Why Do I Keep Waking Up with Shoulder Pain?

Most people have experienced a sore neck after sleeping in an awkward position. With time, that usually passes. 

When you wake up with a sore or painful shoulder, you might think it’s something that will resolve on its own. Until the next morning. And the morning after that. 

If you’ve been waking up with consistent shoulder pain, it’s time to do something about it. Specifically, see Karl Siebuhr, MD. 

Because he’s an expert in shoulder pain, Dr. Siebuhr can help you figure out what’s causing that morning discomfort. Visit him and our team here at Reconstructive Orthopaedics of Central Florida in Ocala, Florida. With a wide range of diagnostic tools at our disposal, we work to identify the cause of your shoulder pain, so we can find the right solution to help you get relief. 

Why your shoulder might hurt in the morning

Shoulder pain can result from a number of causes. Some of the more common ones include:

• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Dislocation
• Frozen shoulder
• Rotator cuff injury
• Tendinitis

Any of these conditions can cause persistent shoulder pain. If you notice that your discomfort is at its worst in the morning, though, it’s probably a combination of the underlying condition and your sleeping position. 

The way you sleep might be putting pressure on your shoulder. When you already have a shoulder issue in place, those hours of added strain result in painful mornings.

A dual-pronged approach to relieving your pain

If your shoulder pain is worst in the morning, doing two things at once should help:

Adjusting your sleeping position

Find a way to support your shoulder during sleep. 

If you sleep on your back, putting a folded-up blanket or low pillow under the shoulder can alleviate strain. 

If you sleep on your side, try to sleep on the side with the unaffected shoulder. Hugging a pillow can bolster your shoulder so that it doesn’t get stressed from dipping down toward the bed overnight. 

Treating the root cause of your shoulder pain

Adjusting your sleep position should provide some relief. To get a lasting solution to your shoulder pain, though, you need to treat whatever’s causing the issue.

Dr. Siebuhr can help you find out what that is. To diagnose your shoulder, he might use:

• X-rays
• A computed tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Arthroscopy (a minimally invasive shoulder scope)

Once he knows what’s causing your pain, Dr. Siebuhr tailors a plan to relieve it. That could mean resting with the shoulder immobilized, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to help it heal, or surgery. Dr. Siebuhr lets you know what your specific shoulder needs to function at its best and least painfully. 

If you’re waking up with shoulder pain, don’t wait to call our office or request an appointment online.