Following on from part 1, we’ve established who gets frozen shoulder and how it behaves. Next we’ll cover the tips & fixes for a speedy recovery and the existed timeframes.
What can Physiotherapy offer?
1. Help prevent decreases in range of motion and strength through a progressive or maintenance rehabilitation program. Both of these will occur during frozen shoulder, however prognosis, and general return to function timelines are improved by utilising physiotherapy to continue keeping range of motion and strength as best as possible.
2. Pain relief. Often soft tissue therapy, joint mobilisation, heat, dry needling and other manual therapy techniques enable patients to have significantly pain relief during what can be a very painful process. Mobilisations are used to lengthen and stretch out the stiff shoulder joint.
3. Advice and education. You’ll need to know the appropriate Do’s and Don’ts to try and make your day as painless as possible.
What about quick options like injections, surgical releases?
Corticosteroid injections into the shoulder joint have been found to have very little positive evidence to support their effectiveness. Occasionally specialists will provide alternative treatment options but they’re not suitable for every case. In some cases, a surgeon can perform a manipulation under anaesthetic or an arthroscopic release to try and improve shoulder range of motion – however there is mixed evidence for these approaches.
Final thought.
Frozen shoulder is best diagnosed by either a Doctor or a Physiotherapist (it won’t show up on any scans) and it is imperative that treatment begins early in the process.
Written by
Tim O’Grady
Physiotherapist
Tim is a Physiotherapist who specialises in football/Rugby and golfing injuries. Tim doesn’t believe that rest will make you a better athlete and he focuses on performance-based rehab methods. Tim is also qualified in golf biomechanics and injuries.
