How to Prevent Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder is a disruptive health condition that can leave your shoulder feeling stiff, sore, and hard to move. It’s more common than you may realize, affecting an estimated 4% of all people, 36% of whom are also living with diabetes1. Learning how to avoid frozen shoulder relies on identifying its root causes and knowing what symptoms to be on the lookout for.

Today, we’re discussing what this medical condition is, how it comes about, symptoms to look out for, and suggestions around how to prevent frozen shoulder naturally to avoid the discomfort altogether. Continue reading for natural frozen shoulder prevention methods you can integrate into your daily routine and live your life as pain-free as possible.

What Is Frozen Shoulder and What Causes It?

The first step toward how to prevent frozen shoulder is understanding what it is and how it can develop. Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, is a medical condition characterized by your shoulder becoming stiff, painful, and hard to move. Left untreated or unchecked, frozen shoulder causes your joints to thicken and tighten, leading to even more restricted range of motion and chronic pain. 

This condition tends to be most prevalent in people ages 40 to 70 and is most commonly associated with postmenopausal women2. In addition to it being similar to other age-related diseases, people living with diabetes or thyroid disorders are typically considered more at risk than others. While there’s no singular cause of frozen shoulder, there are many commonly associated circumstances that can lead to developing the condition.

Potential causes of frozen shoulder include:

• Periods of shoulder immobility, such as after surgery or an injury.
• Shoulder joint inflammation.
• Scar tissue in your shoulder joint.
• Certain health conditions like diabetes.
• Sedentary lifestyles due to chronic pain or other health issues.

Additional Info: Are you suffering from frozen shoulder or is it another condition? Check out our guide to common shoulder pain causes and treatments after this article to learn more.

Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder

What about the symptoms of a frozen shoulder? While trying to prevent frozen shoulder may keep you from experiencing the symptoms of this condition, it’s helpful to know what they are so that you can identify them should they arise.

Understanding symptoms you might’ve experienced can also help with how to prevent frozen shoulder by giving you better insight into the potential catalyst. Early intervention may stop it from progressing as well as make it less likely you’ll have to suffer from these symptoms in the future.

Some symptoms of a frozen shoulder include:

• Stiff shoulder joints.
• Slowly increasing shoulder pain.
• Limited range of motion in your shoulder.
• Difficulty reaching or lifting.

How to Prevent Frozen Shoulder Naturally

Now that you’re more familiar with associated causes and symptoms of this condition, let’s talk about how to prevent frozen shoulder from happening in the first place. As mentioned previously, early detection and treatment of any existing symptoms alongside lifestyle adjustments is best for how to avoid frozen shoulder from happening again. By adopting a few healthy habits and routines, you can prevent frozen shoulder pain and live your life pain-free as much as possible.

Some techniques for how to prevent frozen shoulder naturally are:

1. Stretching every morning and night
2. Using a zero gravity chair for frozen shoulder prevention
3. Maintaining good posture
4. Keeping an active lifestyle

1. Stretching Every Morning and Night

One of the simplest methods for how to prevent frozen shoulder is by stretching every morning and night. Starting and ending your day with shoulder stretches prevents your shoulder joint from becoming tight or stiff and is beneficial for how to improve joint health over time. For those who are aiming to prevent frozen shoulder from happening again or trying to treat it early, stretching also helps preserve and restore your range of motion.

These stretches can be relatively basic like simple shoulder rolls, arm circles, and cross-body stretches. The best part is that you can also do them throughout the day as needed to keep your body loose and limber. Make sure to stretch both sides of your body evenly, however, to prevent excess strain on one of them.

2. Using a Zero Gravity Chair for Frozen Shoulder Prevention

Zero gravity chairs are the perfect tool for how to prevent frozen shoulder because they support so many aspects of your physical health. These ergonomic chairs are designed to keep your shoulders in alignment, reduce excess pressure and strain on your joints, and help your body recover more efficiently.

Your zero gravity chair is also built to provide the proper support your body needs to maintain good sitting posture. This is important for how to avoid frozen shoulder since poor posture can lead to shoulder strain. You can also use a zero gravity chair for neck pain relief, a symptom that can radiate from shoulder discomfort.

Bonus features of zero gravity chairs like heat therapy and massage functions make them an even more useful tool for how to prevent frozen shoulder. These additional features help your body relax more deeply and recover as you rest. Integrating a zero gravity chair into your daily routine is simple, and these versatile chairs fit seamlessly into almost any interior design style making them perfect for every home.

3. Maintaining Good Posture

Maintaining posture is critical when learning how to prevent frozen shoulder. This doesn’t just mean good posture while sitting in a zero gravity chair or on a couch, but also keeping good posture while you’re standing or sitting at your desk. When you’re slouching or hunched forward, it puts excess strain on your shoulders that can lead to tightness and discomfort. Over time, these poor posture habits increase your risk of developing frozen shoulder symptoms.

Oftentimes we don’t recognize our own poor posture habits, but making a concerted effort to correct them will make a noticeable positive impact on your health.

Additional Information: Do you have bad sitting habits? Take a look at our guide for how to fix posture while sitting after this and get the tips you need to make an improvement.

4. Keeping an Active Lifestyle

Much like adding stretching into your daily routine, being more active all around is also beneficial for how to prevent frozen shoulder. Being inactive is one of the associated causes of this condition because the muscles and tissues around your shoulder joint can stiffen when they go through periods of not being used.

Some shoulder-friendly activities you can add to your regular routine include low impact exercises like swimming or yoga. Lifting weights also helps strengthen the muscles around your shoulder joints to keep them healthy. If you’re into weightlifting, however, make sure you don’t overdo it, as it could strain your shoulder and do more harm than good.

Add Frozen Shoulder Prevention Methods to Your Routine

Taking action towards how to prevent frozen shoulder symptoms from developing is rooted in creating a few new healthy habits. These habits take relatively minimal time out of each day but can make a substantial difference in your overall long-term wellness. Add stretches or exercises that keep your shoulder joints loose and strong, practice good posture to prevent excess strain, and then take care of your body with recovery tools like a zero gravity chair.

A holistic approach to shoulder joint care can help with how to avoid frozen shoulder and make it easier to complete daily tasks.

Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.

Additional Sources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3785028/
2. https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/bones-joints-and-muscles/frozen-shoulder/causes.html