What Is A Frozen Shoulder? And The Best Exercises For Frozen Shoulder

A frozen shoulder which is also known as adhesive capsulitis is a medical condition that is a result of stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. It occurs commonly in people with diabetes or people who have had a shoulder injury or a broken arm in the past and it primarily happens during the recovery time. Frozen shoulder’s symptoms and signs begin gradually and worsen over time and can take one to three years to resolve completely depending on how worse the injury has been in the past.

Another major reason for frozen shoulder is the immobilization of arms for a very long period of time. Sometimes, when the case worsens, surgery might be required but in most cases, it could be cured with simple and daily exercises. There are certain exercises that directly work to target this problem and offer a relaxing result. But first, let’s understand more about this problem.

How Does it Occur?

Frozen shoulder develops very slowly and it could occur in three stages.

Freezing Stage: Any type of shoulder movement becomes difficult.

Frozen Stage: Pain might reduce down but your shoulder becomes a lot stiffer.

Thawing Stage: The range of shoulder movement improves. 

With a few simple exercises for frozen shoulder repeated daily, you can cure this problem on your own. So, to help you out with the most suitable ones, here is the list of the easiest and most beneficial exercises that you need to do daily to overcome this problem of frozen shoulder: 

1. Supine Flexion – Exercises for Frozen Shoulder

Lay down on a flat surface. Your body should be straight.

Relax your arms on both sides of the body. Lift the injured arm up with the help of your other arm, holding it from the elbow. Move it overhead as far as it stretches with a little pain, but if the pain increases, then you need to pull it back again. Repeat this 5 times on both the hands.

2. Standing Extension

You would be a needing a bar or a cane for this exercise. Stand straight and hold the bar or cane in your hands behind your back. Lift your hands upwards together, until you feel a stretch. Hold your hands for 5 seconds and then move down gently and repeat 10 times.

3. Cross Body Stretch – Exercises for Frozen Shoulder

Though this exercise is very easy, people with severe cases of frozen shoulder might not be able to do it.

You can do it sitting or standing with both arms relaxed sideward. Hold your affected arm by the elbow using your healthy hand and bring it across your chest. Hold it across the chest for 15-20 seconds. Repeat thrice for effective results.

Suggested Read: Work From Home Killing Your Neck? Do These Exercises For Neck Pain

4. Doorway External Rotation

Stand in the middle of a doorway and hold the doorframe at a 90° angle with your affected arm at the furthest point you could reach. Hold the arm steady and rotate the rest of your body sideward until you feel stretches on both sides. Repeat it 10-12 times.

5. Armpit Stretch – Stretches for Frozen Shoulder

You will require a table or shelf with the height of your chest. Using your healthy hand, lift your affected arm upwards onto the table/shelf. Then, bend your knees slowly touching the lower part of the shelf. Hold for 2 seconds and lift your body up. Repeat it 15-20 times every day.

These are some of the easiest and highly beneficial exercises for frozen shoulders. Physical therapies, daily exercises and stretches will increase the movement of your arms and thus will anyway prevent it. Frozen shoulder usually occurs mostly in people over the age of 40 and while it can take a very long time to occur, it also takes a lot of time to go away.

Also Read: Here Are The Best Exercises To Combat Anxiety And Depression!

If you ever experience a frozen shoulder, keep calm, be patient and do these above-mentioned exercises. If the problem doesn’t resolve, then seek the advice of a physical therapist.

Stay fit, stay healthy.