How To Use An Umbrella To Improve Frozen Shoulder (3 Steps)

September 18, 2024

Frozen Shoulder

How to Use an Umbrella for Your Frozen Shoulder

Hi, it’s Satoru from hariQ acupuncture & herbs. In this blog post, I’d like to share a stretching technique with you: using an umbrella to increase your range of motion. The technique I use is called Active Assisted Stretching Exercise. Essentially, you stretch your shoulder with extra support to increase the range of motion. I hope these stretches help you regain mobility in your shoulder so you can reach behind your back or comb your hair again soon.

We understand this can be a lot of information and overwhelming: if you are looking for more support and answers, set up a free consultation with our Frozen Shoulder Specialist, Satoru Ozawa. Share your story, get your questions answered, and learn how you can set yourself up for tremendous success in achieving a healthy life.

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What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is characterized by stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. 4 Major Symptoms include:

Gradual onset of pain
Limited range of motion
Difficulty sleeping on the affected side
Pain that worsens at night

1. Gradual onset of pain

During the freezing stage, pain in your shoulder gradually increases sometimes pain can radiate down to the arm. This is known as referred pain, and it can cause discomfort and limited movement in the arm in addition to the shoulder. The brachial plexus, which is made up of nerve bundles that pass through the shoulder, is most likely affected by pain radiating down to the arm.

2. Limited range of motion

After about six months following the freezing stage, your shoulder capsules and muscles around the shoulder become tensed up and unable to move, which is called the frozen stage. During this stage, you may not experience much pain in your shoulder. However, you will notice a significant reduction in the mobility of your shoulder, making it difficult to reach behind your back or comb your hair. Essentially, any overhead activities will be challenging.

3. Difficulty sleeping on the affected side

If you are a side sleeper, this symptom will be particularly tough for you because you feel pain when you lie on your side, especially at night. It’s really difficult to lie on the affected side because of the pressure on the shoulder.

4. Shoulder pain worse at night

Many patients frequently report increased pain at night, which disrupts their sleep. Some are unable to sleep at all because of the pain. This creates a vicious cycle because lack of sleep can slow down the recovery process.

Active Assisted Stretching for Frozen Shoulder

When you do active-assisted stretching exercises, you move your shoulder joints with a little help from a cane or stick, or an umbrella. This kind of exercise helps you become more flexible and stronger, improves circulation, and lowers the risk of shoulder joint stiffness.

You can use an umbrella to support your shoulder movement and push a little bit more when your shoulder mobility is limited, such as in a frozen shoulder.

1. Active Assisted Abduction

Suppose you’re dealing with frozen shoulder in your left shoulder, grab a chair and an umbrella. Sit down comfortably, and then gently move your left shoulder outward as far as you comfortably can. If you experience any discomfort, use the umbrella with your other hand to push and help raise your shoulder a little further. Hold there for 6 seconds, then relax, and then repeat this process 5 more times.

2. Active Assisted External Rotation

The second exercise is external rotation of your shoulder. Sit down, and bend your elbow 90 degrees and gently move your hand outward as far as you comfortably can. If you experience any discomfort, use the umbrella with your other hand to push and help turn your shoulder a little further. Hold there for 6 seconds then relax, and then repeat this process 5 more times.

3. Active Assisted Flexion

The final exercise is shoulder flexion. Sit down, straighten your arm, and gently move your hand forward as far as you comfortably can. If you experience any discomfort, you can use your other hand to help raise your shoulder a little further. Hold the position for 6 seconds, then relax and repeat this process 5 more times.

Heat Therapy

I use a near-infrared heat lamp in my acupuncture clinic. This type of therapy uses light to generate heat in the body’s tissues. It involves using a device that emits near-infrared light, penetrating the skin and being absorbed by the body’s cells and tissues. The absorbed light energy is then converted into heat, which can help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and speed up tissue repair.

Using a heat pack can help loosen your muscles, increase blood flow, and soften your tissues, which can improve your range of motion and reduce pain. For instance, you can use a heat pack made for the neck. You can also tuck the pack into your clothes and apply it directly to your shoulder for extra relief.

You can also apply a hot shower to your shoulder every night to loosen up the tightness. While applying a hot shower to your shoulder, you can also perform the stretching exercise from Step 3, called the pendulum, to further increase the range of motion.

How To Use A Water Bottle To Stretch For Frozen Shoulder (3 Steps)

Another stretching technique is using a bottle of water to release the tension of the rotator cuff muscles and loosen up the joint capsules. These stretches help open up the shoulder joint and create more space, improving your range of motion. How To Use A Water Bottle To Stretch For Frozen Shoulder (3 Steps)

Important Note

By following these 3 Steps of active assisted stretching regularly, you can accelerate the healing process and avoid the necessity of steroid shots or prolonged suffering from frozen shoulder. However, if you continue to experience difficulty with shoulder movement, you may want to try alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, before opting for painful injections.

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We'll be happy to answer your questions.

Is Acupuncture Effective for Frozen Shoulder?

Yes. Acupuncture is very effective for frozen shoulder. We examined your shoulder mobility and muscle tightness during the initial acupuncture session. You may be unable to bend forward or lean back due to pain. The treatments focused on reducing inflammation and swelling and restoring movement in the shoulder. Acupuncture has been shown in many studies to be incredibly practical in reducing pain and inflammation due to its ability to stimulate the body to release its natural painkillers. So, you start feeling relieved from the pain after each session.

When Should I start Acupuncture?

As a general rule of thumb, the sooner one receives treatment, the better the prognosis. Some patients come for frozen shoulder treatment months or even years after the initial onset, and these chronic cases are often more complex and take a much longer time to achieve results. Even then, recovery is not guaranteed.

How Often Should I Schedule Acupuncture Sessions?

Regarding the frequency of treatments, Acupuncture follows a simple rule. Acute and relatively new conditions are most effectively treated with more frequent visits, whereas chronic and old conditions can benefit from more widespread treatments. In other words, if you just had an onset of frozen shoulder, you will probably be prescribed 2-3 treatments per week in order to get the most effective results, and chronic cases will generally come in only once a week.

If you or a loved one was diagnosed with a shoulder pain and want to learn more about acupuncture and whether it’s appropriate for your case, send us a message through our contact page. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post! I appreciate your interest and hope to see you again for future posts.