Frozen Shoulder & Bowen Therapy
Shoulder pain can be incredibly frustrating. Whether it’s reaching into a cupboard, getting dressed, brushing your hair or finding a comfortable sleeping position, everyday activities can become difficult when your shoulder starts to stiffen up.
For some people, this may be a condition known as frozen shoulder. At BowenWorks, I understand how much ongoing pain and stiffness can affect daily life. Understanding the condition and exploring suitable support options can help you approach recovery with greater confidence.
What Is Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, occurs when the connective tissue capsule surrounding your shoulder joint becomes inflamed, thickened and tight. This restricts movement and can cause persistent pain.
According to Healthdirect Australia, frozen shoulder is more common in people over 40, particularly women and people with diabetes. It can also develop following an injury, surgery or a period of reduced shoulder movement. Sometimes, there is no obvious cause.
Recognising the Signs
Frozen shoulder often develops gradually and progresses through three stages:
- Freezing: Pain increases, movement becomes restricted and sleeping may become difficult.
- Frozen: Pain may settle, but stiffness continues to limit everyday activities.
- Thawing: Shoulder movement gradually improves.
Recovery can take many months and sometimes several years. If you experience persistent shoulder pain or stiffness, consult your GP or an appropriately qualified health professional to confirm the cause and discuss treatment options.
Why Does Frozen Shoulder Take So Long to Improve?
Your shoulder relies on muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue to provide stability and movement. When pain develops, you may naturally move your arm less to protect it. However, reduced movement can contribute to further stiffness.
As explained by Harvard Health Publishing, the joint capsule can thicken and contract, making normal movement increasingly difficult.
Finding the right balance between managing pain and maintaining gentle, appropriate movement is an important part of recovery.
How Bowen Therapy May Help
Bowen Therapy is a gentle, hands-on technique using precise rolling movements over muscles and soft tissues, with short pauses between movements.
At BowenWorks, I take a whole-body approach, considering how changes in movement may affect other areas. When someone has frozen shoulder, they may tighten their neck muscles, alter their posture or overuse their opposite shoulder to compensate.
Bowen Therapy may offer a complementary approach to managing associated muscular tension and supporting general comfort. Depending on your needs, sessions may focus on:
- Relaxing muscles around the shoulder, neck and upper back.
- Addressing tension associated with altered movement patterns.
- Supporting comfort during everyday activities.
What Does the Research Say?
A pilot study by Bernie Carter, published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine in 2001, investigated Bowen Technique in 20 people with frozen shoulder. Participants reported improvements in shoulder movement, pain and daily activities.
While these findings are encouraging, the study was small and had no control group. It therefore cannot establish that Bowen Technique caused the improvements. Further research is needed to determine its effectiveness.
You can read the study here: Carter (2001) – A Pilot Study of Bowen Technique for Frozen Shoulder.
Bowen Therapy should therefore be viewed as a complementary approach, not a proven cure or replacement for medical care and rehabilitation.
Supporting Your Shoulder During Recovery
There are several ways to support your shoulder while recovering:
Keep movement gentle. Appropriate exercises may help maintain mobility, but forcing your shoulder through significant pain can aggravate symptoms. A physiotherapist or Accredited Hand Therapist can recommend suitable exercises.
Manage discomfort. Heat or ice may help some people. Your GP can advise on appropriate pain relief and other treatment options.
Seek professional support. The Australian Hand Therapy Association describes treatment options that may include rehabilitation, pain management, corticosteroid injections and, in some cases, hydrodilatation or surgery. Treatment depends on your symptoms and individual circumstances.
If your pain is severe, worsening or not improving, seek advice from your GP.
Finding Your Way Back to Comfortable Movement
Frozen shoulder can be frustrating, particularly when simple tasks become difficult and progress feels slow. With appropriate care, pain management and gradual rehabilitation, many people experience improvements over time.
Bowen Therapy may provide a gentle, complementary way to address surrounding muscular tension and support comfort during recovery. While early research is interesting, more evidence is needed to understand its effectiveness for frozen shoulder.
At BowenWorks, my aim is to provide gentle, individualised support to help you move with greater ease and confidence. If shoulder stiffness or discomfort is affecting your daily life, get in touch to discuss whether Bowen Therapy may be a suitable addition to your care plan.