Dealing with a frozen shoulder can be a challenging and uncomfortable experience, especially if the stiffness limits arm and shoulder mobility. It may seem almost impossible to accomplish simple tasks like bathing and dressing. While frozen shoulders sometimes come from nowhere, the good news is that they are manageable. If you are worried about not performing your daily activities, here are a few ways you can take care of a frozen shoulder and relieve shoulder pain.
Determine What Causes Your Frozen Shoulder
The first step in taking care of your shoulder is knowing the root cause of the problem. A frozen shoulder happens in progressive stages, and the initial stage limits all kinds of movements around the shoulder. The freezing phase can lead to dislocation, prolonged neck pains, and immobilization. With such knowledge, you can slowly start exercising using various strategies, and with the help of your therapist, manage the pain.
Warm-Up Your Shoulder Before Performing Any Exercises
Prepare for the exercise by taking a ten-minute shower or using a damp towel or heating pad. This allows your muscles to relax and prepare for the movements. The whole idea of exercises is getting your shoulder to move again gently and progressively. Note that it can take months of various unique exercises to get your shoulder fully functional and painless. Routine exercises help boost the shoulder’s comfort and prevent adverse stiffness that could lead to other complications. Simple daily stretching exercises coupled with regular fitness participation can be an excellent way of eliminating frozen shoulder.
Stretching Exercises
Once you have identified the direction of the stiffness and pain, an excellent principle of successful stretching is allowing your muscles to relax and make sure stretching only applies on soft tissues without muscle interference. Remember, the tissues around the stiff shoulder do not enjoy being stretched suddenly, with lots of force, or roughly. Simple, gentle stretches should have minimal soreness, and you should be able to carry out the stretching sequences three or four times a day. Make sure you warm the shoulder before beginning the sessions. The beauty of it all is that you are in control and can stretch as much as you can tolerate.
Other Fitness Exercises to Do at Home
General body exercises are essential for your health and well-being. Therefore, don’t just exercise for the sake of your shoulder but the entire body. If you find it hard to take on daily activities like picking an item from the floor, driving, or even bathing, you may want to concentrate on various exercises that allow you to stretch and relax the muscles. Simple fitness exercises like walking, riding a bicycle, jogging, and even climbing stairs can help restore functionality on your shoulder. Remember you don’t have to force an exercise as there are plenty of things you can do to get your body moving. You also want to concentrate on exercises that relieve frozen shoulder. For instance, you can take simple stretches like pendulum stretch, finger walk, towel stretch, armpit stretch, and cross-body reach.
Leave a Reply