Active range of motion therapy
Guided movement you do yourself, within what your shoulder can tolerate, to gradually win back reach and rotation.
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Frozen shoulder / Otsego, MN
Can’t reach the top shelf, fasten a seatbelt, or sleep on that side anymore? At ChiroFix in Otsego, MN, we treat frozen shoulder one person at a time, because no two frozen shoulders ever behave the same way.
The basics
Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, happens when the capsule of connective tissue around your shoulder joint thickens and tightens. The joint has less room to move, so lifting, reaching, and rotating your arm all get harder and often hurt.
It tends to move through stages: a painful “freezing” stage, a stiff “frozen” stage, and a “thawing” stage when motion slowly comes back. That can take a long time, which is why so many people tell us they’re tired of just waiting it out.
Sound familiar?
Common causes
Often there’s no single clear trigger, but some things make frozen shoulder more likely:
How we treat it
Soft tissue and fascia work is at the heart of what we do. We work through the layers of tissue around the shoulder to get to the root of the stiffness, and pick the other tools that fit where your shoulder is right now.
Guided movement you do yourself, within what your shoulder can tolerate, to gradually win back reach and rotation.
Soft tissue work around the shoulder blade, upper back, and arm to ease the guarding muscles around a stiff joint.
About gua sha & cuppingDeep acupuncture work around the shoulder and the muscles that support it. Acupuncture is with Dr. Alayna.
About acupuncture20 / 30 / 60-minute visits
Frozen shoulder isn’t a quick fix, and it isn’t something we want to rush through in ten minutes. Working the surrounding muscles, adding acupuncture, and then walking you through range of motion work all takes real time.
We book by how many areas need attention: 20 minutes for one or two, 30 minutes for three or four, and 60 minutes for the whole body. A frozen shoulder often pulls in the neck, upper back, and arm, so we’ll help you choose the length that makes sense.
As your shoulder loosens up, visits taper to maintenance, coming in only as you need. Scheduling is always up to you, and we offer packages to help with the cost.
Patients with stiff, painful shoulders come to us from Otsego, Elk River, Albertville, St. Michael, Zimmerman, Ramsey, and Rogers. Weekend appointments make it easier to keep going.
Questions
Frozen shoulder varies a lot from person to person and stage to stage, so we don’t promise a set number. We’ll build a plan after your first visit and adjust it as your shoulder changes.
We’re a cash-pay clinic and accept HSA and FSA cards. If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, we can give you a detailed invoice to submit. Coverage and reimbursement depend on your plan.
It can take many months, and sometimes a year or more, to fully work through. Care focuses on easing pain and helping you get motion back along the way.
Get medical care right away if shoulder pain comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, or sweating. Also see a doctor promptly after a fall or injury where you can’t lift your arm, or if you have fever, significant swelling, or numbness.
General information, not medical advice. We will discuss whether a therapy is appropriate for you.
Your next move
Saturday & Sunday appointments. Real people. Care on your terms.