Frozen shoulder is a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint, making even everyday activities difficult or impossible to perform. The best exercise for frozen shoulder is a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises.
Stretching exercises help to increase range of motion and ease discomfort. For stretching, you can do cross body reaches, pendulums, and shoulder rolls. Cross body reaches involve taking one arm and crossing it over your body, gently pulling it towards the opposite shoulder. Pendulums involve standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and allowing the affected arm to hang down in front of you. Then, move your body in a circular motion while keeping the shoulder relaxed. Shoulder rolls involve slowly rotating your shoulder in circles in both directions, and can be done either standing or sitting.
Strengthening exercises help to build up the muscles in the shoulder and surrounding areas, which can help support the shoulder joint and reduce pain. For strengthening, you can do shoulder shrugs, wall slides, and external rotations. Shoulder shrugs involve standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and raising your shoulders up towards your ears, then slowly releasing them back down. Wall slides involve standing with your back against a wall, arms at your side, and sliding your arms up the wall while keeping your elbows straight. External rotations involve holding a light weight or resistance band in the hand of the affected arm and rotating the arm outwards against the resistance.
In addition to these exercises, it’s important to rest the shoulder between stretches and strengthening exercises to prevent further injury or pain. Doing these exercises regularly can help improve range of motion and reduce the symptoms of frozen shoulder.