FROZEN SHOULDER
WHAT IS IT?
Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is the gradual stiffening of the shoulder capsule itself. Unlike most shoulder issues it's not a muscle or tendon problem — the capsule surrounding the joint becomes inflamed and tight, slowly restricting how much the shoulder can move. It progresses through three phases: freezing, where pain and stiffness are increasing; frozen, where movement is severely limited; and thawing, where mobility slowly starts to return. It's disproportionately common in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, though research hasn't fully explained why. What we do know is that how you manage it through each phase matters a lot for how well and how quickly you come out the other side.
common symptoms and signs
gradual loss of shoulder movement in all directions
pain that is worse at night and disrupts sleep
difficulty reaching overhead, behind your back, or across your body
stiffness that gets progressively worse over weeks and months
a dull constant ache in the shoulder that doesn't fully go away
pain that peaks during the freezing phase then transitions to pure stiffness
Who is a good fit?
you're someone who wants to understand what's going on in your body and actually do something about it. We work best with people who are ready to be an active part of their recovery, not just lie on a table and hope for the best.
why does this happen?
Frozen shoulder can happen to anyone but it shows up disproportionately in women between 40 and 60, making it closely tied to the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause. It also has a higher prevalence in people with diabetes and thyroid conditions. In many cases there's no clear trigger — it just starts. The body initiates an inflammatory response in the shoulder capsule and the restriction follows. What we do know is that leaving it completely alone and waiting it out tends to result in a longer and more painful process than staying on top of it with care.
how we treat it
We start with a movement exam to assess where you are in the process and what the shoulder can tolerate. From there treatment is a combination of cupping, IASTM, and dry needling to maintain as much movement as possible and manage pain through each phase. The neck and mid-back are addressed too since those areas almost always start compensating when the shoulder is restricted, creating a secondary layer of tension that slows recovery down if it goes unaddressed. There is some trial and error involved since what works in the freezing phase looks different from what works in the thawing phase. The goal throughout is to keep the shoulder moving, reduce the inflammatory response, and get you through the process as efficiently as possible.
Ready to get back to moving?
Book an appointment and we'll figure out what's going on and how to fix it.