Curious how to relieve shoulder pain? I was six months back, but struggled to find any solid information through Google. A short search yielded the typical WebMD bullshit, but nothing that would help me. There was no actionable advice.

So I started digging. I wasn’t about to go through another surgery, but I couldn’t live a life not being able to lift my left arm above my head due to shoulder pain.

Luckily, I came across a few resources that helped heal me. I put together a plan and executed. Now, my should is 90% healthy and I’m living a normal life.

I can’t do heavy weight chest exercises yet, but I can do shoulder work with solid weights and complete ten push-ups. In two months, I’m confident my shoulder pain will completely be in the past.

P.S: I’m no doctor, fam. If you have a serious injury, you should always seek the advice of a medical professional. The information on how to relieve shoulder pain fast found below is meant to be educational and actionable, but should never replace the advice of a doctor. 

How to Relieve Shoulder Pain

So, how did I do it? How did I relieve shoulder pain fast? Well, through a well-executed plan. Let’s dive in and see how you can heal your shoulder, too. Here’s my five-step plan to relieve shoulder pain:

Lots of Time

Make no mistake about it – you need time to heal your shoulder. Even minor tweaks and tears can take a few months to heal. It’s imperative that you’re patient with the process.

I injured my shoulder in November of 2016. I started my rehab regime in February of 2017. I wasn’t able to do a pull up until May of 2017. I started doing shoulder work and push-ups in June of 2017. My goal is to be back bench pressing (aka 100% healed) by September of 2017.

This is the type of recovery timetable you can expect with a serious shoulder injury. Now, everyone is different and your injury will surely be different from mine. Just don’t expect to be healed in a few weeks.

Managing Inflammation Topically

I don’t like taking NSAIDs. You won’t find anything about these pharmaceuticals in this post. However, there’s no denying that managing inflammation is paramount to relieving should pain.

So, how do you relieve shoulder pain through reducing inflammation? That’s easy. You need to use magnesium oil topically.

Simply spray 4-5 squirts of magnesium oil on your injured area once or twice a day. Just be careful. Magnesium oil can have negative effects on your stomach. So you don’t want to use too much – even if it makes your shoulder feel amazing.

This step is huge and will make a noticeable difference for many suffering from shoulder pain right off the bat.

Read more about magnesium oil and inflammation here.

Managing Inflammation at Night

Now, the body does most of its recovering at night. So you want to ensure you’re giving the body everything it needs to heal your injury before bed.

Luckily, that’s pretty simple. All you need is tart cherry juice concentrate and a little ZMA. The combination of these two supplements will minimize inflammation throughout your body and ensure you get great sleep.

Just mix 1-2 ounces of cherry juice with water and then down it. Add 2-3 ZMA pills and you should be asleep within 45 minutes.

After a few weeks following this protocol, you should notice your shoulder feeling better when you wake up in the morning. Personally, my pain slowly creeps back up once I stop taking cherry juice. The stuff is potent.

Read more about tart cherry juice concentrate here.

Shoulder Hangs

Now, you can’t just take a few supplements and expect your shoulder will magically heal itself. For the majority of shoulder injuries, you’ll also need an active rehab program to fully heal your pain.

The basis of any shoulder rehab program should be hanging. Shoulder hangs, or hanging from a pull-up bar is exceptionally important for anyone suffering from shoulder issues.

Just start by hanging from a pull-up bar for 20-30 seconds 3-5 times every day. That’s it. Even if it hurts a little bit, try to push through things. After a few weeks, the pain from hanging should be completely eliminated.

Learn more about shoulder hanging rehab here.

Shoulder Rehab Exercises

Last, but not least – you’ll want to incorporate shoulder rehab exercises into your weight room routine 3-4 times a week.

Personally, I do the three main lifts found in this book three times a week. If you’re serious about how to relieve shoulder pain, I highly recommend you grab a copy.

You don’t need much weight. I rotate between 5-10 dumbbells, and do 12-30 reps depending on the weight and my workout that day. I do two sets of each lift.

P.S: Video coming soon here.

How to Relieve Shoulder Pain FAST

That’s it. It’s not complex. My methods regarding how to relieve shoulder pain fast include:

• Time and Patience
• Topical Pain Relief
• Reducing Inflammation
• Stretching the Shoulder
• Strengthening the Shoulder

By following the above, I’d surmise 85-90% of shoulder injuries could be “healed” within six months without surgery or medical intervention. If you’re suffering from shoulder pain, give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Has anything else helped you recover from a shoulder injury? Sound off in the comments.