When simple movements like reaching for a coffee mug or putting on a jacket become painful ordeals, you might be experiencing a condition known as frozen shoulder. This debilitating condition can severely limit your range of motion and impact your quality of life. So, can your local Lithia chiropractor help? Let’s take a closer look.
What Is A Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder, medically termed adhesive capsulitis, occurs when the shoulder capsule—the connective tissue surrounding your shoulder joint—thickens and tightens. This process creates adhesions and restricts movement, leading to pain and stiffness that can last for months or even years if not properly addressed.
The condition typically progresses through three distinct phases:
- Freezing Phase: Pain gradually increases, and shoulder movement becomes more restricted. This phase usually lasts 2-9 months and can be particularly frustrating as the pain often worsens at night, disrupting sleep.
- Frozen Phase: Pain may actually decrease during this phase, but the stiffness remains or worsens. Your shoulder’s range of motion becomes significantly limited, making everyday tasks challenging. This phase typically lasts 4-12 months.
- Thawing Phase: Shoulder mobility slowly improves as the capsule begins to loosen. This recovery phase can take anywhere from 5 months to 2 years, with gradual improvement over time.
While the exact cause of frozen shoulder isn’t fully understood, certain factors increase your risk, including age and gender (most common in women between 40-60 years), previous shoulder injury or surgery, prolonged immobility of the shoulder, systemic conditions like diabetes or thyroid disorders, and cervical spine problems that refer pain to the shoulder.
Traditional medical approaches typically involve anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy. In severe cases, doctors might recommend manipulation under anesthesia or surgery. However, these approaches often fail to address potential underlying factors that may have contributed to the condition in the first place.
How Chiropractic Assessment Differs For Frozen Shoulder
Before any treatment begins, your chiropractor conducts a thorough evaluation that goes beyond just looking at the shoulder joint itself. This comprehensive assessment often reveals connections that other approaches might miss.
A skilled chiropractor, such as the At Last Chiropractic team, evaluates the cervical and thoracic spine, which share nerve pathways with the shoulder; overall posture and how it affects shoulder mechanics; surrounding muscles and their role in shoulder function; movement patterns that might be compensating for pain; and previous injuries that could be contributing factors.
This holistic assessment allows your chiropractor to develop a treatment plan that addresses not just the symptoms but the underlying causes of your frozen shoulder.
Chiropractic Techniques For Frozen Shoulder Relief
Based on your specific condition, your chiropractor will develop a customized treatment plan that may include several approaches.
Gentle Joint Mobilization
For the frozen shoulder itself, chiropractors typically use gentle mobilization techniques rather than high-velocity adjustments. These controlled movements help to gradually increase range of motion, break down adhesions in the joint capsule, reduce pain by improving joint mechanics, and stimulate the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint.
These techniques are applied progressively, respecting your comfort levels and the current phase of your condition. During the painful freezing phase, treatment tends to focus more on pain relief, while the frozen and thawing phases allow for more active mobility work.
Spinal Adjustments
Addressing misalignments in your spine—particularly in your neck and upper back—forms a key component of treatment. These adjustments can reduce nerve irritation that may be contributing to shoulder pain, improve posture, which directly affects shoulder positioning, enhance overall biomechanics of the shoulder complex, and help restore normal movement patterns.
What To Expect During Treatment
Recovery from frozen shoulder takes time, regardless of the treatment approach. With chiropractic care, most patients begin to notice improvements within two to four weeks, though complete resolution typically takes several months—still often faster than the natural course of the condition.
Your treatment frequency will likely begin with two to three sessions per week during the initial phase, gradually decreasing as you improve. Throughout this process, your chiropractor will adjust techniques based on your progress and comfort level.
Book your appointment with our caring team today so you can begin your journey to full mobility and health!
