Why Does My Shoulder Hurt More at Night?
You settle into bed, snuggle under the blankets, and start to doze off to dreamland–only to notice a nagging ache in your shoulder. You roll onto your other side, adjust your pillow, and try different arm positions. Nothing helps, and you wonder if you’ll ever fall asleep.
If this sounds familiar, know that you aren’t alone. In fact, shoulder pain often worsens at night, regardless of the underlying condition. Fortunately, the First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center team is here to help you understand the reason behind your nighttime shoulder pain so you can finally get that good night’s sleep you’ve been missing.
Why Does Shoulder Pain Feel Worse at Night?
Your shoulder is capable of an incredible range of motion, but several tissues and structures come together to make that happen: three bones and several joints, plus muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissue. If even one of these tissues is affected, it can lead to a number of common shoulder conditions, including:
- Irritation or injury to the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that support the shoulder
- Inflammation of the bursae, the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the shoulder joint
- Frozen shoulder, a condition that causes progressive pain and stiffness in the shoulder
- Shoulder osteoarthritis, which causes pain and stiffness in the joint (particularly if you’ve been in one position for a while)
- Irritation of the biceps tendon near the front of the shoulder
So why do shoulder symptoms get worse at night? There are actually several factors at play.
Potential Reasons for Nighttime Shoulder Pain
Increased Pressure on Sensitive Tissues
Lying directly on a painful shoulder compresses its various joint structures, while certain arm positions can also place added stress on irritated tendons or other tissues.
Less Movement
During the day, you regularly change positions and use your arm, which can help with pain and stiffness. But at night, you usually remain in one position for much longer. For some shoulder conditions, remaining in a prolonged position can contribute to stiffness and discomfort.
An Increase in Inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or irritation. It involves your body releasing chemicals that make local nerves more sensitive to pressure and movement. Some of these processes also follow daily biological rhythms, which may influence how symptoms are experienced overnight.
Your Brain Focuses on the Pain
During the day, your brain has a lot more things to process–conversations, work activities, movement, and more. Your dark, quiet bedroom removes these distractions, and so your brain becomes more aware of the existing pain signals in your shoulder.
Can Your Sleeping Position Make a Difference?
This is probably where most people’s thoughts go when they experience nighttime shoulder pain, and sleeping position definitely can play a role. However, there’s no one “perfect” sleeping position to aim for. Instead, you want to find one that reduces pressure on the joint, allowing it to relax.
You don’t necessarily need to find one “perfect” sleeping position. Instead, try different positions and pillow support to find a setup that feels comfortable for you and helps your shoulder relax.
For some, this might mean avoiding direct pressure on the painful shoulder. However, others might find it beneficial to use a pillow to support the arm in a comfortable position. You might lie on your back with a pillow under the affected shoulder or hug a pillow when sleeping on the unaffected side, for example.
Stop Letting Shoulder Pain Interrupt Your Sleep
If shoulder pain regularly wakes you up (or makes it difficult to fall asleep at all), the team at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center can help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms so we can develop a treatment plan that addresses them directly. This might include:
- Mobility exercises to address stiffness and restore comfortable movement.
- Targeted exercise to gradually improve shoulder strength, mobility, and tolerance for everyday activities.
- Activity modifications that temporarily reduce irritating loads while keeping you active.
- Education and positioning strategies to help you manage symptoms between visits, including at bedtime.
Put Shoulder Pain to Bed with Physical Therapy
Restless sleep can leave you grumpy the next day–and worse, it can interfere with your healing! Don’t accept it as your new normal. Instead, schedule an appointment with First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center to learn what might be causing your pain and how our team can help.
Return to PT at First Colony!
Miss feeling your best? Come back to First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center & Sports Therapy Center and let us help you get there—schedule your appointment today!
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Real Results.
Innovative Approaches to Physical Wellness this Thanksgiving Season
Thanksgiving is more than just a day of feasting; it’s a time to come together and celebrate what we’re thankful for. While traditional advice often emphasizes the basics, let’s elevate your approach to physical well-being this season with these cutting-edge tips:
Elevate Your Approach to Physical Well-Being
Thanksgiving is more than a day of feasting. It is an opportunity to prioritize movement, wellness, and the habits that help you feel your best.
Dynamic Warm-Up Before the Turkey Trot
If you’re planning a Thanksgiving morning run or family games, forget old-school stretching. Use a dynamic warm-up to prep your muscles and boost your range of motion.
Text Neck Prevention
As we catch up on social media or text friends and family Thanksgiving wishes, “text neck” can be a real issue. Counteract this by sitting tall or not at all and doing neck stretches every hour.
Mindfulness Through Movement
Instead of sitting to meditate or relax, try combining mindfulness with gentle movements like Tai Chi or a light stroll through the neighborhood.
Embrace Your Health This Thanksgiving
Embrace your health by prioritizing your physical and mental well-being to ensure you have the best Thanksgiving yet! 🦃
Creamy Thai Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow/sweet onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- ¼ cup raw almond butter or peanut butter
- 3 cups diced peeled carrots
- 3 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes
- ½ tsp fine-grain sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Up to ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, if you like spice)
Minced fresh cilantro
Fresh lime juice
Directions
- In a large pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 5-6 minutes until onion is translucent. Stir in curry paste.
- In a small bowl, whisk together some of the broth with almond butter until smooth. Add mixture to pot, along with carrots, sweet potatoes, salt, and remaining vegetable broth. Stir until combined.
- Bring soup to a low boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.
- Ladle soup carefully into a blender. You will likely have to do this in a couple of batches, depending on the size of your blender (never fill your blender past the maximum fill line).
- Being careful to avoid hot steam from the lid, blend on low and slowly increase speed until soup is completely smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend the soup directly in the pot.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. For more spice, add ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and blend again.
- Transfer soup back to pot and reheat if necessary. If desired, you can thin soup out with a bit more broth if it’s too thick for your preference.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with minced cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
🍲 A Bowl Full of Comfort
Creamy sweet potatoes and carrots pair with fragrant ginger, garlic, red curry paste, and fresh lime for a cozy soup with plenty of color and flavor.
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