Here’s Some Easy to Do Best Exercises for Frozen Shoulder
Are you a guy who loves international chest exercise bench press but can’t do it due to bad shoulders or, say, the worst suffering from frozen shoulder, or you’re someone in the late 50s suffering from the frozen shoulder? Then don’t worry, here we’ve some exercises for the frozen shoulder that’ll work as a cornerstone for reducing the frozen shoulder pain that makes you grumpy.
Here’s the Best Exercise for Frozen Shoulder
Below are some of the best exercises for frozen shoulder you can consider:
- Pendulum Stretch
- Towel Stretching
- Finger Walk
- Cross-Body Reach
- Stretching of Armpit
- Standing Extensions
Pendulum Stretch
It’s an easy to perform exercise that doesn’t put much stress on your shoulder.
First, relax your shoulder, stand straight, and slightly lean over while allowing your arm affected by the frozen shoulder to hang down. Now, swing your arm and try to make a small circle, for instance, about one foot in diameter. Go for ten rounds in each direction once a day. And, as you start seeing improvement without too much force, try to increase the diameter of your swing.
Once you get comfortable, try to increase the stretch by holding a light three to five pounds weight and swing your arm.
Towel Stretching
Once you get comfortable with the above pendulum stretching exercise, let’s move ahead and try to progress with the arm movement. Get a three feet long towel and hold it from the end. Furthermore, from behind your back, try to grab the opposite end from another hand.
Once you hold it in the horizontal position, use your unaffected arm and pull that arm with frozen shoulder towards upward and stretch it.
Likewise, when you get comfortable, you can even make it a bit advanced by draping the towel over your unaffected shoulder. Hold the towel from the bottom using your injured arm and pull towards the lower back using an unaffected arm. Try to do around ten to thirty times daily.
Finger Walk
It’s another exercise for frozen shoulder where your fingers do the job. First, stand facing a wall three quarters away of your arm’s length. Now, touch the wall at your waist level with your fingertips of the arm that’s affected. Now, start the spider-like walk with your fingertips until you can raise your arm without feeling any pain or discomfort.
Likewise, slowly start lowering your arm using another arm and repeat the steps. Lastly, do this exercise ten to thirty times daily.
Cross-Body Reach
It’s another stretching exercise for the frozen shoulder where you can do it while sitting or standing. All you require to do is lift your affected arm from the elbow and try to bring it across your body while exerting slight pressure to stretch your shoulder. Try to hold for 15 to 30 seconds and then gently release it. Repeat the steps around ten to thirty times on a daily basis.
Stretching of Armpit
With the help of your good arm, lift that affected arm and rest it on a shelf about your chest high and bend your knees gently while opening your armpit. Keep bending your knee slightly and gently stretch your armpit and then straighten it.
Likewise, for every knee bend, also try to stretch a little further without any force. And, do this around ten to thirty times daily till your frozen shoulder issue is not resolved.
Standing Extensions
It’s another recommended and best exercise for frozen shoulder, where you stand straight and hold the bar horizontally from the back of your body.
- Keep your arms about shoulder-width apart, and position your hands in a way that your hand knuckles face towards the ground.
- Now, lift your arms in an upward direction from the back till you feel a stretch.
Lastly, repeat it from ten to twenty times, and for each repetition, hold it for around five to ten seconds at the top.
Massage for Frozen Shoulder
Apart from frozen shoulder exercise, you can also consider massage. Though, it’s recommended that you consult your physical therapist and ask them to recommend you appropriate massages to relieve frozen shoulder pain according to how much it’s serious. Likewise, ask them to help you do it correctly because any mistake can lead to further complications.
However, if you’ve got a foam roller, you can consider doing some foam roller massages for your frozen shoulder.
Underarm Massage w/ Foam Roller
- Put a foam roller below your underarm of the frozen shoulder-affected arm.
- Now, lay down and rest your arm on the floor.
- Start lengthening your arm by pushing yourself forward.
- Gently roll back and forth over that foam roller.
- Keep doing for 1 to 1.5 minutes.
Massage Your Shoulder Using Foam Roller
- Keep a foam roller under the underarm of the affected one.
- Lengthen your arm while keeping your hand on the affected arm extended upward.
- Now, roll back and forth for a minute.
Engage in Strengthening Your Shoulders
Once your range of motion improves and you start getting flexible, you can add one or two strengthening exercises. For example, adding rotator cuff strengthening exercise is a good start. Though, be sure that you’re not missing on above exercise and you’ve warm up your shoulders and have done the stretching exercise.
Outward Rotation
Get an exercise band and hold it with your hands, keeping elbows at a 90-degree angle. With the affected arm, try to move your arm outward 2 to 3 inches and hold it for five to ten seconds. Repeat it 10 to 20 times daily.
Inward Rotation
It’s another strengthening exercise for the frozen shoulder, where you do the opposite of outward rotation. Here you stand beside a closed door, and around the doorknob, you hook an exercise band.
Further, hold the other end of an exercise band with an affected arm while keeping your elbow at an angle of 90-degree. Likewise, pull that exercise band towards your body from two to three inches and hold for five to ten seconds. Repeat it around ten to twenty times.
Benefits of Foam Roller Massage & Stretching Exercise for Frozen Shoulder
Foam rolling massaging, and stretching exercises for frozen shoulder are very beneficial to treat the pain. For example,
- Massage helps in relieving tightness and tension and relaxes your shoulder muscle. Likewise, it helps in getting back mobility and improves shoulder functioning. Lastly, it also helps in improving blood flow to the affected area while reducing inflammation.
- Stretching helps in improving flexibility, lengthening muscle fibers, and increasing range of motion.
Wrapping Up
If you’re suffering from a frozen shoulder and have questions such as what is the best exercise for the frozen shoulder that you can do easily, then these are some of the exercises you can do from the comfort of your home.
Though these exercises aren’t that risky to perform, we still insist that if you’re having severe pain due to a frozen shoulder, then it’s best to consult your doctor and start doing the exercises mentioned and taught by them. And then once you get comfortable, you can also start adding these exercises, if it’s present in this list and isn’t given by your doctor. Good luck!
FAQs
Below are some of the frequently asked questions regarding frozen shoulders.
What’s the Fastest Way to Heal a Frozen Shoulder?
A bag of ice packs applied to an affected shoulder for ten to fifteen minutes two to three times a day can reduce pain.
Can Exercise Prove Beneficial for Frozen Shoulder?
As mentioned in this article, routine stretching exercises may help most people relieve frozen shoulder pain and improve their range of motion. However, improvement takes time, and you should be persistent with the stretching exercises till it’s not entirely healed.
What Should You Eat for Frozen Shoulder?
The intake of raw fruits rich in proteolytic enzymes such as papaya, pineapple, and cherries helps reduce inflammation. Likewise, increasing omega – 3 fats from fish, walnuts, or dietary supplements can also prove beneficial.
What Food Should You Avoid During Frozen Shoulder?
People suffering from frozen shoulder should avoid all Vata-aggravating diets such as frozen foods, fast food, carbonated drinks, packaged food, ice cream, stimulants such as coffee or alcohol.
