Thaw out a Frozen Shoulder FAST with a Remedial Massage
Are you suffering from a frozen shoulder and wondering if massage could thaw it? The answer is YES!!!!
Nothing in the body happens without a good reason. The body is a beautiful and complex system; when it goes wrong, it is often because it is trying to protect us.
Instead of trying to force a change, the treatment I use embraces the body’s healing processes. There is no forcing the shoulder into painful movements, or using artificial chemicals or drugs to reduce inflammation.
We can however ‘fool’ the body/brain into healing itself, by addressing the two main components of the problem – pain and stiffness.
The sequence of gentle movements and pressure techniques stimulates a new pathway in the brain, rapidly relieving injury and spasms and increasing strength and power.
Generally, you can expect to see a fast and tangible improvement with each treatment session.
I won’t lie, the treatment can still be painful, especially in the early freezing phase, but no worse than the pain of the Frozen Shoulder.
The treatment speeds up the thawing process.
I’ve had first-hand experience with a Frozen shoulder, in my case caused by sudden overuse. I couldn’t undo my bra, and wash my hair, even cleaning my teeth was painful. I was in agony and was tempted to get a cortisone shot, anything to get some relief.
What is a Frozen Shoulder?
As the name suggests a Frozen Shoulder has restricted movement, as if the joint was frozen. The shoulder joint is painful and movement is restricted. It is believed that inflammation of the connective tissue that lines the inside of the joint capsule is the underlying cause of a Frozen Shoulder.
Who Gets Frozen Shoulder?
- Frozen Shoulder affects females slightly more than males.
- Typically affects people in their 50’s or 60’s
- More likely in the non-dominant arm
- Only about 12% of people with a frozen shoulder are affected on both sides
What are the symptoms of a Frozen Shoulder?
- Pain is often intense
- Often located in the deltoid region
- Occasionally pain along the bicep may radiate down the outside of the arm into the forearm.
- Shoulder pain is aggravated by motion, especially external rotation ( signalling a turn)
- Initially, pain may be more severe at night.
- It is common to have difficulty doing the following:
- difficulty putting on a coat
- reaching into the hip pocket for a wallet,
- combing one’s hair
- Women frequently complain of the inability to fasten garments behind their backs (e.g. Bra)
- At rest, the involved arm is commonly held held across the body as if in a sling.
- When walking arm swing is usually limited or absent as movement causes pain.
Three Stages of Frozen Shoulder
- Phase 1 (painful freezing phase) – There is progressive stiffening and loss of motion in the shoulder with increasing pain on movement which may be worse at night (months 2 to 9);
- Phase 2 (adhesive phase) – There is a gradual decrease in pain but the stiffness remains and there is a considerable restriction in the range of movement (months 4 to 12);
- Phase 3 (resolution phase) – There is an improvement in the range of movement (months 12 to 42).
- Although the condition is classically described as having a resolution phase there may not be a complete resolution for all patients.
Fed up with the pain?
Initially, some intensive treatments spaced closely together will see some drastic improvement.
Gradually treatments will be spaced further apart.
Depending on which phase your frozen shoulder is in, treatments could last from 3 months to 4 weeks. This is compared to a natural unaided healing of 12 to 42 months.
Improvement should be obvious within the first 2 – 3 treatments
