51 Ways to Cope with Frozen Shoulder

Three percent of the population will develop frozen shoulders in their lifetime. If you are one of those three percent, this ebook will help you with tips and resources to better deal with frozen shoulders.

BASICS

This first set of tips will give you some basics about frozen shoulder and will help you to understand it better.

1. Definition

Frozen shoulder is another term for Adhesive Capsulitis, a condition that causes restricted motion in the shoulder joint.

2. What Happens

With frozen shoulder, the shoulder joint becomes stiff and scarred. The shoulder joint usually allows more motion than any other joint in the body. But when someone develops a frozen shoulder, they form bands of scar tissue called adhesions. These adhesions make the shoulder stiff, and moving it becomes very painful.

3. Symptoms

Here are some of the symptoms associated with frozen shoulder:  A dull, aching pain in the shoulder  Limited shoulder movement  Activities such as brushing hair, putting on shirts/bras become difficult  Sleeping on the affected shoulder is painful

4. Diagnosing

When diagnosing frozen shoulder, your doctor will look for restricted movement. There are other shoulder conditions can cause difficulty with movement of the shoulder, like a torn rotator cuff, so it’s very important to find a doctor familiar with this condition for a proper diagnosis. This will be covered later in this ebook.

5. Is it Curable?

95 percent of people with frozen shoulder are completely cured. Full recovery may take several months, and there are several things that you can do to help. We’ll review these things a bit later in this e book.

RISK FACTORS

There are several factors that put you at risk for developing frozen shoulder. This next set of tips will discuss some of these risk factors.

6. Trauma or Surgery

People who have had a shoulder injury, or surgery on the shoulder are at risk of developing a frozen shoulder joint. When injury or surgery is followed by prolonged immobility, it can also put them at risk of developing a frozen shoulder.

7. Diabetes

People with diabetes are at risk for developing a frozen shoulder. In fact, frozen shoulder affects 10-20 percent of diabetes patients.

8. Age and Gender

People between the ages of 40 to 60 years old have a higher risk of developing frozen shoulder. It is also twice as common for women to develop it as it is for men.

9. Problems with Nearby Joints

If you have problems with nearby joints, you could be at risk for frozen shoulders. For example, arthritis in the AC joint or the neck can put you at risk.

10. Immobility

As mentioned earlier, keeping a sore shoulder immobile can put you at high risk for frozen shoulder. Some conditions that could cause this include stroke, immobilizing in a sling, or a brain or spinal injury.

11. Heart or Lung Problems

Sometimes heart disease or cardiac surgery leads to frozen shoulder. Be sure and talk to your doctor about these important risk factors.

12. Other Conditions

Other risk factors for frozen shoulder include:  Thyroid problems  High cholesterol  Parkinsons disease  Hypothyroidism  Hyperthyroidism   13. No Reason

There are cases of frozen shoulder that have no reasons whatsoever. In fact, more commonly, this is the case. Until researchers figure out what triggers frozen shoulder, it can be hard to find out why it happens.

STAGES There are 3 stages of frozen shoulders. This next set of tips will go over these stages.

14. Freezing

The first stage is the “freezing” stage. This may last anywhere from 6 weeks to 9 months, and the onset is slow and painful. As the pain worsens, the shoulder loses motion.

15. Frozen

The second stage is the “frozen” stage. During this stage, the pain usually gets better but the stiffness worsens. This can last between 4-9 months.

16. Thawing

The third stage is the “thawing” stage. This is where the shoulder motion slowly returns to normal. This generally lasts 5-26 months. This thawing stage is gradual can be quite slow. But with stretches and motion, it will steadily improve.

VISITING YOUR DOCTOR

Finding and talking to a doctor for frozen shoulder can be difficult. This next set of tips will help you to find a great one, and what to expect from her when you do.

17. The Listen Factor

It’s important that your doctor is a good listener, especially on the first visit. Make sure you tell her everything that’s going on with your shoulder. If you’re worried about remembering, make a list and take it with you.

18. Questions Your Doctor Should Ask

Here are some questions that your doctor should/will ask:  How did your shoulder pain start?  Where is the pain?  Has the pain spread?  Did you injure yourself?  Have you overused your arm?  What are your other symptoms?   19. Questions You Should Ask

Here are some questions that you should ask your doctor:  What stage is my frozen shoulder in?  What can I do to help?  When can I expect improvement?  What should I not do?

20. Checking Your Shoulder

Your doctor should do a thorough examination of your shoulder. During this exam, she’ll check for swelling and muscle wasting.

21. Checking Your Neck

Your doctor will also examine your neck. She’ll do this to see whether your pain could be coming partly from your neck instead of your shoulder.

22. Checking Movement

A good doctor will also check your movement in your shoulder. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but it’s important that your doctor knows your range of motion.

23. Blood Tests

There are some blood tests that your doctor may run. These can help the doctor look for other medical reasons that may be causing your shoulder pain. She may also want to check your blood to see if you might have diabetes or arthritis.

24. X-Ray

X-ray pictures can sometimes be useful in diagnosing shoulder pain problems. It can show things like arthritis or spondylosis in the joints. It can also show calcium in the muscles or arthritis in the shoulder joint.

25. Ultrasound

Your doctor may have an ultrasound done on your shoulder. This scan is an excellent way to examine the muscles and tendons around your shoulder, and it will allow your doctor to find any inflamed or torn muscles.

