What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is a term that describes shoulder pain and stiffness caused by thickening of the connective tissue enveloping the shoulder joint. While not entirely common, frozen shoulder is one of the most impactful injuries to a person’s everyday life due to its role in reducing function, mobility and, in most cases, high levels of pain around the shoulder.

There are usually no obvious causes for frozen shoulder however there are several risk factors that can increase the likelihood of an individual developing one, these include:

• Shoulder surgeries
• High levels of stress and anxiety
• Traumatic or repetitive shoulder injuries
• Prolonged shoulder immobilization while recovering from a separate injury
• Sufferers of diabetes or thyroid problems

Can Physiotherapy help with a Frozen Shoulder?

Physiotherapy has a great long-term impact on reducing recovery time of frozen ‘shoulder cases. It is worth noting that recovery can widely vary depending on the severity of the frozen shoulder, the individual’s lifestyle and mental well-being but typically the rehabilitation process is long term. There are three classifications of the recovery process:

Stage 1 – Freezing phase 

The freezing phase describes the initiation and progression of pain and stiffness before an individual seeks clinical help – this can last anywhere between 2-9 months.

Stage 2 – Frozen phase  

The frozen phase of a frozen shoulder lasts anywhere between 4-12 months in this time the individual may experience reduced pain but a continuation of stiffness and reduced range.

Stage 3 – Thawing phase 

The shoulder now starts to show improvements in pain and range of motion lasting typically between 6 months to 2 years.

How can Fit2Function clinic help you?

With a combination of our advanced treatments offered in clinic our team specialises in addressing symptoms of frozen shoulder as quickly as possible. Putting emphasis on the use of K-laser, shockwave therapy, electrical muscle stimulation and advanced cupping to reduce inflammation and offer pain relief. We also use our on-site gym and exercise app to design health plans tailored to an individual’s specific needs to best help improve shoulder function.