Frozen shoulder is a painful and poorly understood condition that most commonly affects midlife women. Here, osteopath Anisha Joshi shares the very best evidence-based strategies for thawing locked joints, soothing pain and restoring movement.
What is frozen shoulder?
Frozen shoulder is a condition where a shoulder becomes stiff and painful to move. It can last a number of months, sometimes years, and affects 2-5% of the global population. We’re more likely to experience it if we’re aged between 40 and 60, and if we’re a woman. In fact, women are four times more likely to experience frozen shoulder than men.
We don’t often spare a thought for our shoulders, but frozen shoulder can be extremely debilitating. The condition tends to progress through three stages (what osteopaths call freezing, frozen and thawing), and it can take up to 18 months to fully recover. In this time, it’s common to experience pain and difficulty sleeping, and can be difficult to move the arm at all. These symptoms in combination can be quite difficult to manage, and often lead to low mood and frustration.
Talk us through the three stages.
The first stage is ‘freezing’. During this time, people experience chronic pain in the shoulder and arm that is constant. Any movement of the shoulder is severely limited.
After a number of months, patients begin to experience pain only at the end of the shoulder’s range of motion. Osteopaths call this stage ‘frozen’. Here, patients tend to have limited movement in the joint, along with a rigid feeling.
The final stage is known as ‘thawing’. Thankfully, after a number of months the range of movement gradually starts to improve and the pain is minimal.
Why are midlife women more affected?
It’s believed that the fluctuating hormone levels during menopause may be why women get frozen shoulder more than men, and why they experience more pain. Researchers believe that when estrogen levels decline it may impact the way in which women experience pain and can feel more sensitive. It’s also thought to impact quality of sleep and mood, both of which affect the way a body translates pain.
If exercises are painful, should we stop or push through?
Movement is important for all muscles and joints. If you’re able to lean into the pain it will help your recovery and strength around the frozen shoulder. However, if you experience more pain after exercise that lingers for more than 24 hours, go back to your healthcare professional and ask them to observe you doing your exercises or potentially adapt them.
Does frozen shoulder go away on its own?
The pain of frozen shoulder will graduall