26. MRI

MRI’s (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are complex and expensive, but they can provide your doctor with detailed picture of the of your shoulder joint and its muscles. MRI’s help doctors correctly diagnose you.

TREATMENT

This next set of tips will discuss some of the treatment options that may help with your frozen shoulder.

27. Moist Heat

Moist heat has been found very effective for frozen shoulder pain. Just take a heat pad and put a moist towel under it, and apply both to your shoulder.

28. Ice

Ice can help with frozen shoulder pain as well. To be the most effective, put your ice on for 10 minutes on your shoulder, and 10 minutes off. You can also alternate ice and moist heat.

29. Physical Therapy

Physical therapy has also helped with the pain of frozen shoulder. If you think this would help, ask your doctor to give you a referral for a good physical therapist.

30. Anti-inflammatories

Although anti-inflammatory medications haven’t helped change the course of a frozen shoulder, they can give substantial relief from the painful symptoms.

31. Cortisone Injections

Your doctor may suggest one or more cortisone injections. These injections can really help to decrease pain, and in also let you stretch more. This is very important, because it’s usually only effective when used together with physical therapy.

32. Surgery

If all else fails, a surgeon may perform what’s called a manipulation. A manipulation is done with the patient sedated, and the doctor moves the arm to break up adhesions caused by frozen shoulder. There

are no incisions made during the procedure.

STRETCHES AND EXERCISES

This next set of tips will give you some great stretches and exercises that you can do to help relieve and treat your frozen shoulder.

33. Weight Stretch

This exercise you can do while standing or sitting. Hold a 5to 10-pound weight in your hand (a gallon of water or milk weighs 8 pounds) and keep your arm vertical and close to your body. Swing your arm back and forth or in a small diameter circle.

34. Armpit Stretch

For this exercise, put your arm onto a shelf or a dresser about breast high. Gently bend your knees, and open your arm pit. Try to push the arm up a little farther with each stretch.

35. Stretch the Towel

For this exercise, take a bath towel and hold it with both hands at a 45 degree angle. Use your good arm to pull the towel toward your lower back. You can repeat this with your towel in a horizontal position.

36. Let Your Fingers Do the Walking

To do this exercise, face a wall about 18 inches away. Using your fingers instead of your shoulder muscles, raise your arm up to shoulder level. Repeat this 5-10 times.

37. Rubber Band Pull

Grab a rubber band for these next few exercises. For this one, hold your elbows at 90 degrees, close to your sides. Grab the rubber band with both hands, and turn your forearms outward only two or three inches, holding for five seconds. Do this 5-10 times.

38. Rubber Band Push

For this one, arms the same way as the previous exercise. Hook your rubber band onto a door handle and hold it with one hand. Turn your forearm inward two or three inches (like a door), and hold it for five seconds. Do this 3-5 times.

39. Rubber Band Lift

Here’s another fun exercise you can do with a rubber band. Bend your elbow again, and place the rubber band on a door like before. Lift your arm up four or five inches away from the body (like lifting weights), holding for five seconds. Repeat this 3-5 times.

40. Shrug

You can do this exercise while watching TV or sitting at a traffic light. Simply shrug your affected shoulder up and down slowly 5-10 times a day.

41. Windmills

This is an exercise that you’ve probably done as a kid, but it can help with your frozen shoulder. Simply hold your arm out, and make circles with it. Take turns making small and large circles.

42. Leg Stretches

It’s a bit unconventional, but some people find that leg stretches can really help with frozen shoulder. For this exercise, lay down on your back in front of a doorway. Put one leg up the wall and one leg out flat, with you arms resting at your side. This pose is good for stretching the hamstrings of one leg and the hip flexors of the other. Hold it for 2-5 minutes.

OTHER HELPS This next set of tips will discuss some other things that you can do to help with frozen shoulder.

43. Extra Pillow

If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, try using an extra pillow. Put the pillow under your affected shoulder, and sleep on your back or side.

44. Massage

Massage has helped many people with frozen shoulder. The muscles surrounding your frozen shoulder can become sore and tired. Massage can help alleviate these sore muscles.

45. Supplements

Here are some supplements that have been known to help with frozen shoulder:  Glucosamine  Fish Oil  Honey Bee Venom

46. TENS Unit

TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It’s a good and safe way to help with pain and relax muscles. It works by stimulating the skin nerves, thus helps the brain to ignore incoming pain signals from the joint.

47. Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger point therapy is a type of specialized self massage that weeds out and removes painful muscular contractions. It works by applying pressure to the contractions, either with your fingers or massage tools.

48. Yoga

Yoga is for straightening out your whole body, and it can really help with frozen shoulder. If you want to try yoga, start out slow and easy. If it winds up causing you more pain, yoga probably isn’t for you.

49. Don’t Stop Moving

A common mistake of people with frozen shoulder is that they keep it still. This is not always the best thing to do. Gentle movement will help to keep the blood flowing to your shoulder.

50. Prevention

If you don’t have frozen shoulder but are worried about risk factors, the best way to prevent it is by doing daily stretches. Refer to the stretches and exercise section of this ebook for ideas.

51. Research

Like every health condition or ailment, new research and studies are being done every day to better help you cope with frozen shoulder. Use the internet and any other sources available to you to inform yourself of new treatments