Adhesive capsulitis is a condition that gradually causes decreased range of motion in the shoulder. Also called frozen shoulder, this condition can also lead to a high level of pain, and the pain can even be felt down your arm at times. Physical therapists have several techniques that can help with the pain of this condition. Here are three methods physical therapists can use to treat frozen shoulder pain down the arm:
1. Joint mobilization
Have you ever noticed that moving a joint makes it less stiff and painful? Well, this is the reason that physical therapists use joint mobilization to treat frozen shoulder pain that runs down the arm.
Joint mobilization is a type of manual therapy that involves the therapist using their hands to move your shoulder. These movements are designed to mimic ones that are within the shoulder’s normal range of motion. The therapist uses their hands to perform the movements because they may be ones you aren’t able to do on your own. By mobilizing the shoulder joint, therapists can help reduce shoulder stiffness and pain.
2. Kinesiotherapy
Kinesiotherapy uses specially designed tape to benefit patients with many injuries and medical conditions. One issue it can help treat is frozen shoulder pain that’s running down your arm.
The tape used for kinesiotherapy is designed to gently lift the skin away from the upper arm and shoulder. This allows it to increase the blood flow to your affected shoulder, and the increased blood flow can be helpful in several ways. For instance, more blood flow means that more nutrients and oxygen can get to the affected joint and the muscles that support it. Also, endorphins have a better chance of getting to the painful shoulder when there is more blood flow. This is helpful because endorphins are the body’s natural pain relievers.
3. Trigger point therapy
Another reason you may be feeling pain down the arm when you have frozen shoulder is trigger points. Trigger points may not be something you’ve heard of, but the odds are good that you know what one feels like. Trigger points tend to feel like knots of tension in the muscles. In many cases, they feel harder than the tissue around them, and they may also be tender to the touch.
Trigger points can develop in your arm muscles when you have frozen shoulder. The reason this can happen is this condition restricts how much you’re moving the arm muscles. Also, the pain of frozen shoulder could be causing you to tense your muscles to hold the shoulder still. Together, these can lead to trigger points in your arm muscles, which can make it feel like frozen shoulder pain is spreading down your arm. Using specific pressing and massaging movements, therapists can break down trigger points, and these movements are called trigger point therapy.
Find help with frozen shoulder at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy
Do you feel like the pain of frozen shoulder is moving down your arm? Are you unable to do even basic daily tasks because your shoulder is so stiff? Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help. Our team offers free screenings that can identify which frozen shoulder symptoms you’re experiencing. This information can then be used to build a personalized treatment plan for you, and your plan will be designed to provide benefits like:
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