Frozen Shoulder Isn’t Forever – Here’s How We Thaw It Out
You Can’t Brush Your Hair. You Can’t Reach Your Back. Your Shoulder’s Just… Stuck.
At first, it was a nagging stiffness.
Now it feels like your shoulder is locked in place.
You try to lift your arm and… nothing. Just pain and resistance.
Sound familiar?
If so, you might be dealing with frozen shoulder—also known as adhesive capsulitis.
It’s a condition that can feel cruel and confusing.
Because it doesn’t just hurt—it limits you.
You can’t dress properly.
Can’t sleep on that side.
Can’t do even basic things without gritting your teeth.
But here’s the truth: frozen shoulder isn’t forever.
You just need the right plan to thaw it out.
What Actually Is Frozen Shoulder?
Your shoulder joint is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue.
With frozen shoulder, that capsule becomes tight, inflamed, and thickened—locking up your range of motion.
It usually unfolds in three stages:
1. Freezing Phase
Pain increases. Motion decreases. Everything feels worse at night.
2. Frozen Phase
Pain may plateau—but stiffness becomes the real problem. Your shoulder feels locked.
3. Thawing Phase
Gradually, range of motion returns… but without help, this can take 1–3 years.
That’s right—years.
Unless you intervene the smart way.
So, What Thaws a Frozen Shoulder?
At Physiotherapy Ballincollig, we help you break out of the freeze—safely and efficiently.
Not with aggressive yanking.
Not with endless rest.
But with targeted, progressive movement and therapy that matches your phase of recovery.
Phase 1: Control the Pain, Calm the Inflammation
In the early stage, it’s all about soothing the joint.
We use:
Gentle passive mobilisations
Soft tissue release around the shoulder girdle
Pain management techniques (heat, manual therapy, movement control)
This gets the shoulder ready to move without triggering flare-ups.
Phase 2: Restore Controlled Movement
As the pain lessens, we shift to guided mobility work:
Pendulum swings
Wall walks
Passive and active-assisted range of motion
Scapular re-education drills
We focus on low-load, high-frequency movement.
That means just enough to create change—without causing setbacks.
Phase 3: Strengthen to Regain Function
Once mobility is back on the table, it’s time to build strength:
Theraband resistance work
Shoulder blade control drills
Rotator cuff stability training
Functional movements (reaching, lifting, pushing)
These aren’t just “exercises.”
They’re your roadmap back to dressing yourself, reaching high, and sleeping without pain.
Why DIY Rehab Often Doesn’t Work
YouTube videos won’t assess your stage.
Generic stretches can aggravate your joint if done too soon—or too hard.
That’s why you need a Chartered Physiotherapist Cork to guide your recovery.
Someone who knows how to read your shoulder’s signals.
And progress you safely—without dragging it out for years.
Real Talk: Frozen Shoulder Is Frustrating—But It’s Beat‑able
We get it. It’s slow. It’s stiff. It’s painful.
But with the right plan from Rehab Services Ballincollig, you can break free faster than you think.
We’ve helped patients in their 40s, 50s, 60s regain near-full shoulder function—even when they were told to “just wait it out.”
You don’t need to suffer in silence.
And you definitely don’t need to accept stiffness as your new normal.
