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When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staff
Self-care
To relieve shoulder pain you might:
- Try an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to help relieve pain and swelling. Options include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).
- Avoid using your shoulder in ways that cause or worsen pain.
- Apply an ice pack to your painful shoulder for 15 to 20 minutes a few times each day.
Schedule a doctor's visit
Make an appointment with your doctor if your shoulder pain is accompanied by:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Tenderness and warmth around the joint
Seek immediate medical attention
Ask someone to drive you to urgent care or the emergency room if your shoulder pain is caused by an injury and is accompanied by:
- A joint that appears deformed
- Inability to use the joint
- Intense pain
- Sudden swelling
Call 911 or emergency medical assistance
Shoulder pain accompanied by difficulty breathing or a sense of tightness in the chest may be a symptom of a heart attack and requires immediate medical attention.
Seek emergency help when your shoulder pain is accompanied by:
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest
- Bleeding as the result of an injury
- Exposed bone or tendon
References
- Ferri FF. Shoulder pain. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00054-8--s0170. Accessed Aug. 3, 2010.
- Shoulder pain. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00065. Accessed Aug. 3, 2010.
- Martin SD, et al. Shoulder pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/212819723-4/0/1807/279.html?tocnode=55731671&fromURL=279.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10040-3_1134. Accessed Aug. 3, 2010.
- Burbank KM, et al. Chronic shoulder pain: Part I. Evaluation and diagnosis. American Family Physician. 2008;77:453.
- Anderson BC, et al. Evaluation of the patient with shoulder complaints. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2010.
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