Understanding Frozen Shoulder: Causes and Treatment Options
Learn about adhesive capsulitis, its stages, and how physiotherapy and TCM can help restore shoulder mobility.
Navigating the Challenges of Adhesive Capsulitis
You used to reach for things without thinking. Now, lifting your arm to grab a mug from the cupboard sends pain shooting through your shoulder. Putting on a jacket has become an ordeal. Sleeping on your affected side is out of the question. If this describes your experience, you may be dealing with frozen shoulder.
Frozen shoulder, medically known as adhesive capsulitis, causes significant pain and stiffness that can profoundly affect your daily life. Understanding how it progresses and what treatment options exist can help you navigate recovery more effectively.
What Is Actually Happening in Your Shoulder
Frozen shoulder develops when the capsule surrounding your shoulder joint becomes thickened and tight. Adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue, form inside the capsule. Together, these changes dramatically restrict movement and cause considerable discomfort. The condition often develops gradually, without any obvious injury to explain why it started.
Understanding Your Risk Factors
Certain factors make frozen shoulder more likely. The condition most commonly affects people between forty and sixty years of age, and women develop it more often than men. Diabetes significantly increases your risk. Thyroid disorders create vulnerability. Recent shoulder injury or surgery, or any period of prolonged immobilization, can trigger its development.
The Three Predictable Stages
Frozen shoulder typically progresses through recognizable phases, though timing varies considerably between individuals.
Stage One: Freezing lasts roughly two to nine months. Pain develops gradually, often worse at night than during the day. Range of motion progressively decreases. Movement in any direction becomes painful.
Stage Two: Frozen spans approximately four to twelve months. Pain may actually decrease somewhat during this phase. However, stiffness and limited range of motion remain significant. Daily activities like dressing, reaching, and sleeping comfortably become challenging.
Stage Three: Thawing takes anywhere from five to twenty-four months. Movement gradually returns. Pain continues to diminish. Full recovery varies considerably by individual, and some residual stiffness may persist.
Treatment Approaches That Help
Physiotherapy forms the cornerstone of frozen shoulder treatment. Gentle stretching within your pain tolerance maintains whatever mobility you have. Manual therapy using joint mobilization techniques helps restore movement. As range improves, strengthening exercises rebuild capacity. Heat therapy increases tissue extensibility before stretching.
Acupuncture and TCM view frozen shoulder as stagnation of Qi and blood. Treatment may include acupuncture to reduce pain and improve circulation, moxibustion for warming and promoting movement, and specialized massage techniques.
Home exercises are essential. Daily stretching makes a real difference. Pendulum exercises, wall walks, cross-body stretches, and towel stretches for rotation all help maintain and gradually improve your range.
What Recovery Looks Like
Recovery from frozen shoulder requires patience. Most people recover fully, though it can take one to three years without intervention. Active treatment often speeds this timeline significantly and reduces suffering along the way.
If you are experiencing shoulder pain with progressive stiffness, schedule an assessment. Our team can develop a comprehensive plan combining physiotherapy and TCM approaches tailored to your stage of recovery.