A shoulder that is genuinely stuck, not just sore — and a condition with a long but predictable course.
Understanding Frozen Shoulder and Its Symptoms
Adhesive capsulitis — frozen shoulder — involves the joint capsule thickening and contracting. The distinguishing feature is loss of passive range: not only can you not lift your arm, but someone else cannot lift it for you either. Frozen Shoulder Treatment Camrose can help address this condition and improve mobility. That is what separates it from a rotator cuff problem, where passive movement is usually preserved.
External rotation is typically lost first and most severely. Reaching behind your back, doing up a bra, or getting a wallet from a back pocket becomes difficult early.
It is more common between 40 and 60, more common in women, and considerably more common in people with diabetes or thyroid disease. It can follow a period of immobility after injury or surgery, or start for no identifiable reason at all.
The Three Stages Of Frozen Shoulder
1. Freezing
Increasing pain, often worse at night, with range gradually reducing. Commonly six weeks to nine months. This is the most painful stage.
2. Frozen
Pain settles somewhat but stiffness dominates. Four to twelve months. Function is most limited here.
3. Thawing
Range gradually returns. Five months to two years or more.
Knowing which stage you are in changes the frozen shoulder treatment entirely, and it is the most useful thing an assessment establishes. Aggressive stretching during the painful freezing stage tends to inflame it further; the same stretching during the frozen and thawing stages is what restores range.
What Frozen Shoulder Treatment Looks Like
Freezing stage. Pain management, gentle movement within a comfortable range, sleep positioning, and honest information about what is happening. Being told this will take time, and why, is genuinely part of the treatment.
Frozen stage. Progressive stretching and mobilisation, at intensity you can tolerate, aimed at range.
Thawing stage. Strengthening alongside continued range work, restoring function rather than just movement.
Frozen shoulder is usually self-limiting, and most people recover substantially. Frozen shoulder physiotherapy influences how much pain you experience along the way, how much range you get back, and how quickly — which is worth a great deal over a two-year course.
Usually, eventually. But residual stiffness is common in people who receive no treatment, and the pain in the early stage is considerably more manageable with help.
Not during the freezing stage. Later, a degree of stretch discomfort is necessary. Getting this wrong in either direction slows recovery, which is why the staging matters.
It is a recognised risk factor and can mean a longer course. It does not change the treatment approach, but it is worth knowing so expectations are realistic.
A corticosteroid injection in the early painful stage can help symptoms and is worth discussing with your physician. Surgical options exist for cases that do not resolve, but most people do not need them.
Passive range. If someone else can move your arm through range but you cannot, that points to the rotator cuff. If nobody can, that points to the capsule.
Coverage & Direct Billing For Frozen Shoulder Treatment Camrose
We direct bill Alberta Blue Cross, Great-West Life, Sun Life Financial, Cowan Insurance Group, Manulife Financial, Maximum Benefit, Desjardins, Johnson Insurance and Green Shield Canada. We also handle WCB claims and motor vehicle accident claims directly.
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Book an Frozen Shoulder Treatment Appointment in Camrose
Shoulder that will not move even when someone else lifts it? Book an assessment so we can stage it properly.
Central Physiotherapy & Massage · 6028 48 Avenue, Camrose, AB · (780) 673-0573
Monday to Thursday 8:30am–7:00pm · Friday 8:30am–5:00pm