Medically, a frozen shoulder is called adhesive capsulitis. It’s a condition where the shoulder becomes stiff and painful, basically “freezing” the shoulder in place, preventing it from being moved easily.

This is usually due to the capsule, one of the structures around the shoulder joint, becoming inflamed. Normally, the capsule is flexible and can expand and fold as the arm moves and rotates. However, scar tissue can develop when inflammation goes on for too long. Scar tissue is much less flexible than the normal capsule, which affects how the shoulder joint can move.

In most cases, a frozen shoulder will eventually get better completely. The time it takes for a complete recovery differs depending on the person, but it will take more than a year for most people.

The symptoms of a frozen shoulder depend on the stage that the condition is in. The general symptoms are stiffness and pain in the shoulder. In some cases, the shoulder pain might get worse at night.

There are three stages in the progression of a frozen shoulder. These are the freezing, frozen, and thawing stages.

Freezing: This stage is when the pain is typically at its worst. Any movement of the shoulder causes pain. This can last around 2–9 months.

Frozen: The severity of pain reduces for most people at this point. The shoulder tends to be harder to move, though. This usually takes between 4 months and a year.

Thawing: In the thawing stage, the frozen shoulder begins to “thaw out” as the movement becomes easier. This last stage can take anywhere between 5–24 months.

For some people who develop a frozen shoulder, there is no particular trigger that can be seen. It just begins out of nowhere.

However, for many individuals, it is likely to be seen after a shoulder has been left still for a long time or after certain kinds of trauma. This could be shoulder surgery, a fracture of the humerus, or an accident.

Certain groups of people are more likely to suffer from a frozen shoulder than others:

• Individuals over 40 years old

• Women

• People living with diabetes

• People with thyroid conditions

• Having a sibling with frozen shoulder

When your physician diagnoses a frozen shoulder, it mostly depends on your symptoms and the signs that they notice during a physical examination.

During the physical exam, the physician will ask you to move your arm and also attempt to move it themselves to see how well it can move. With a frozen shoulder, your arm’s range of motion will be reduced, whether you’re moving it yourself or your doctor is. They will also take note of whether there’s any pain while they do it.

Although it is not a must in diagnosing a frozen shoulder, your doctor might ask you to do imaging tests like an X-ray or MRI. This helps to rule out any other potential causes of your symptoms.

When trying to treat a frozen shoulder, there are two goals. The first is to reduce the pain the person feels, and the second is to increase the movement at the shoulder joint.

Reducing pain - taking care of the pain this condition brings usually involves over-the-counter painkillers. These are usually NSAIDs like ibuprofen or aspirin.

Only in some instances will a doctor prescribe something stronger, such as opioids, for pain relief.

Increasing movement - physical therapy is the primary means used to reduce the stiffness in the shoulder joint. You will do many range-of-motion exercises, which are designed to help you overcome the stiffness in your shoulder.

It is important to ensure that these exercises and movements are not forceful or too painful.

Surgery - very rarely used in the treatment of a frozen shoulder. This is usually only reserved for patients who have tried all sorts of other forms of treatment but have seen no improvements.

Joint distension - a treatment that stretches the shoulder joint capsule. It’s done by injecting sterile water into the capsule and is shown to have some level of effectiveness for patients.

A flow rope is a special kind of weighted rope that you can use to exercise. It is available in different weights and is crafted to be comfortable to handle.

You can think of a flow rope as a more fun form of physical therapy. When you enjoy your physical therapy, it makes you more likely to be regular with it. That’s one of the benefits of using a flow rope.

When using your Octomoves flow rope, you’ll realize that your shoulder joint moves through its entire range of motion. There are different movements that the shoulder can go through, such as:

Flexion: When you keep your arm by your side and raise it forward.

Extension: When you keep your arm by your side and push it backward.

Internal rotation: Touching your chest with your upper arm by your side and your elbow bent 90 degrees. That's internal rotation.

External rotation: This is seen when you have your upper arm by your side and your elbow bent, and you rotate your arm away from your chest.

These motions are all activated during rope flow, giving you a fun and fluid way to move the shoulder joint and overcome its stiffness. Other shoulder issues can benefit from this too!

The Octomoves shop will get you started on your rope flow journey. If you already have a flow rope, an affordable monthly subscription will give you full access to the courses and material and even help you get guidance directly from Octomoves coaches. Rope flow could be the answer to improving your frozen shoulder.

You’ve got to keep in mind that as great as flow ropes are, it is important to attempt to take care of a frozen shoulder in a way that covers all bases.

Some people may recover well when using Octomoves flow ropes alone, but every person is different. It should also be kept in mind that not all shoulder pain is a frozen shoulder. It’s a good idea to see your physician to rule out any other more serious causes.

Flow ropes can do well to replace physical therapy, but if the pain is still considerable, you might need to add painkillers to help out.