Frozen Shoulder
remedial and preventative exercises for frozen shoulder
To avoid misunderstanding and confusion, the PDF of this article includes illustrations of each exercise.
Anyone who has had a frozen shoulder knows how painful it can be; and fixing it isn't easy. The problem is the location of the injury which is in the rotator cup, that part where the joint sits and swivels. Being right inside, the usual liniments and creams applied to the skin covering the shoulder joint rarely work because they can't penetrate deeply enough. Although painful to receive, a steroid injection right into the inflamed region does relieve the discomfort and permits limited movement. Oral pain killers also have some effect; but, like the jab, they are a temporary fix and will not repair the damage.
When I managed to injure my shoulder, I eventually agreed to have the injection; then I was able to try some of the remedial exercises recommended by a physiotherapist. His advice was: start slowly and simply; only attempt the exercises that you are capable of without causing pain; and build up the repetitions gradually over time. So, I took his advice and, by doing the exercises every day, eventually fixed my frozen shoulder. As it happened, a short time later I damaged the other shoulder; but by then I knew what worked and sorted it out myself - much to the disappointment of my doctor who seems to enjoy sticking needles in people!
Following is a series of exercises borrowed from Healthy Living HL10. These are the main ones I use daily; and I like to think because I rarely miss a day, that my frozen shoulders are things of the past. They work for me; and they may work for you; BUT, first check with your doctor before beginning them.
No expensive equipment is necessary. For many of the exercises I use a walking stick, but any smooth pole about a metre long will do. If you stand in front of a mirror while exercising, you can check posture to restrict movement to the upper body, keeping the lower part as static as possible.
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