If your shoulders feel like they’ve been touched by Elsa from the beloved children’s movie — Frozen — since menopause, and movement becomes stiff and limited...

You might have a bad case of the frozen shoulders.

What exactly is Frozen Shoulders?

Frozen shoulders, or Adhesive Capsulitis (AC), is the inflammation of the “shoulder capsule” where the collarbone, scapula, and upper arm bone meet.

A common symptom among women in menopause and midlife, frozen shoulders are also known as “fifties shoulders”. 

In simpler terms, due to increased inflammation levels during menopause, the muscle of the joint gets thicker and tighter, and over time, adhesive bands of tissue form in the joint. 

As a result, full range of motion (particularly reaching over your head or behind your back) becomes more and more painful until finally it’s all but impossible.

How long does it last, and can it be reversed?

Frozen shoulder symptoms usually show themselves in 3 distinct phases.

Each phase can last several months, and it can take 9 months to 2 years to regain full shoulder mobility.

Freezing / Painful phase: Pain gradually worsens over time and prevents you from moving your shoulders. Your range of motion will also gradually decrease.

Frozen phase: Pain gradually decreases, however the stiffness will still remain.

Thawing phase: Pain lessens, and movement gradually improves.

So, to get you through these 3 phases, we’ve gathered some lifestyle tips, recommended by rheumatologists to ease the onset of a frozen shoulder:

Tip #1: Check whether it’s really a frozen shoulder

To make sure what you truly have is a frozen shoulder, here is a quick self assessment you can do by yourself:

1. Stand in front of a mirror or have a companion observe you as you move your arm and shoulder. Look out for how much and how well you can move your shoulders. 

2. Slowly raise both arms up in front of you and overhead. If you have a “frozen shoulder,” your painful arm may only raise to a point just past parallel with the floor. Plus, your shoulder blade will rise up unnaturally and your painful shoulder may move up towards your ear. As you lift your arm, you may also feel pain in your shoulder. Slowly lower your arm.

3. Now, slowly lift your arm out to the side, again observing the amount of motion. If your shoulder only goes up to a point that is just level with the floor and it is painful, then you may have a “frozen shoulder.” Your shoulder may also move up towards your ear like in the previous motion test. 

4. Finally, stand with both arms at your side and keep your elbows bent to 90 degrees. While keeping your elbows tucked into your sides, rotate your arms out. This direction of motion is called external rotation. If you have a “frozen shoulder,” the painful side will not rotate as far as your non-painful arm.

Tip #2: Use heat / cold treatments

Heat treatments can include taking a long, warm shower or bath in the morning to help ease stiffness and using an electric blanket or moist heating pad to reduce discomfort overnight.

Cold treatments can help relieve joint pain, swelling, and inflammation. Wrap a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel and apply it to painful joints for quick relief.

Tip #3: Keep it moving

Even though it hurts, The more you move your joints, the stronger the supporting muscles become, leading to less pain and more range of motion and stability.

So make it a habit to move your arms often, every hour or so if you can.

Tip #4: Aim for Hormonal Balance

If you only started experiencing frozen shoulders ever since menopause, chances are the hormonal imbalance might be the culprit for your predicament.

Falling estrogen levels are thought to be one of the main causes of joint pain during menopause. Estrogen is responsible for regulating fluid levels in the body, and lower levels can affect the hydration and lubrication of the joint tissues, including the cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

Furthermore, fluctuating estrogen levels can also rise to underlying, low-grade inflammation, which can lead to joint pains.

What diets are good for frozen shoulders

The Mediterranean diet, which has been recognized as one of the healthiest diets in the world, is packed with some of the best anti-inflammatory foods. 

In fact, research has identified the Mediterranean diet as the closest thing to an "anti-inflammatory diet" — because of its emphasis on healthy whole foods that deliver vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help ward off inflammation.

Tips before making your Mediterranean diet

1. Eat more legumes 
2. Don’t overdo it with alcohol. 
3. Make meat a side. 
4. Eat fewer sweets. 
5. Cook with olive oil.

