Frozen shoulder is a condition that causes pain and stiffness of the shoulder joint. Patients with frozen shoulder often report insidious onset of pain and stiffness of the joint with no apparent reason. But it can also occur after a period of disuse – for example, after prolonged immobilization in a shoulder sling or after a stroke.
How is Frozen Shoulder Treated?
The good news is – frozen shoulder is often a self-limiting condition. This means that most patients will get better by themselves, without any treatment. However, without treatment, this condition can last a very long time (up to 3 years) and results in more residual stiffness. For these reasons, we always recommend active treatment of frozen shoulders – especially in younger and active patients.
Frozen shoulder can be treated with a combination of medications (to relieve pain and inflammation), exercises (to improve range of motion), hydrodilatation (to reduce inflammation in the joint and to break the scars causing joint) and surgery (to surgically release the scars causing the joint stiffness). Fortunately, surgery is rarely required for this condition.
What kind of exercises are helpful for frozen shoulder?
1. Wall climb
In this exercise, face the wall and place your hands on the wall. At the starting position, your hands should be at the level of your waist and your elbows should be slightly bent. Slowly walk your fingers up the wall until the shoulder pain stops you from reaching out further. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and return your fingers to the starting position. Repeat this for 10 times.
2. Pendulum exercises
In this exercise, swing your affected arm in small circles and perform 10 turns in each direction.
3. Shoulder Cross-Body Stretches
Lift your affected arm and bring it up and across your body. Exert gentle pressure to stretch the shoulder. Keep this in position for about 20 seconds each time and perform this exercise 20 times each session.
4. Towel Stretch
Grab a towel with both hands behind your back and hold it in a horizontal position. Use the good arm to lift up the affected arm to stretch the shoulder joint. Do this stretch 20 times a session.
5. Rotation exercises
Place a stick or umbrella behind your back. The unaffected side should be holding the shaft of the stick while the affected hand should be placed on the end of the stick. Use the stick / umbrella to externally rotate the affected shoulder until a stretch can be felt. Repeat this for 20 times a session.
If you suspect that you have a frozen shoulder, make an appointment to see us at Alleviate Pain Clinic, Singapore.
