Return to Featured Posts and Health Information

Unlocking The Mystery Of Frozen Shoulder

According to Wikipedia, Frozen shoulder (also known as Adhesive capsulitis ) is a painful and disabling disorder of unclear cause in which the connective tissue of the shoulder  becomes inflamed and stiff, greatly restricting motion and causing chronic pain. Sufferers, mostly women aged 40 – 60, will have extreme difficulty performing daily life activities, and sleep deprivation due to pain.

The normal course of a frozen shoulder has been described as having three stages. These include the painful “freezing” stage of stiffness, the “frozen” stage of no movement, and the painful “thawing” stage, all taking anywhere from six to 36 months to resolve, but sometimes  full movement is never regained.  Treatment with physical therapy is typically very slow and painful.  Medications are not enough to deal with the pain.  In severe cases, surgery to manually break the adhesions is done, but with limited success.

However, there is hope for sufferers!  The OTZ Method of analysis and treatment, developed by a chiropractor in the U.S.,  has become a successful strategy in resolving frozen shoulder much more quickly and with much less pain.   Dr. Astrid Trim, of the Momentum Healing Arts Centre in Mississauga,  has been trained personally by the OTZ team and hosted the first OTZ seminar in Canada in 2013.  The OTZ Method involves a very thorough postural, neurological and orthopedic examination, often accompanied by x-rays of the neck, before treatment begins.

The theory is that misalignment of the skull on the first cervical (neck) vertebra is part of the cause of frozen shoulder.  The misalignment starts to occur when the head moves forward, ahead of the body, such as in sitting for long periods of time.  Sitting at a computer, driving, texting and using electronic devices all cause this Forward Head Posture, putting continuous strain on the skull and the neck.   A more detailed explanation of this assessment, treatment, and proposed cause of Frozen Shoulder can be viewed on Momentum’s website here.

Don’t continue to suffer !   Make an appointment with Dr. Trim and the team at Momentum will be able to help you !