Westernport osteopathy
Shoulder Injuries/ Frozen shoulder
Osteopathy for Frozen Shoulder and shoulder injuries
Your shoulders play a huge role in a range of everyday movements – and who would know that better than someone who has injured their own from sports, injury or overuse. Your shoulder is made up of a complex range of bone and connective tissue that can influence your arms and neck, so let’s help treat those sore symptoms, and prevent issues in the future.
What is a “frozen shoulder”?
Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis is when the strong connective tissue known as the shoulder capsule and surrounds your ball-and-socket shoulder joint thickens and becomes tight and stiff. This causes less synovial fluid to access the joint, which lubricates the shoulder capsule and joint, reducing ease of movement.
The outcome? A stiff, painful shoulder that is incredibly difficult to move. Frozen shoulder can be described in three stages:
Freezing: This is the time where your shoulder pain slowly increases, and you may notice you are losing a range of motion within the shoulder. This can last from 6 weeks to nine months
Frozen: The pain is accompanied by stiffness. During this stage you may find it challenging to move the joint, even when helped by someone else. This can make every day tasks very challenging, and can last between 4 – 6 months.
Thawing: During this stage, your pain may reduce as your range of motion also slowly improves. However, it may take from six months to two years to find you have returned to normal or close-to-normal strength and motion.
Osteopathy for shoulder injuries
Not all shoulder issues are related to or present as a frozen shoulder. For many lifestyles, your shoulder joints carry, sometimes literally, the weight of the world.
- For sportspeople and tradespeople, this might include lifting heavy objects, or a repeated movement relying on your shoulders, such as plumbing or bricklaying.
- For those of us in office jobs, poor posture can contribute to shoulder strain due to tightening muscles across the back, causing tension that can also be felt in the neck and arms.
- Athletes and Sports Enthusiasts can experience Rotator cuff injuries with repetitive overhead motions, such as baseball, tennis, or swimming.
- The aging population might suffer from Osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint disease that commonly affects older adults, leading to shoulder pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion.
- For postoperative patients that underwent surgical procedures, such as rotator cuff repair, shoulder arthroscopy, or shoulder replacement, which may result in temporary discomfort and stiffness during the recovery process.
How may your osteopath help with shoulder pain?
Osteopaths specialise in alleviating shoulder pain by employing a comprehensive approach. They begin by conducting a thorough assessment to understand the root cause of the pain, considering factors like posture, muscle imbalances, and joint mobility. Using gentle manual techniques such as manipulation, mobilisation, and soft tissue therapy, osteopaths work to restore optimal function to the shoulder joint and surrounding tissues. Additionally, they provide personalised exercises and ergonomic advice to improve strength, flexibility, and posture, empowering patients to take an active role in their recovery. By addressing both the symptoms and underlying issues, osteopaths aim to promote long-term shoulder health and prevent recurrence of pain.
