If you do have a frozen shoulder, a visit to your physical therapist may be beneficial to help you regain normal functional use of your arm. Your PT can help you manage the pain and provide you with strategies to help you start using your arm normally again.
Here is a list of some simple things you should do if you are suffering from frozen shoulder. Check in with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise for your shoulder, just to be sure that it is safe for you to proceed.
But the pain with a frozen shoulder is usually very temporary. As soon as you stop using your arm, the pain subsides within minutes. If you need to, you can help calm the painful symptoms down with an ice pack.
Often with a frozen shoulder, there is no danger in using your arm. In fact, using your arm and shoulder can help get it moving normally again. Just remember that the pain will last only a few minutes once you rest your arm after use.
Abnormal motion in your shoulder blade usually accompanies a frozen shoulder. Performing shoulder blade stability exercises as part of your frozen shoulder rehab may help you regain shoulder blade control.
Shoulder pulleys are often used in physical therapy clinics to help improve shoulder ROM. Pulley exercises can be done in the clinic, but they can also be done if you purchase shoulder pulleys or make your own out of simple items available at your local hardware store.
Strengthening your rotator cuff muscles can help you improve the way your shoulder moves. A strong rotator cuff can help support your shoulder and allow it to move properly through its full range of motion. You should start with simple active range of motion exercises and progress to more advanced rotator cuff strengthening with a resistance band.
One important component of frozen shoulder rehabilitation is normalizing motion in your scapula. To do this, you can start scapular stabilization exercises. These exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles that support your scapula and improve the way that your shoulder blade, and entire shoulder joint, moves.
If you have a frozen shoulder, visit your healthcare provider to make sure you get the appropriate treatment. A course of physical therapy can certainly help you manage the pain and improve your shoulder mobility so you can return to your normal activities.
