The phenomenon of frozen shoulder is when the mobility of the shoulder joint is gradually lost due to a disease of the joint capsule. At the beginning of the disease, pain is usually impressive, which is then replaced by a progressive restriction of movement. The disease is also known as periarthropathia humeroscapularis (PHS). It can be caused by a previous shoulder disease, but also without a recognizable cause (idiopathic). Conservative therapy is in the foreground, whereby the intensity of the therapy and the choice of appropriate measures are adapted to the treatment.
Conservative treatment – exercises
The Frozen Shoulder is a conservative treatment. In addition to electrotherapy, heat applications and massages, an appropriate exercise program is also very important. Particularly at the beginning of the disease, care should be taken not to overstrain the shoulder and to exercise only in the pain-free area.
The main purpose of the Frozen Shoulder Treatment is to improve mobility. Gentle pendulum exercises are recommended at the beginning. Here the joint is mobilized without having to move it against gravity.
1) Pendulum From a standing position, the patient leans forward slightly so that his arms hang loosely forward on his body. Now he lets his arm swing gently and without much effort like a pendulum, slightly forward and backward. The upper body remains still, only the shoulder should be exercised.
Small water bottles can also be taken in the hand. The weight can exert a pleasant light pull on the joint. 2) Abduction Another easy exercise is to mobilize the abduction (spreading) of the arm at the table.
The patient sits at a certain distance to the side of a table or a suitable smooth surface. The height of the pad should be high enough so that the patient can comfortably place the forearm on it. Now he pushes the forearm away from the body parallel to the surface and tilts towards the table, the shoulder is not raised!
The movement should fall slightly. It serves to improve the spreading of the arm. Then the patient returns to the starting position.
Mobilization exercises like this can be performed about 20 times in a row in 3-4 sets. They should be comfortable and should not strain the joint or the muscles. Further exercises for a frozen shoulder can be found in the article: Exercises for a frozen shoulderIn the course of treatment the intensity of the exercises can be increased.
Aids such as the Theraband can also be used. Such exercises not only improve mobility but also strengthen the body. 1) The patient stands with the right foot on the Theraband.
He stands upright, his knees are slightly bent. With his left hand he grasps the Theraband and lifts his arm up over his head (as if reaching for something in a shelf behind him), then he returns his arm to its original position. They are performed in 3-4 sets of 15 repetitions.
2) To strengthen the rotation in the shoulder joint, the Theraband can be held relatively tight with both hands in front of the body. The elbows rest against the chest and are bent about 90°. Now the hands are led outwards without the elbows moving away from the body.
This exercise trains the external rotation in the shoulder joint. It can also be performed with one arm first and then with the other. These exercises are somewhat more intensive than pure mobilization exercises. They are performed in 3-4 sets of 15 repetitions. Comprehensive exercises with the Theraband and information on it can be found in the following articles listed here:
- Theraband
- Exercises with the Theraband
