Frozen Shoulder Treatment To Cut Down Recovery Times And Restore Full Range Of Movement

The best frozen shoulder treatment is one of progressive

, low pain stretching exercises to be implemented in all the 3 phases of a frozen shoulder progress. Other treatments such as anti inflammatory medications, ultrasound and hot packs should also be considered as ancillary remedies, not the basis for a fast recovery of functionality. Manipulation, the breaking under general anesthesia of the adhesions causing a frozen shoulder, can be avoided in the majority of cases and, though effective, it is not always so and requires physical therapy soon after anyway.

The medical term for a frozen shoulder is Adhesive Capsulitis, a reference to the adhesions of the capsule membrane surrounding the rotator cuff for protection. For reasons that are not completely clear, the capsule becomes thickened by the adhesions, physically interfering with the shoulder mechanics and restricting range of movement. About 20% of diabetic people are affected by a frozen shoulder, more women than men in a ratio of two to one.

An Adhesive Capsulitis can be one of the most incapacitating of all shoulder disorders because of its effect in all mundane tasks and its very long resolving times. A person affected will find it impossible to perform over head movements like reaching for a shelf, shampooing or wearing a jacket and difficult steering the car wheel or reversing. Natural resolving times typically last one or two year, sometimes three.

The disorder starts with a freezing phase lasting few weeks in which movement is still possible but pain is high, especially at night. Next follows a frozen phase lasting up to 1 year, during which time pain subsides a little but disability is highest, and finally a long thawing phase also lasting up to 1 year. The usual frozen shoulder treatment to reduce pain and inflammation is anti inflammatory medications, over the counter or prescribed.

Ultrasound and hot packs also work, but the first requires multiple surgery visits, the second repeated applications. Nevertheless, heat is a good therapy to loosen up the adhesion, particularly before a stretching session. After a session, or before going to sleep, cold packs may be applied instead. This may sound counter intuitive, but cold helps reduce the inflammation caused by exercising. So, heat before the stretching exercises, cold after.

For the exercises to be truly effective they must be designed by a professional with practical experience and knowledge of the shoulder mechanics and disorders, as self made therapy programs with exercises taken here and there could make the problem even worse. Regularity is a key factor for the effectiveness of a frozen shoulder treatment based on stretching exercises, however the commitment required would be minimal for the reward in terms of pain relief and recovery times.

Recovery times can vary though, depending on severity of the disorder, age and personal responsiveness to treatment. In any case, it is beneficial to anyone who wants to help the shoulder recover faster and to break the dependency on anti inflammatory medication. Apart from manipulation, which is a drastic but not always effective measure to resolve the disorder, there is no ultra short cut to recover from a frozen shoulder. However, there is a better and faster frozen shoulder treatment available, one based on physical therapy that can help reduce considerably pain, stiffness and recovery times naturally.

by: Andy Finn

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