve your diet and follow your prescription.

A frozen shoulder stiffens the area, resulting in a little range of motion. About four percent of people have a frozen shoulder, according to Wikipedia. Such is popular among people between forty and sixty years and women too.

pain after sleep

What Are The Symptoms Of A Frozen Shoulder?

A frozen shoulder could lead to further health complications without proper medical attention. The best way to get rid of it is by detecting its symptoms during earlier stages and seeking help immediately.

These symptoms include a painful shoulder area with a restricted range of motion. You may also experience pain with any little shoulder movement you make. Pain in the shoulder area at night is also a common frozen shoulder sign.

How Can A Frozen Shoulder Affect My Sleep?

Pain and discomfort are among the top factors leading to poor sleep quality. Many people with frozen shoulders report worse pain and stiffness during the night. In addition, a frozen shoulder limits the range of motion in your sleep.

Why A Frozen Shoulder Hurts More During Nighttime

Blood flow and other body activities, like kidney filtration, slow down at night. There is a reduction in the rate at which the kidney practices water filtration leading to water retention. Such also leads to an increase in internal body pressure.

The body becomes swollen, causing all the inflammatory places to worsen. Frozen shoulder patients experience inflammation in the already hurting shoulder. The pain may sometimes become unbearable, keeping you up at night.

Causes Of A Frozen Shoulder

The leading cause of a frozen shoulder is inflammation of the capsule that surrounds the shoulder joint. It may also be due to a previous injury or low range of motion due to stroke, fractures, or surgeries.

Frozen shoulders are common among older people and those with conditions like diabetes and both overactive and underactive thyroid. Tuberculosis and Parkinson's disease may also cause frozen shoulders.

How Do I Sleep With A Frozen Shoulder At Night?

You might need to change a few things to achieve quality sleep with a frozen shoulder. You might also want to try relieving the pain using heating pads on your frozen shoulder. Applying CBD oil is also a way to alleviate shoulder pain, thereby improving sleep quality.

Use Pillows For Support

Your frozen shoulder is more vulnerable to further injury at night due to wrong positioning. Pillows help reduce the risk by elevating certain body parts to keep your shoulder in a neutral position.

We advise sleeping on your back or side when with a frozen shoulder. Side sleepers want to sleep on the side opposite the frozen shoulder while hugging a pillow. Fit a microbead pillow under your arm to prevent your elbow from bending.

It is pretty hard to control body movements at night for many people. Place a wedge pillow behind you to prop you up while holding up your weight. A pillow behind your neck is also necessary to support your neck.

Stretch Before Sleeping

Shoulder stretches like pendulum and armpit stretches may make it easier to manage a frozen shoulder at night. These stretches help widen your range of motion while strengthening your shoulder muscles.

We recommend visiting a physical therapist before trying any shoulder stretches. Note that frozen shoulder conditions may differ from one person to another. You want to practice stretches that match your situation without possibly hurting your shoulder further.

Bathe In Epsom Salts

Bathing in Epsom salts helps reduce swelling and pain due to inflammation. Dissolving Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) in water also helps stabilize your mood and reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. However, be careful not to use boiling-hot water as it may promote inflammation.

Use A TENS Unit

A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit may help regulate pain by ensuring that the brain does not register the pain signals. Using a TENS unit on your frozen shoulder for thirty minutes before bed is enough to improve your night's sleep.

Follow your prescription

Pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin may be part of your prescription. The doctor includes such medication to ease frozen shoulder pain and inflammation. Ensure to follow the dose strictly to facilitate healing and reduce pain from a frozen shoulder at night.

Check On Your Diet

Your diet is something you want to check on if you have a frozen shoulder. You want to go take more vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats like Omega-3s to reduce inflammation and facilitate natural healing.

Go For A Professional Massage

Different massage techniques help relieve various kinds of pain and stiffness in your body. A professional massage therapist will find the proper approach to relax your body and ease stiffness in your muscles.

Sleeping Positions To Avoid While Sleeping With A Frozen Shoulder

Certain sleeping positions will hurt your shoulder by intention or accident. We recommend sleeping on your back and the side opposite your frozen shoulder. You want to keep pressure off the shoulder.

Sleeping On The Frozen Shoulder

Some people may find it hard to switch their sleeping positions and fall into temptation. However, keeping pressure off your frozen shoulder is critical for effective healing. Sleeping on your frozen shoulder will only hurt your arm further.

Sleeping On Your Stomach

Stomach sleepers may find it hard to adapt to new sleeping positions when sleeping with a frozen shoulder. Sleeping on your stomach worsens the pain and stiffness since it misaligns your shoulders.

In addition, sleeping on your stomach may cause more tossing and turning in your sleep, which may hurt your shoulder. It also compresses your chest and therefore affects your breathing process at night.

Is It Possible To Work With A Frozen Shoulder?

Different people have different frozen shoulder conditions. Some may experience a lot of pain throughout the day, while others may have random episodes of pain. Therefore, only a health specialist can tell whether you are fit for work after a close examination.

How Long Does It Take A Frozen Shoulder To Heal?

According to research, a frozen shoulder requires at least a year and a half to heal well. However, some people may take up to three years to recover. Others may not require treatment as a frozen shoulder may heal independently. Proper care and diet will help facilitate the healing process.

sleep shoulder pain

What To Avoid If I Have A Frozen Shoulder?

A frozen shoulder may not seem like a big deal during its early stages. However, the worst decision to make is to ignore the symptoms. You want to visit a health facility and get proper medical attention. However, do not buy your medications without advice from an expert.

While it may seem harmless, lifting heavy objects will hurt your frozen shoulder. It may also lead to more night pain, affecting your sleep. It is also important to avoid staying inactive since it could lead to poor blood circulation.

Conclusion

No doubt sleeping with a frozen shoulder will require changes in your regular sleeping habits. The best way to avoid the discomfort of a frozen shoulder is by preventing it. Make sure to detect it early to get proper treatment before it worsens.