Frozen shoulder-capsulitis, adhesive capsulitis, and primary frozen shoulder-is an agonizing and debilitating condition that causes excruciating pain, increasing stiffness and movement loss in one or both shoulders. Typically, the condition takes two to three years to resolve, even with costly interventions. The exact causes of frozen shoulder are medically unknown, and most sufferers find recovery to be a long, drawn-out painful process. In Unlocking Frozen Shoulder, physiotherapist and healer Lynn Varcin considers a new paradigm of treatment, including self-healing the emotional links to minimize certain hormone levels. Lynn takes on the science, and challenges current practice with a simple system that shows us how best to assist ourselves from within. Lynn proposes that being rejected or hiding a severe emotional situation will contribute to the altered hormonal states underlying primary frozen shoulder. New exercises and self-healing strategies based on stabilizing hormonal balances are explained. UNLOCKING Frozen Shoulder A New Paradigm of Treatment By LYNN VARCIN Balboa Press Copyright © 2013 Lynn Varcin trading as TerapiCare pty ltd All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4525-1072-9 Contents A Little about the Author..................................................ixThe Story of a Lake........................................................xiA Parable..................................................................xiChapter 1 The Frozen Shoulder..............................................1Chapter 2 Introducing the Term SEL.........................................9Chapter 3 Your Shoulder....................................................13Chapter 4 Assessing........................................................27Chapter 5 Learning to Whisper..............................................35Chapter 6 Common Questions about Shoulders and Whispering..................47Chapter 7 Exercises Using Whispering.......................................61Chapter 8 The 5 x 5 Series.................................................89Chapter 9 Return to Sport..................................................93Recommended Reading........................................................99Appendix A: Additional Body Charts.........................................101Appendix B: Comments from Clients..........................................103Appendix C: To the Professional............................................105 CHAPTER 1 THE FROZEN SHOULDER Also, all knowledge seems to be teachable,and what is known is learnable. Aristotle Frozen shoulder is also called adhesive capsulitis, capsulitis , and primary orsecondary frozen shoulder . It normally takes two years to heal. The term itis means inflammation; capsule is the name of the tissue involved—hence capsul-itis . It can affect anyone and has no known cause. The armbecomes extremely painful, and then, often suddenly the movementsat the shoulder also begin to tighten, or "adhere." This affects yourability to move, turn your forearm, and lift your arm. Frozen shoulderis very debilitating; many physical therapists believe it is one of themost difficult conditions to fix. Few can stop the freezing stage once ithas commenced. Worse still is that you may additionally begin to havecapsulitis on the opposite shoulder after six to twelve months of theother one repairing itself. So keep reading! The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons define frozen shoulderas "a condition of uncertain etiology characterized by significant restriction of bothactive and passive shoulder motion that occurs in the absence of a known intrinsicshoulder disorder." The arm can ache, or twinge prior to really acute pain. Theremay be a hot spot in one area of the arm or a tender patches over thejoint area. There is usually no recollection of one specific injury thatcould result in this amount of pain. Tissue takes six weeks to heal, butthis injury goes on for months and months, even with appropriatetherapeutic interventions. When ignored it progresses to extreme lossof range of movement: the arm cannot be lifted sideways at all. Somewomen say it is more painful than having a baby, and we should know!Even the neck, shoulder, and back muscles begin to ache in their effortsto compensate for the lack of range. Sleeping is problematic and moodswings common. Frozen shoulder is not linked specifically to any occupation orgenetic disposition. Statistics reported in medical journals indicate thatfrozen shoulder affects up to 5 percent of the population (higher indiabetic populations) and is more common in women over forty yearsof age. Frozen shoulder continues to baffle medical practitioners, whoconsistently report that frozen shoulder is of unknown etiology. Thismeans there is no known specific cause. Controversy surrounds theeffectiveness of various physical and medical treatments relating to thisshoulder condition. Time remains the single most efficient healer ofthe cond