Shoulder pain: The right pillow prevents tension in the upper back
Created: 08/31/2022, 07:00
Does your shoulder hurt when you wake up?
This may be due to the wrong bedding.
© YuriArcurs/Panthermedia
Shoulder pain can have various causes.
The triggers are often harmless.
Read here what you can do about the pain yourself.
Note to our readers:
This article contains affiliate links.
This means we receive a commission from partners.
This changes nothing for you.
Anyone who sits a lot and moves little often suffers from tension.
If left untreated, they can lead to severe back and shoulder pain.
But other causes are also possible, such as an injury or an infection.
The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) lists common reasons for shoulder pain:
Entrapment under the acromion (impingement syndrome)
Wear-related tears on the rotator cuff tendons
Calcium deposits in certain shoulder tendons
bursitis
Only a doctor can determine what problem is causing the shoulder pain.
It is best to consult an orthopaedist, who can initiate the appropriate diagnostic methods and recommend the appropriate therapy.
If you suspect tension in the upper back is behind your symptoms, you can try various self-help measures before contacting a doctor.
Exercise usually helps to alleviate the symptoms.
The Helios clinic chain quotes Dr.
Jens Gulow, Chief Physician at the Clinic for Spinal Surgery at the Helios Park Klinikum Leipzig: “Exercise is the be-all and end-all against neck and shoulder tension.
A lot can already be achieved with simple exercises”.
The rule is: Move your shoulder and neck area as often as possible.
You can find out which exercises are particularly suitable for this here.
With an ergonomically shaped neck support pillow (advertising link), you can assume an optimal sleeping position on your back or on your side and thus prevent shoulder pain.
Shoulder pain: "Movement is the be-all and end-all"
IQWiG also warns: Immobilization can weaken the muscles and also cause the shoulder to become stiff.
The Institute recommends a simple exercise to gently mobilize the shoulder and neck areas:
Hold onto a table or chair with your pain-free arm.
Bend your upper body slightly and let your other arm hang down.
Gently circle your whole arm or let it swing back and forth.
Sleeping position can increase shoulder pain
The wrong pillow can also promote shoulder pain.
If you lay your head too high in a prone position, the spine takes on an unnatural curvature and the cervical spine and shoulders twist.
Lying on your side and on your back are better for relieving and preventing tension because these sleeping positions support the natural shape of the spine.
With the right pillow against shoulder pain
The side sleeper pillow ACAMAR from Third of Life (advertising link) optimally supports the head and, thanks to its innovative butterfly shape, allows an orthopedically optimal lying position.
