| Advice is plentiful on how to treat frozen shoulder | | | | what they can't give you is experience. Here's what |
| syndrome. In fact, there is so much differing information | | | | have learned through experience NOT to do when |
| that someone could easily become confused as to | | | | treating a frozen shoulder, not only through treating |
| what actual treatment to go with. I mean, there's | | | | hundreds and hundreds of frozen shoulder patients, but |
| miracle shoulder patches, doctors advertising surgery, | | | | also through my own trials and tribulations with this |
| and therapists proclaiming their one-of-a-kind method | | | | condition: |
| for instantly curing adhesive capsulitis. As shoulder and | | | | 1) Wait it out - Unfortunately this condition will not just |
| upper extremity specialist myself, and someone who's | | | | go away without leaving some pretty bad shoulder |
| actually experienced total shoulder lock down after | | | | problems. Early consistent treatment, with good |
| surgery in '98, I thought I would give the benefit of my | | | | physical therapy is how to treat frozen shoulder and |
| experience on what not to do when treating this | | | | regaining full shoulder function. |
| condition. | | | | 2) Diagnose yourself - Diagnosing your own medical |
| A little background first: I developed rotator cuff | | | | problems is very rarely a good idea. With shoulder |
| problems back in 1998 due to a Type III acromium (spur | | | | problems there is so much that can be wrong and if |
| on the end of my clavicle). It got to the point where I | | | | the wrong treatment is carried out it can leave one |
| couldn't even lift my arm without excruciating pain | | | | with worse shoulder function than before. For instance |
| despite the fact that I knew how to treat frozen | | | | if you treat a frozen shoulder with post operative |
| shoulder, and rotator cuff problems. I tried injections | | | | rotator cuff exercises you will get nowhere and |
| and the like with no lasting relief. I finally decided after | | | | probably end up with more pain as you inflame the |
| months of pain to undergo a subacromial | | | | shoulder further. |
| decompression and rotator cuff repair. At that time I | | | | 3) Force range of motion - Patients who succumb to |
| had been practicing physical therapy approximately 1 | | | | this way of thinking, or who have a therapist that |
| year. Following the surgery I went back to work | | | | believes this will most likely give up therapy because |
| almost immediately, taking precautions not to rupture | | | | their shoulder will get worse! Forcing range of motion, |
| the repair. My motion was coming along fine until about | | | | particularly in the early stages of this syndrome will |
| week 2 post op. Things got busy in the clinic and I | | | | only cause further inflammation and pain. |
| slacked off on my therapy. This was a bad decision | | | | 4) Perform stretches and exercise sporadically or just |
| because between week 3 and 4 my shoulder | | | | "when you feel like it" - Treating this condition properly |
| stiffened up to the point I couldn't even raise it 30 | | | | involves systematic and structured exercise. Knowing |
| degrees from my side without terrible pain. My surgeon | | | | the best time and frequency to perform exercises |
| confirmed that my joint capsule had shrunk and | | | | (and when not to) will vastly improve shoulder function |
| probably developed some capsular adhesions which | | | | much quicker. |
| was causing all of the pain and inflammation. It was | | | | As you can hopefully see, how to treat frozen |
| then and there that I decided I had better learn how to | | | | shoulder involves much more than just doing a few |
| treat frozen shoulder syndrome the right way. | | | | stretches here and there. Sometimes knowing what |
| Fortunately I did learn -- by doing a lot of the wrong | | | | not to do can make a big difference as well -- I wish I |
| things first. In school they teach you all of the anatomy, | | | | had have known! |
| diagnoses, and treatments for various problems, but | | | | |