Frozen Shoulder Physiotherapy Treatment

A frozen shoulder refers to any injury to the shoulder joint or any of the muscles surrounding it that makes a full range of movement without pain impossible. Frozen shoulder may be a result of an injury such as a car accident, trauma from active sports or other injury. Most doctors recommend physical therapy (physiotherapy) that may include assisted stretching, ultrasound and manual work to break up the adhesions where the muscles stick around the joint, limiting movement and creating pain.

Frozen shoulder

• Medically, the term for a frozen shoulder is adhesive capusulitis. There are three primary muscles that comprise the rotator cuff muscles around the shoulder joint: supraspinalist, teres minor and infraspinitis. Each muscle can become stuck and make it difficult for the muscles and joint to work properly.

Treatment

• Physical therapy is usually recommended to rehabilitate a frozen shoulder. Work might include doing specific exercises to open up the large upper back muscles to free the shoulder joint and muscles. For example, a popular physical therapy exercise is to lie on a foam roller and lift both hands overhead to the floor and back to the belly several times to stretch the upper back and move the shoulder in a healthy range of movement.

Prevention

• In sports, do not move the arm in the danger zone where the arm is behind the shoulder joint. The stopping point is where the arm is flush to the body. Doing this will protect obvious injury to the shoulder joint and muscles. Regular stretching such as rolling the shoulders back several times a day will keep the synovial fluid in the shoulder joints protective. Avoid slinging a heavy purse or computer bag habitually over one shoulder. This can be a prelude to a muscle imbalance and injury, such as frozen shoulder.