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We all know that massage therapy can be a great way to relieve pain and tension, but a frozen shoulder is actually one of the best reasons you should go for a regular session. Frozen shoulder happens when your rotator cuff muscles tighten up and cause an inflammation of the joint capsule. Many people don’t realize they have frozen shoulder until it’s too late because there are no symptoms at first or they mistake them for something else like arthritis. This blog post will help you learn more about frozen shoulder and what massage therapy can do to help!

What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is a condition that affects the joints of your shoulder. It’s also called adhesive capsulitis and can affect anyone, but it’s more common in those over 40 years old. Frozen shoulder happens when there is inflammation around the tendons which causes them to tighten up and eventually become frozen into place so you can’t move your arm.

While frozen shoulder by itself isn’t dangerous, it can be very painful and make everyday activities difficult to do like driving or cooking!

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Causes of Frozen Shoulder

There are several reasons frozen shoulder can happen. Many people think that it’s caused by an injury, but actually most of the time there is no specific cause identified.

However, some injuries like whiplash or a car accident have been known to make frozen shoulder worse because if you injure your rotator cuff then they may tighten up more easily.

Other reasons it may happen are too much stress, obesity, arthritis, and diabetes. Luckily massage therapy can help!

Treatment Options for Frozen Shoulder

Since the frozen shoulder is caused by the tightening of your tendons, massage therapy can help! Massage helps to loosen up your tightened muscles and increase blood flow which decreases inflammation.

Massage also increases lymphatic drainage which eases pain in the area. There are even some studies that show massage may actually release endorphins that block pain signals to your brain.

If a frozen shoulder happens because of an injury, massage therapy can also help with the healing process by increasing blood flow and releasing toxins from the site so it can heal faster.

There are several other treatments like heat or cold packs applied directly to the area which may decrease inflammation as well. There are even some medications that can be prescribed by a doctor to help with frozen shoulder.

However, massage therapy is one of the best ways to relieve pain and get you back on your feet again!

Massage Techniques to Relieve Pain 

Massage therapy for frozen shoulder should focus on the upper back and around your arm because those are where you feel most of the pain.

It’s a good idea to work with a massage therapist to learn some techniques so that way you can help ease your frozen shoulder at home as well!

Massage therapists may also use some heat or cold packs while applying deep pressure which can be very soothing! If you do this at home, make sure to do it for at least 20 minutes each time.

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Health Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is not just good for frozen shoulder, but can actually help with many other symptoms like fatigue or stress. Massages increase blood flow to the muscles which helps them get more oxygen and nutrients so they work better.

There are even studies that show massages may help decrease cortisol levels in your body too! Cortisol is a stress hormone so if you have high levels of cortisol, frozen shoulder can be more likely to happen.

Studies also show that massages may actually help decrease your blood pressure too! If you are at risk for cardiovascular disease or diabetes which are both common with frozen shoulder it’s important to get regular massages because they might lower this risk.

There are many other injuries that massage therapy can be helpful with as well like headaches or lower back pain which is why it’s good for everyone to get massages regularly!

How Often to Get a Massage Session

Getting a massage every week may be the best way to get relief for your frozen shoulder, but if you can only afford one or two sessions it’s okay to do that instead. Having regular massage therapy sessions is important to get it under control!

Frozen shoulder is one of the best reasons to go for regular massage sessions. It’s hard to know if you’ve got it until too late, but there are some tell-tale signs that will let you know what’s going on with your body and arm. Do you feel weakness or pain in either of these areas? Is there pain in your arm when reaching overhead? Does your arm hurt at night while sleeping? If so, contact our team today! Our students can help get rid of its symptoms quickly through a variety of treatment options. You don’t have to suffer from this debilitating condition any longer! Book an appointment today by contacting us online or giving us a call at (325) 646-4272.