Understanding Adhesive Capsulitis
Frozen shoulder, medically known as adhesive capsulitis, involves severe idiopathic inflammation and thickening of the shoulder's connective tissue capsule. It restricts active and passive movement equally. Without targeted intervention, it can persist painfully for up to 2-3 years. Our clinic utilizes advanced, phase-specific mobilization to prevent long-term functional restriction and dramatically condense the recovery timeline.
The Three Clinical Phases
- 1. Freezing (Painful) Phase: Severe, progressive pain at rest, particularly worse at night. Range of motion begins to drastically decline.
- 2. Frozen (Adhesive) Phase: Pain begins to subside, but significant global stiffness limits almost all shoulder function, notably external rotation and overhead reaching.
- 3. Thawing (Recovery) Phase: Spontaneous, gradual return of mobility. Our treatment radically accelerates progression into and through this phase.
Our Treatment Plan
Phase 1: Pain Modulation & Joint Distraction
Grade I/II joint mobilizations to gate pain neurologically and maintain minimum capsular volume without triggering painful inflammatory flares.
Phase 2: Aggressive Capsular Stretching
Once pain subsides, we introduce strict end-range multidirectional structural mobilizations to physically break down fibrotic capsular adhesions.
Phase 3: Scapulothoracic Strengthening
Retraining the stabilizing muscles around the shoulder blade to prevent compensatory movement patterns acquired during the frozen phase.