A frozen shoulder can also be called adhesive capsulitis. It is a disorder that causes stiffness, pain, and loss of a shoulder’s range of motion. Adhesive capsulitis tends to affect populations of ages 40 to 60. A frozen shoulder can result from injury, surgery, illness, or shoulder immobility over a long period.
The treatment involves a lot of self-help. If it feels like you might be developing a frozen shoulder, see your clinician or visit any credible clinic like the world frozen shoulder clinic, Clinique esthetique, or Bariatric Surgery BC for a clear diagnosis. For a clinician to diagnose you, they will assess your shoulder range of motion.
Usually, treatment for frozen shoulders aims to relieve pain and restore the normal range of motion of the shoulder. Physical exercise is a big part of the recovery process. Here are stretching exercises for your frozen shoulder.
Warm-Up
Always ensure you warm up before exercising to avoid further straining your shoulder. A 10 to 15-minute hot shower can be a good warm-up. Otherwise, you can use a heating pad or a damp towel heated in the microwave.
When doing these exercises, stretch to the point of tension but not pain.
Pendulum Stretch
First, stand, relax your shoulders and then lean over slightly. Allow your arm with the frozen shoulder to hang down. Next, start swinging the affected arm in small circles approximately a foot in diameter. Perform 10 of those revolutions on each side once a day.
As you improve, keep adding the diameter. Remember, don’t force it. Once you are ready for more, you can use a lightweight and keep improving.
Towel Stretch
Take a towel, preferably three-foot-long or longer, with both your hands behind your back. Hold the towel in a horizontal position. With your good arm, pull the affected arm upwards. Do this 10-20 times a day.
To make this exercise a notch higher, you can drape the towel over your good shoulder and hold the bottom of the towel with your affected arm. Next, pull the towel toward your lower back with the affected arm. Repeat this 10 to 20 times a day.
Finger Walk
Stand facing the wall three-quarters of an arm’s length away. Reach and touch the wall with the affected arm at waist level. Like a spider, with your elbows slightly bent, slowly walk your fingertips up the wall until your arm is raised to shoulder level.
Suppose you can go further, the better. Make sure the fingers are doing the work and not the shoulder muscles. Lower your arm and repeat the exercise 10 to 20 times a day.
Cross-Body Reach
You can do these exercises sitting or standing. Exerting little pressure to stretch the shoulder, lift your affected arm using the good arm at the elbow, lift it and bring it across your body. Do not over-stretch. Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds. Do this exercise 10-20 times per day.
Armpit Stretch
This exercise aims to have the affected arm on a shelf at about breast-high. Once you have safely placed the affected arm on the shelf, gently bend your knees. Bending your knees will open your armpits. With every knee-bend, deepen it a little to stretch the armpit further. Keep stretching the armpit further, but don’t force it. Do the armpit stretch 10 to 20 times.
