What Helps Frozen Shoulder?

Does your shoulder feel stiff or painful? Can you move it like you used to? If not, you might have frozen shoulder. This common condition can make everyday activities — like getting dressed or reaching overhead — feel almost impossible. But the good news? With expert care and gentle therapies, most people recover from frozen shoulder.

“Frozen shoulder is also known as adhesive capsulitis,” said Kathryn Boomershine, an occupational therapist at Franciscan Health Crawfordsville. “That means the tissue around your shoulder joint becomes inflamed and tight — almost like shrink wrap. When this happens, it doesn’t move as freely. It tightens around the joint and limits your range of motion.”

What Causes Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder can develop for many reasons. It can happen as you age, experience an injury, result as a side effect from surgery, or occur due to underlying conditions like diabetes. For some people, the exact cause isn’t clear.

“It can start slowly, and, at first, you may not realize what’s happening. Until the stiffness really sets in,” said Boomershine.

Who Is At Risk Of Frozen Shoulder?

Risk factors for frozen shoulder include:

• Being between the ages of 40 and 60 years of age
• Being females
• Having diabetes
• Having a surgery where the shoulder or arm is immobilized
• Fracture

But other medical conditions can lead to a greater risks of frozen shoulder, said Michael Topor, a physical therapist practicing at Franciscan Health Munster. 

"Individuals who have strokes sometimes can come up with frozen shoulders," he said. "There's also some research that suggests people with thyroid problems both hyper and hypothyroidism can cause frozen shoulders. There's cardiovascular disease issues that can cause frozen shoulders. Parkinson's can be another issue that can cause a frozen shoulder."

What Are The 3 Stages Of Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder typically goes through three phases:

• Freezing— Pain increases and range of motion starts to decrease
• Frozen— Pain may improve, but stiffness remains, making movement very difficult.
• Thawing— Movement slowly begins to return.

Each stage can last for weeks or months. Without treatment, frozen shoulder can take one to three years to resolve.

"This is kind of a self-limiting disease where if you didn't do anything, over time, it starts to thaw out and you get a gradual return of motion," said Matthew Rachwalski, DO, a Michigan City sports medicine doctor with Franciscan Physician Network. "We wouldn't want to wait, as it can take up to 26 months to resolve on its own. So, we don't usually encourage people to do that, because who wants to be in pain and have limited mobility for that extended period of time?"

What Does Frozen Shoulder Treatment Look Like?

“Occupational therapy can help guide you through recovery,” said Boomershine. “We work with you on the right amount of movement — because pushing too hard can make it worse.”

Gentle stretches and exercises are the foundation of treatment. One example is a simple forward lean: you stand or sit, let your arm hang down and let gravity gently stretch your shoulder.

“Even small movements can help,” Boomershine said. “We also work on posture and shoulder blade positioning — bring the shoulders down and back, not up and tense.”

Your provider might also recommend for frozen shoulder:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Corticosteroid injections
• Physical therapy

Most cases improve with nonsurgical care. In rare cases where stiffness and pain don’t improve, we may consider surgery.

How Can An Occupational Therapist Help With Frozen Shoulder?

Occupational therapists help you stay as independent as possible while your shoulder heals.

“We teach you how to adapt daily tasks — like dressing, cooking or showering — with limited movement,” Boomershine said. “It’s about finding ways to stay safe, active and confident through every stage of recovery.”

How Does A Physical Therapist Help With Frozen Shoulder?

Depending on the stage of frozen shoulder, physical therapists focus on stretching, strengthening or returning range of motion to the joint.

"We like to start with some palliative easy things to kind of not irritate the capsule, so some gentle joint mobilization techniques," Topor said. "Therapeutic ultrasonic waves are very helpful for that. We have ultrasound units that we use that are very beneficial to help with pain and improve the capsule mobility. There are a lot of different therapeutic exercises that are beneficial for frozen shoulders.

"Each frozen shoulder is probably going to go through each one of those phases, and they're very painful. And hopefully, the therapy shortens each one of those phases up. So, a person who might actually have a frozen shoulder for two years may only have a frozen shoulder for eight months with good therapy."

When Should I Seek Help For Frozen Shoulder?

If shoulder pain or stiffness lasts more than a few weeks, or if you have less arm movement, it’s time to talk to a specialist about therapy for frozen shoulder. Early care can prevent the condition from getting worse.

“Frozen shoulder is one of those things that can sneak up on you,” said Boomershine. “The sooner we catch it, the easier it is to treat.”

Take The First Step Toward Relief

Frozen shoulder may be painful, but with the right care, it doesn’t have to be permanent. Talk to a specialist at Franciscan Health about your symptoms and start moving forward with less pain.