Frozen Shoulder Symptoms - Remedies That Work

O.k., these aren’t your granny’s home remedies, but anyone with frozen shoulder symptoms can benefit from a few tried and true solutions that will ease the pain of a stiff shoulder. Before I outline a few of these though I’m gonna include a few words of caution:

Make sure you make a visit to your doctor before beginning treatment for any health condition. This will ensure that you do indeed have a frozen shoulder and that you (and your shoulder) are healthy enough to follow through with any exercise program. In addition, thousands of people each year waste time treating a wrong condition because they failed to make sure that what they have is indeed what they think it is. Oh yeah, physical therapy or exercise is what the majority of doctors recommend because it provides the most consistent outcomes. I know this as a physical therapist who sees hundreds of shoulder patients each year.

• Moist Heat — The emphasis is on “moist” and “heat” just to be clear. In other words a dry heating pad set on medium setting won’t cut the mustard. Obviously care should be taken to avoid skin burns, most especially by those people who have diabetes, or skin sensitivities. Treatment time is 20 minutes which allows penetration to the deeper structures of the shoulder.
• Partner Up — Grab a spouse or significant other and get them involved in treating your frozen shoulder symptoms. Lie on your back and have the other person hold your arm at the wrist. They then should pull your arm towards the direction of your feet with a mild to medium force and hold for 10 seconds, then vibrate the shoulder with rapid, small, but gentle pulls for another 10 seconds. Repeat this in various angles, but never to the point of sharp pain.
• Stand In The Corner — This may bring back bad childhood memories for some of you, but it works great as a stretch for a frozen shoulder. Face a corner and place your hands at about shoulder height (lower if this causes too much pain). Step forward until a mild achy stretch is felt. Try to hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 10 times a session for multiple times throughout the day.

• Table Slide — Sit beside a square table and place your palm down on a wash cloth. Slide your hand forward on the table as you lean forward until a medium stretch is felt. Hold 30 seconds and repeat this 10 times.

These techiques are used often by physical therapists when treating patients with a frozen shoulder. They should always be approached with caution and preferably under the direction of a physician or therapist.