All sorts of different aches and pains can manifest in our bodies from time to time, often without any clear and obvious cause… which can be very distressing, when you can’t pinpoint what’s happened or why.
If you’ve started experiencing pain in your shoulder that gets worse at night or if you’ve started to feel stiff in the joint and are finding it hard to move, it’s possible that you may have frozen shoulder, which happens when the tissue around the joint becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes the tissue to shrink and tighten, resulting in pain.
It’s not entirely clear what causes this condition, but it can occur following an injury or surgery, as well as being associated with various health issues, including diabetes, Parkinson’s, thyroid issues and heart disease. It’s also more common in women than in men.
The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to treat frozen shoulder and restore mobility and function, as well as relieving the pain you’re in. Firstly, only move your shoulder about gently and take pain relief to address your immediate symptoms. You may also find it beneficial to apply heat therapy to the affected area for 20 minutes at a time.
From there, it’s advisable to get in touch with a physiotherapist who will be able to recommend a series of specific strength and stretching exercises to encourage more movement in your shoulder. How long recovery takes will depend on the extent of the problem but your physio will be able to advise you more accurately on this.
Common exercises include ‘rocking the baby’, where you support your painful arm with your good side and gently rock the arm to one side and then the other, as if you were rocking a baby to sleep. Start with three sets of 20 reps twice a day and see how you feel.
If you’d like any further help or advice relating to frozen shoulder, get in touch with the Clear Physio team today.
