Frozen Shoulder
Massage Therapy as a Shoulder Treatment
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is characterized by shoulder pain and limited range of motion in the shoulder joint. Massage therapy can be used as a shoulder treatment for this injury. Other injuries like a rotator cuff tear can present with similar symptoms, so it's important to get a diagnosis from a doctor.
The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. The end of the upper bone in your arm has a ball on the end that fits into a grove in your shoulder blade. Connective tissue called the shoulder capsule surrounds the joint. When you have adhesive capsulitis this connective tissue contracts and forms scar tissue. The fluid that lubricates the joint may also decrease causing pain when you move it.
There are a couple things that put you at a higher risk of getting this condition.
diabetes
age
(over 40)
gender (twice as common in women than men)
immobility (due to trauma like surgery or an accident)
While these factors can put you more at risk of getting it, doctors are unsure why the problem occurs.
Adhesive capsulitis occurs in three phases:
The Freezing or Painful Phase--This is when the shoulder starts to freeze. It's also the most painful part. At this point you can still move your shoulder but doing so causes a lot of pain. The motion in the joint begins to become restricted. This phase usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks.
The Frozen Phase--The pain diminishes in this phase, but the stiffness worsens. It becomes more difficult to do everyday activities. This phase lasts 4 to 6 months.
The Thawing Phase--This is when the motion slowly starts to return to your shoulder. This phase can last anywhere from 4 to 18 months.
There are a few types of massage therapy that can be used as a frozen shoulder treatment. Neuromuscular therapy and trigger point therapy can be quite successful in treating this condition. The Niel-Asher Technique was designed specifically to treat this and other shoulder injuries.
Different cases of shoulder dysfunction come from different sources. Because of this each case has to be treated individually. That being said, most therapists will probably start out trying to lengthen the muscles in the rotator cuff. They will also work on the muscles that attach to the scapula and upper arm. Techniques like MET can be used to help increase movement in the joint.
