Frozen Shoulder Canberra.

What the evidence says.

Frozen shoulder is self limiting but slowly, often eighteen months to three years untreated, and the evidence says you can meaningfully shorten and soften that course. Exercise within a tolerable range maintains function through the stiff phases, and aggressive stretching into pain reliably backfires in the early inflammatory stage. Timing is everything: what helps in the thawing phase can aggravate the freezing phase, which is why cookie cutter programs fail this condition.

How I treat it.

First, honest staging: are you freezing, frozen or thawing? The plan differs completely. Early on the goal is calming the shoulder and keeping everything around it strong, your scapula, your posture, your other arm, without provoking the joint. As it thaws, we progressively reclaim range and rebuild strength through the new motion. Massage work for the guarded neck and shoulder girdle happens in the same session, because months of protecting a painful shoulder leaves its own trail.

I will also tell you the truth about timelines, because false promises are half the misery of this condition.

What we aim for.

• Pain settled enough to sleep on, usually the first win
• Function maintained through the frozen phase: dressing, reaching, working
• Range and strength reclaimed steadily through the thaw
• A shorter, better managed course than waiting it out alone