Adhesive capsulitis, a condition commonly called frozen shoulder, can be a devastating condition for people. While it affects many people differently, it always causes significant shoulder pain and stiffness. Frozen shoulder limits the ability to perform activities of daily living and recreational activities.
The treatment for a frozen shoulder typically involves moist heat, joint mobilization, stretching, selected range of motion exercises, low-level strengthening, and ice following or exercise. Some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are also prescribed to ease pain and inflammation.
Common signs and symptom
β’ Intense pain in the deltoid region
β’ Pain may radiate down the arm
β’ Pain is worse with shoulder motion (especially external rotation)
β’ Pain is better with rest
β’ Pain is worse at night and often disturbs sleep
β’ May have associated pain in the upper back and neck
β’ Guarded shoulder movements
β’ Difficulty reaching behind the back
β’ Reduced arm swing with walking
β’ Those affected typically hold the arm close To the body
β’ Rounded shoulders and stooped posture
β’ Muscle spasms
β’ Trigger points in the upper trap muscle
Β
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications are also prescribed to ease
pain and inflammation. It involves ;
Your physician may inject the shoulder with cortisone for a frozen shoulder. Injections alone do not resolve the situation, and they are best used in conjunction with an exercise program. They are largely used to decrease pain enough to allow the person to benefit from the exercise and stretching.
Heat improves blood flow in the Shoulder capsule whereas cold therapy reduces inflammation in acute injuries and pain.
In Frozen shoulder, the ROM exercises are completely different from stretching. By my definition, these exercises simply involve moving the shoulder through the available range of motion at a specified pace and repeating the action a set number of times. These exercises are
extremely effective for treating Frozen Shoulder.
Β Static Stretching means taking the joint to a certain point in the range of motion and holding that position for a specified amount of time. It does not mean bouncing up and down, rocking back and forth, or holding the stretch for any less than 5-10 seconds.
1. Gradually ease into the stretch (never move rapidly)
2. Go to a point of mild to moderate stretch or slight discomfortΒ
3. Hold the stretch between 5 and 30 seconds
4. During the stretch, attempt to stretch further if tolerated
5. Maintain proper alignment at all times
6. Slowly return to the start position after completion and repeat
To be successful, you need to
do it every day! Soft tissue has memory and it only lasts for 24 hours. Research has been clear that holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds seems to be most effective. Any more is not necessarily better, but any less is not as productive. However, some stretching is better than none. So, if you can only hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds to start, that is okay.
Gradually work to increase your time or simply do more repetitions of the same stretch. In some cases, you may start with 2 stretches @ 20 seconds
once per day, and eventually, work up to 3 stretches @ 30 seconds twice per day.
Β For example, standing and raising the arm overhead is much more challenging than raising the arm overhead while lying on our back. Keep this in mind as you exercise, as it can play a big role in managing your pain and recovery.
You may also want to consider using heat prior to stretching for 15 minutes and following up
the exercise session with ice to reduce inflammation caused by stretching the restricted tissue.
