How to Treat Frozen Shoulder With Massage

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, happens when the shoulder capsule is injured, limiting movement or making movement painful. Frozen shoulder is diagnosed when the range of movement is limited when the shoulder is moved by the patient or the attending physician. Frozen shoulder is painful, but it can be treated by a trained massage therapist.

Instructions

Types of Massage To Use

• 1

  Position the client lying face up on the massage table and perform active and passive range-of-motion testing. This will establish the extent of the adhesions to be addressed. Palpate the muscles around the shoulder, feeling for adhesions, tight bands and trigger points or knots. Note the locations on a chart or piece of paper.

• 2

  Use light rubbing and squeezing to warm the tissue in the area after isolating the adhesions causing the frozen shoulder. Thorough warming of the tissue should take just a few minutes.

• 3

  Rub the adhesions using cross-fiber friction. Start around the edges, as though you were using an eraser on them. Remember to always go across the muscle fiber, not along them. Perform this action for a few minutes on a small area, longer if the area you are working is large.

• 4

  Begin trigger point work, addressing the active trigger point first, then the satellite, or smaller points or knots.

• 5

  Complete the treatment with squeezing, kneading and rubbing of the muscles of the shoulder, and another range-of-motion test.