Tips for Frozen Shoulder Exercise

If you have a frozen shoulder diagnosed by your physician and have done any research on this condition, then you are aware of the 3 stages by now: Stage 1 – Increasing pain in the shoulder joint with daily activities or range of motion, Stage 2 – Increasing stiffness and loss of motion, but usually less pain, and Stage 3 – Shoulder range of motion beginning to increase slowly with return of functional abilities. Hopefully if you have begun a frozen shoulder exercise program then you are experiencing results. But what if you are not?

If your progress is less than desired then you might add these tips to boost your results:

Try a very warm shower, or even better a very warm bath just prior to beginning your exercise. The moist heat will increase local blood flow and extensibility (stretchiness) of the tissues in and around the shoulder joint.

Start with good posture before beginning each exercise. If you look in the mirror and your natural relaxed posture reveals rounded shoulders and upper back and your chin is protruding forward, this will lessen the amount of motion you will be able to obtain. Retract your chin slightly, sit up tall or stand tall, and roll your shoulders backwards before beginning any range of motion exercise. By doing this you place your affected shoulder in a more natural position and will make the frozen shoulder exercise more effective.

Increase your frequency and intensity of each exercise session. You should be stretching and strengthening several times a day, but each session should be more brief with focused intensity rather than 2-3 long drawn out sessions. You will see quicker results by not allowing the shoulder to stiffen up between sessions that are too far apart.

The tips above will boost the effectiveness of your frozen shoulder treatment and increase your motivation as you will see results sooner. Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program and make sure your program is designed by a professional or licensed clinician.