Stretch a bit, and say goodbye to frozen shoulders

Stiff and rigid arm movements? Difficulty in moving your shoulders properly? You might be having Frozen shoulders!

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that restricts movement of shoulders to a certain extent, making it more painful and stiff. People with such a condition have to perform light exercises to relieve the tension and pain in the shoulder.

A severely frozen shoulder requires at least a span of 3 years to completely heal and unfreeze.

Individuals during the age between 40 to 60 years often face such a condition, the peak time of all the unhealthy triggers. Women especially are more prone to suffer such an issue. People suffering from diabetes are at more risk to get frozen shoulders.

Some additional problems that are connected with frozen shoulders include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson's disease, and cardiac issues.

To get better each day, you need to actively participate in some stretches and exercises that will help you reduce the pain and heal your shoulders every day. Before you start with your stretches, make sure a little warm-up is necessary. Take a warm bath or place a warm cloth on your injured shoulder or place a hot bag on top. Follow these stretches below -

1. Pendulum Stretch

• Relax your shoulders.
• Stand and lean over slightly, allowing your affected arm to hang down.
• Swing your arm slowly and in small circles of about a foot.
• Perform 10 revolutions, once a day.
• Increase your speed and diameter of the circle of revolutions.
• Don’t force your hand.
• As your pain reduces, start using light weights and continue with the same procedure.

2. Towel Stretch

• You can use a towel or a cane to do this stretch.
• Hold a towel or cane with both your hands horizontally behind your back.
• Make sure your good arm is at the top end and the other arm at the bottom.
• Try to pull your affected arm through your good arm slightly.
• You will feel a slight stretch in your affected arm.
• Do not forcefully pull your affected arm.
• Do this 10–20 times a day.

3. Finger walk

• Face the wall, stand 3 quarter arm lengths away.
• Start finger-walking your affected arm slowly, like a spider walk.
• Start from the waist level below, with elbow slightly bent.
• Slowly walk your fingers, your fingers do the walk, don’t move your shoulder muscle.
• Walk it as far as you can.
• Slowly bring it down, with a backward walk( take your good arm’s help if needed).
• Continue this 10–20 times a day.

4. Cross body stretch

• Sit or stand.
• Lift your affected arm with the help of your healthy arm horizontally across your body, exerting a little pressure on the shoulder.
• Hold the stretch for 15–20 seconds.
• Repeat 10–20 times a day.

5. Doorway external rotation

• Those who can’t perform cross-body stretch must do this
• Stand near the middle of a doorway, facing one side of the doorframe.
• Bend the affected arm to a 90-degree angle and grab the edge of the doorframe furthest from the body with the hand of the affected arm.
• Rotate the body frontwards, so the backside is now in the doorway.
• Hold this stretch for 30 seconds; relax, and repeat.

People with frozen shoulders may also benefit from several other interventions, such as applying heat and/or electrical stimulation for pain relief.