Part Three, Preventing and Treating Frozen Shoulder with Home Exercises
Following up from our other two blog posts, this is post three about frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, which is a painful condition that limits the movement of your shoulder. It can develop suddenly and make daily activities difficult. Regular exercise is key in preventing this condition and helping to reduce pain if you are already experiencing it. Here, we will explore exercises you can do at home to prevent and lessen pain from sudden frozen shoulder:
Preventing Frozen Shoulder
Regular shoulder exercises can keep your shoulder joints flexible and strong, reducing the risk of developing frozen shoulder. You can do these as both warm up exercises and cool down exercises — that means you should do them before and after working out or participating in your favorite activity such as tennis. Here are some exercises you can do at home to prevent frozen shoulder:
Shoulder Rolls
- Stand or sit up straight with your arms relaxed at your sides.
- Slowly roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion.
- Do this 10 times.
- Reverse the direction and roll your shoulders backward in a circular motion.
- Do this 10 times.
Shoulder rolls help improve shoulder flexibility and reduce stiffness. They are a great way to signal to your body that you are planning to use your shoulder for something a little more intensive than just every day movement.
- Stand next to a table or chair and lean forward slightly, using your good arm for support.
- Let your affected arm hang down.
- Gently swing your arm in small circles, clockwise for 10 rotations and counterclockwise for 10 rotations.
- Repeat this exercise twice a day.
The pendulum stretch helps maintain shoulder mobility and can prevent stiffness. It is a good next step from shoulder rolls which are very mild. The pendulum stretch is slightly more physical, helping your body get used to more motion in your shoulder region.
To see this stretch in action, watch Eric demonstrate it in the video below along with a couple of other great stretches to use:
Cross-Body Reach
- Stand or sit comfortably.
- Use your good arm to lift your affected arm at the elbow.
- Bring your affected arm across your body, toward the opposite shoulder.
- Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds.
- Repeat 10-15 times, twice a day.
This exercise stretches the muscles around the shoulder, keeping them flexible so that you do not pull on them in excess when doing your favorite sport.
Towel Stretch
- Hold a towel behind your back with both hands.
- Use your good arm to pull the affected arm gently upward.
- Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.
- Repeat 10-15 times, twice a day.
The towel stretch helps increase shoulder range of motion and flexibility. It’s also good to use propers in your warm ups to further stretch your body.
- Stand facing a wall at arm’s length.
- Place your fingers on the wall at waist level.
- Slowly walk your fingers up the wall until you can’t reach any higher.
- Hold for a few seconds, then walk your fingers back down.
- Repeat 10-15 times, twice a day.
Finger walk exercises help improve shoulder mobility and prevent stiffness. This is another gentle stretch that works your shoulders, arms, and fingers to loosen everything up.
External Rotation with Band
- Attach a resistance band to a doorknob or another stable object.
- Stand with your affected arm closest to the door.
- Hold the band with your affected arm, keeping your elbow at a 90-degree angle.
- Slowly pull the band away from your body, rotating your arm outward.
- Hold for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
- Repeat 10-15 times, twice a day.
This exercise strengthens the shoulder muscles and improves external rotation.
Internal Rotation with Band
- Attach a resistance band to a doorknob or another stable object.
- Stand with your unaffected arm closest to the door.
- Hold the band with your affected arm, keeping your elbow at a 90-degree angle.
- Slowly pull the band toward your body, rotating your arm inward.
- Hold for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
- Repeat 10-15 times, twice a day.
Internal rotation exercises strengthen the shoulder muscles and, true to their name, they improve internal rotation. Your shoulder is a ball and joint socket which means its sole function is to rotate, which is why it is important to strengthen this movement.
Combining Treatments for Best Results
A physical therapist often uses a combination of these methods to treat frozen shoulder. Here’s how a typical treatment plan might look:
- Initial Assessment: The physical therapist assesses your shoulder to determine the severity of the condition and identify the best treatment methods.
- Starting with Manual Therapy: Your PT begins with manual therapy to reduce pain and stiffness. Joint mobilization and soft tissue mobilization help improve flexibility.
- Introducing Therapeutic Exercises: Once the initial pain and stiffness are reduced, the physical therapist introduces stretching and strengthening exercises. These exercises help improve your shoulder’s range of motion and build strength.
- Incorporating Dry Needling: If there are significant trigger points causing pain, the PT may use dry needling to release muscle tightness and improve blood flow.
- Using IASTM for Further Improvement: The physical therapist may use IASTM to break down scar tissue and improve mobility further. This technique helps in enhancing the effects of manual therapy and exercises.
- Applying Cold Laser Therapy: To reduce inflammation and promote healing, the PT uses cold laser therapy. This treatment helps manage pain and speeds up recovery.
What to Expect During Treatment
Your physical therapist will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and goals. This plan will include a combination of the methods mentioned above. You will need to attend regular therapy sessions. The frequency of these sessions will depend on the severity of your condition and your progress. Additionally, your PT will give you exercises to do at home. It’s important to perform these exercises regularly to maintain progress and prevent stiffness.
Your physical therapist will monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed. This ensures that you are continually improving and getting the best possible results. Keep open communication with your PT. Let them know about any changes in your condition, pain levels, or difficulties you experience. This feedback helps them tailor your treatment for better outcomes.
Benefits of Physical Therapy for Frozen Shoulder
Using physical therapy to treat frozen shoulder offers many benefits, starting with pain relief. The various techniques used in physical therapy help reduce pain significantly, and regular therapy sessions and exercises improve the range of motion in your shoulder, helping you regain normal function. Next, strengthening exercises build shoulder muscles, supporting the joint and preventing future injuries.
Physical therapy also has the benefit of being a non-invasive treatment option, meaning there’s no need for surgery or extensive medical procedures. There is also no need for medications that can come with some not-so-fun side effects or lifelong dependencies. Plus, your physical therapist will offer you customized care instead of a one size fits all plan; your PT provides a treatment plan tailored to your specific condition and needs, ensuring the best possible care. Each appointment you have will be personalized. If a lot of progress was made since your last appointment, you can skip ahead to the next steps. If for some reason your shoulder has regressed, then you can return to some basics to get it moving smoothly again. No matter what, your PT is here to support you on your journey.
If you notice symptoms of frozen shoulder, it’s important to seek help early. Signs that you should see a physical therapist include persistent pain. If you have shoulder pain that doesn’t improve with home care, it’s time to see a professional. Additionally, if you’re having trouble moving your shoulder, and it’s affecting your daily activities, seek help. Lastly, If your shoulder pain or stiffness is making it hard to perform routine tasks that you are used to completing daily without troubles, a physical therapist can help.
Frozen shoulder can be a challenging and painful condition, but with the help of a trained physical therapist, you can recover and regain full use of your shoulder. With the right care and treatment, you can achieve a pain-free and fully functional shoulder. Contact us today and schedule your FREE discovery session so that our specialist physical therapists can determine what is causing your pain and create a personalized plan just for you on how to overcome that pain.