What Is Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is shoulder pain, stiffness, and inflammation. If you can't move your arm above shoulder height, it may be due to frozen shoulder.
What Are The Stages Of Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder comes on over time. Researchers generally agree on 3 stages but some doctors and researchers include a “pre-freeze” stage to describe the initial onset of the pain and restriction.
The freezing stage: movement is painful and range of motion decreases over 2 to 9 months.
The frozen stage: pain may decrease but movement is even more limited. This can be 4 to 12 months.
The thawing stage: range of motion increases. This can happen over 5 to 24 months.
Frozen Shoulder Or Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingement is when a ligament in the shoulder catches and snaps over the bone with movement. Some people describe this as their shoulder "popping out" or "coming out" but there is still control over the joint. In general, range of motion with an impingement is better than with frozen shoulder. The pain is commonly at the top and side of the shoulder with an impingement.
How Does A Chiropractor Relieve Frozen Shoulder Pain?
Manual Chiropractic Adjustments
The nerves that control the muscles of the shoulder originate in the neck. Chiropractors check the neck area associated with those nerves for interference (commonly called a vertebral subluxation). The cause of frozen shoulder can come from a problem in the neck. If you have forward head posture or if the neck is abnormally tight, it can put stress on the nervous system, which can result in poor shoulder motion. Adjusting the cervical spine (neck) can help the body heal itself.
Soft Tissue Therapy
If the soft tissue around the shoulder is tight, inflammation and scar tissue may have built up over time without you realizing it. Massage and/or myofascial release can help the soft tissues relax around the neck and shoulder.
Effective Exercise Recommendations For Frozen Shoulder
The most common frozen shoulder exercise is called circumduction. Place the unaffected side’s hand on a table for support and hinge from your hips, leaning forward. Allow the frozen arm to dangle toward the floor. Slowly start to move the hanging hand in a circle, bringing the motion up to the shoulder joint. Start to make the circle larger with every few rotations. Change directions to get motion both clockwise and counterclockwise.
Get Relief From Frozen Shoulder With Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care addresses soft tissue damage, structural problems, and nerve issues that may have caused the frozen shoulder. A chiropractor may use strategies to prevent or reverse your forward head position. Chiropractic adjustments can increase neck range of motion, which helps the shoulder joint start to open and heal.
Electra Chiropractic offers free 15 minute online consultations if you have questions about your situation. Book online to speak with a native English speaking chiropractor in Tokyo, licensed and registered in Japan, Hong Kong, and the USA.
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