Here’s what to eat and skip when you’re making your meals more Mediterranean:

Protein

Eat Liberally — Beans, Lentils, Chickpeas, Tofu, Tempeh

Eat Occasionally — Chicken, Fish, Seafood, Eggs

Rarely or Never — Red meat (beef and pork), Bacon, Processed meat products (e.g., chicken nuggets)

Oil & Fat

Eat Liberally — Extra-virgin olive oil, Avocado and avocado oil, Olives

Eat Occasionally — Canola oil

Rarely or Never — Trans fatsMargarineButter

Fruits & Veggies

Eat Liberally — Non-starchy veggies (including zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, artichokes, and dark greens), 

Starchy veggies (including sweet potatoes, potatoes, and root vegetables), 

Fruits (including peaches, cherries, apricots) and berries (like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries).

Occasionally — There are no off-limits fruits or vegetables

Rarely or Never — There’s no fruit or veggie that is off-limits!

Nuts & Seeds

Eat Liberally — While they can be part of every day, eat them in moderation.

Eat Occasionally — Almonds, Pistachios, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Cashews (and all other unsweetened nuts).

Rarely or Never — Sweetened trail mixes, Sweetened nut butters, Sugar-coated nuts

Grains

Eat Liberally — Whole-grain bread (look for whole-wheat flour as the first ingredient), Whole grains (like farro, bulgur wheat, barley, and quinoa), Oatmeal (opt for steel-cut or old-fashioned)

Eat Occasionally — Pasta (choose whole-wheat pasta whenever possible), Couscous, Whole-grain crackers, Polenta, All-bran cereals

Rarely or Never — Frozen waffles and pancakes, Sugar-sweetened cereals, Crackers and other snack foods

Dairy

Eat Liberally — These are consumed in moderation as well.

Eat Occasionally — Plain Greek yogurt, Cheese (including plain ricotta, cottage cheese, brie, feta, or goat cheese), Milk.

Rarely or Never — Ice cream, Sweetened yogurt, Processed cheese

Sweeteners

Eat Liberally — These are consumed in moderation

Eat Occasionally — Honey, A small amount of added sugar, for example, in coffee or tea 

Rarely or Never — White sugar

Condiments & Sauces

Eat Liberally — Tomato sauce (no sugar added), Pesto, Balsamic vinegar

Eat Occasionally — Aioli, Tahini, Tzatziki

Rarely or Never — Barbecue sauce, Ketchup, Teriyaki sauce

Drinks

Eat Liberally — Water, Coffee, Tea

Eat Occasionally — Red wine or other alcohol

Rarely or Never — Soda, Fruit juice, Bottled sweetened coffee

Herbs & Spices

Eat Liberally — All dried herbs and spices, All fresh herbs, Garlic

Eat Occasionally — Salting food to taste

Rarely or Never — There’s no reason to restrict these in your foods.

Stretches that helps “thaw” frozen shoulders

Doing a bit of stretching improves flexibility, increases range of motion, and lengthens muscle fibers.

It also alleviates pain and discomfort allowing you to feel more at ease as you go about your daily activities, so you’re more likely to stay active.

We will be showing you 4 stretches recommended by physical therapists to prime your shoulder muscles for movement by warming up the affected area. 

So do these stretches to your point of sensation without causing pain. 

Be gentle and avoid forcing any of the movements. Do these stretches several times throughout the day:

Exercise #1: Towel stretch

• From standing, use both hands to hold a dishtowel horizontally behind your back.

• Use your opposite arm to pull your affected arm upward.

• Stretch and lengthen the muscles in your affected shoulder and arm.

• Hold this position for a few seconds.

• Repeat 5 times.

Exercise #2: Cross-body reach

• From sitting or standing, place your unaffected hand on your affected elbow.

• Draw your affected arm across your body.

• Use gentle pressure to lift your elbow and stretch your shoulder.

• Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.

• Repeat 5 times.

Exercise #3: Hand-behind-back stretch

This stretch requires more mobility, so you may not be able to do it right away, so stretch as far as you can go.

• From standing, place your affected arm behind your back.

• Use your opposite hand to take hold of this wrist.

• Gently stretch your affected arm by moving it toward the opposite buttock.

• Gently move it as far up as possible.

• Hold this position for a few seconds.

• Repeat 5 times.

Exercise #4: Overhead stretch

• Reach up over your head with both arms.

• Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.

• Repeat 5 times

PS. These tips will definitely help to thaw and help you regain movement in your shoulders!

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