Frozen Shoulder Treatment in Wichita KS
We will answer all those questions and more!
What is frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
Bodyworx Physical Therapy specializes in treating Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder is a condition that involves a part in our shoulder called the joint capsule. For reasons only partially understood, this joint capsule will tighten up on itself, causing pain and severe tightness.
How Frozen Shoulder Starts
First, a little bit of background…Frozen shoulder is more common in the over 50 age group. There is a hormonal component to it and because of that, it is statistically more common in women than men, but we do see men with this condition as well.
Typically it starts out with either a minor injury or no injury at all, and the pain gradually continues to get worse. As that pain gets worse, we might be a little more fearful, a little bit scared that we’re aggravating it and because we don’t move that arm as much the shoulder gets tighter. When the shoulder gets tighter, it becomes more painful. As it becomes more painful, we don’t move it as much.
When we don’t move it as much, it becomes more stiff and painful, and you can see the vicious cycle that occurs.
What is the treatment for Frozen Shoulder
What is the treatment for frozen shoulder? The first thing is to make sure you come in and get examined. To begin, just come in and let us just examine you and see what’s going on as there are some other conditions (such as rotator cuff problems) that mimic frozen shoulder. Don’t make the mistake of waiting as it will take longer to get it better!
To break into that painful cycle, the main thing we need to do is actually two things. We want to try to get your pain level down, and then we’ve got to start doing some very specific and prescribed range of motion to break into that frozen area and decrease the stiffness.
After starting the CORRECT physical therapy, the pain will decrease and the shoulder WILL get better.
5 Signs of Frozen Shoulder
You may think you have frozen shoulder if for example, you have difficulty:
- Reaching to brush the back of your hair
- Reaching back to tuck in a shirt
- Reaching back to put on a jacket
- Reaching back to fasten a bra strap
- Reaching overhead
Those are all things that we want to look at and A), make sure that you don’t have a frozen shoulder, and then B), if you do, make sure we start you on the road to recovery.
What helps heal Frozen Shoulder?
Check out this interview I did with Christy. She is an active woman from Wichita, KS who unnecessarily suffered with frozen shoulder. Christy was able to make a full recovery thanks to knowing the right things to do (and not do!) She is now back to full paddleboarding and working in her garden!
By employing the correct therapy treatments along with doing her “homework” on her own, Christy couldn’t be happier and she is back to her active lifestyle!
Be wary of…
Be wary of websites that tell you it can take months or years to fix frozen shoulder. Our Bodyworx treatment regimen typically solves frozen shoulder between 3 weeks and 3 months, depending upon the severity of the condition.
Next steps if you think you may have Frozen Shoulder
If we catch frozen shoulder early, on the front end, it is so much easier to treat. The longer it goes on , the longer it takes to improve. Don’t wait to contact us.
Questions? Feel free to contact us or you’re certainly welcome to call us at 316-558-8808. We do still like to talk on the phone and we’d be happy to chat about your unique situation and see if we’d be a good fit for each other.
We even offer a free Discovery Visit via phone, video, or in person if you are unsure or skeptical if we can help (these appointments are limited).
Lastly, our goal is to always keep people mobile, active and off pain pills, so if you have other questions feel free to let us know. (316-558-8808 or contact us here)
- Until next time,
- Cody Barnett PT
- Orthopedic Physical Therapist
- Frozen Shoulder Specialist
