'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Do you have pain in your shoulder and difficulty lifting your arm? You may have “frozen shoulder.”
Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, is a painful condition that comes on gradually and limits your ability to lift your arm normally.
Frozen shoulder is the most common cause of shoulder pain, and discomfort can range from mild to debilitating. It causes inflammation in the joint capsule that surrounds your upper arm bone and your shoulder blade.
While there is no cure for frozen shoulders, these effective exercises may help relieve pain and restore mobility.
How to relieve frozen shoulder pain using exercise
By implementing simple exercises, you can reduce pain, improve flexibility, and regain or maintain a range of motion (ROM) in your frozen shoulder.
If your shoulder pain is caused due to trauma or has lasted longer than two to three weeks, you should seek medical help.
Certain types of shoulder pain, such as rotator cuff injuries and frozen shoulder, worsen over time and may necessitate surgical intervention if other therapies fail.
Let's take a look at some exercises that can help relieve pain caused by frozen shoulder:
1) Pendulum Stretch
Shoulder stretching exercises, such as pendulum exercise, can help improve flexibility, range of motion, and relieve frozen shoulder pain.
Here's how to do the Pendulum stretch:
- Relax your shoulder & let your affected arm dangle down while you stand and bend over slightly.
- Make a little circle with your arm.
- Do this 10 times in each direction, once a day.
- Increase the size of your circle as you feel better, but never force it.
2) Towel Stretch
The towel rotation stretch is an excellent way to enhance your frozen shoulder's flexibility and range of motion.
Here's how to do the towel stretch:
- Grab a three-foot-long towel with both hands behind your back, and hold it in a horizontal position.
- Pull the injured arm upwards with the help of your healthy arm to stretch it.
- You can also perform an advanced version of this exercise by placing a towel over your shoulder, hanging the towel off your good shoulder, and holding the towel at its bottom with your affected arm.
- Then, pull the ends of the towel towards the middle of your back with your unaffected arm.
3) Finger Walk
The skeletomuscular matrix is made up of every muscle in your body. In other words, they are all connected. If your shoulder hurts, your fingers' strength will be affected.
The finger walk can be done anywhere to help relieve frozen shoulder pain.
Here's how to do the finger walk:
- Face a wall at a distance of three-quarters of an arm's length.
- Reach out and touch the wall with the fingertips of the affected arm.
- Slowly walk your fingers up the wall, spider-like, until you've elevated your arm to shoulder level, or as far as you comfortably can, with your elbow slightly bent.
- This exercise should be done 10 to 20 times per day.
4) Armpit Stretch
The fascia, an interwoven system of connective tissues found throughout the body, is targeted by stretching the armpits out. This helps in relieving tension and tightness in the upper back, neck, and shoulders.
Here's how to do the armpit stretch:
- Lift the injured arm onto a shelf/table approximately breast-high with your good arm.
- Open up your armpits by bending your knees slightly.
- Straighten your leg after a modest knee bend, softly stretching the armpit.
- Stretch a little further with each knee bend, but don't strain it.
- Do this ten to twenty times every day.
5) Cross Body Stretch
When you do a cross-body stretch, there is increased flexibility in your frozen shoulder. This stretch is beneficial for athletes such as baseball and tennis players, as well as individuals who work in jobs that require a lot of lifting or overhead activities.
Here's how to do the cross-body stretch:
- You can either sit or stand.
- With your affected arm at the elbow, bring it up and across your body with your good arm while gently applying pressure with your opposite hand to extend the shoulder joint.
- Hold the stretch up to 20 seconds.
6) Isometric Shoulder Exercises
Isometric shoulder external rotation is a strengthening exercise for the rotator cuff muscles. It has also been shown to help with the development of muscle, strength, balance, and range of motion.
Here's how to do isometric shoulder exercises:
- Simply press onto a wall in specific directions to conduct shoulder isometric workouts.
- Hold the pressure for five seconds before letting go.
- Isometric workouts can be done two to three times a day for 10 to 15 repetitions.
Takeaway
It can be frustrating to have a frozen shoulder, but it is not impossible to treat. Do your research, get to know your condition, and then seek out therapy.
In general, it is only a matter of time before your movement is restored. The exercises and treatments in this plan can help you to jumpstart that process.
