Do's and Don’ts For Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder, medically known as adhesive capsulitis, includes stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. There is a loss in the range of motion of the shoulders, especially when it comes to directions.

 

While the shoulder itself doesn’t hurt when touched or pressed, muscle loss around the shoulder is a possibility. 

 

The cause of the frozen shoulder is still unclear, although there are certain risk factors. Keeping your shoulder still for a long time, which is common after surgery and arm fractures for example, is generally considered a prime reason for a frozen shoulder.

 

This is because a frozen shoulder is caused by inflammation. The capsule of the shoulder joint has ligaments which hold shoulder bones together. When the capsule gets inflamed, the bones are unable to move freely in the joint.

 

The symptoms for frozen shoulder generally get worse over time which means diagnosing it quickly is of great importance. However, frozen shoulder is pretty unique in the sense that the symptoms also gradually decline between one and three years.

 

The symptoms most commonly associated with frozen shoulder are pain and stiffness in the shoulder and limitations in the mobility of the shoulder.

As we’ve mentioned before, there are no clear cut causes for frozen shoulders. However, there are certain risk factors associated with the condition. Let’s examine them one by one.

Risk Factors for frozen shoulder

Let’s look at the risk factors for frozen shoulder:

 

Immobility:

As we’ve mentioned before, people who have shoulder injuries that require them to keep their shoulders still for long periods of time tend to have a frozen shoulder. The different factors for the shoulder immobility are listed below:

• Recovery from surgery
• Rotator Cuff Injury
• Broken arm
• Stroke

Age and Sex:

Women over the age of forty are more likely to develop frozen shoulders.

Different Diseases:

There are two forms of frozen shoulder and the secondary one is a result of shoulder trauma, which we have already discussed.

The primary form of frozen shoulder manifests as a result of underlying conditions. The diseases that can cause frozen shoulder include the following:

• Parkinson's disease
• Diabetes
• Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• Cardiovascular disease

So, if you have any of the aforementioned conditions, your chances of developing a frozen shoulder is higher than average.

Do’s and Don’ts for frozen shoulder:

Now that we’ve done a basic overview of the condition, let’s look at the do’s and don’ts for a frozen shoulder.

Let’s start off by discussing the things that you should do if you have a frozen shoulder.

 

Do's of frozen shoulder:

1) Do sleep with proper head and neck support:

Your sleeping posture is a very important part of your overall health. For frozen shoulders, you should make sure your head or neck aligns with your spine.

 

For back sleepers, you should rest your arms by your side with the palms facing the mattress as this puts the least amount of stress on your shoulder joints.

 

If you’re more comfortable sleeping on your side, you’ll be happy to hear that it is the preferred position for frozen shoulders. Sleeping on your uninjured side with an extra pillow between your arms is the best position. You can also add a pillow between your knees to avoid curling in and resulting in an asymmetric sleeping posture.

 

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2) Do use heat therapy:

This is most effective when paired with stretching exercises, which we will be discussing shortly. Studies have shown that (literally) warming up your shoulder, whether it be through hot showers or heating pads, makes pain relief more likely.

3) Do utilize physical therapy and exercises:

Physical therapy is essential for recovering from frozen shoulders. There are various exercises specific to frozen shoulders and you can do almost all of them at home. 

 

Having a frozen shoulder doesn’t mean you should stop exercising altogether. Instead, you should add exercises like cross body stretch, finger walk, towel stretch and pendulum stretch to your routine.

 

Don'ts of frozen shoulder:

 

Now that we’ve gone over the do’s, let’s look at the don’ts for frozen shoulder.

 

1) Don’t force painful movements:

While you should be exercising and going to physical therapy, make sure you’re not pushing yourself too far. While exercising inherently invites some discomfort, you should not be doing moves that cause severe pain.

 

You might be interested in: Why Do Bones and Joints Keep Clicking?

2) Don’t do heavy lifting or sudden jerky movements:

While you should definitely be doing shoulder stretches, you should avoid any activities that require lifting, reaching overhead and jerky movements in general as this can aggravate your condition.

3) Don’t self-treat your condition:

While it’s good to get suggestions from the internet, it’s always a great practice to get second opinions from a medical professional.

Your particular needs and severity of the condition can vary greatly and getting professional advice is always the best route. 

 

So, you should not self-treat or self-medicate when it comes to frozen shoulders.

 

You can get the aforementioned professional opinion from Prof. Dr. Shishir Lakhey by booking a consultation here!