Frozen shoulder is usually described as a stiff joint capsule, and treated with months of stretching, injections or manipulation under anaesthesia. Releasology sees it as a muscle-driven compression pattern. The supraspinatus, the muscle that starts every lift of the arm, fatigues into spasm and pulls the head of the humerus upward into the acromion. The joint space closes, the tissues pinch, movement is blocked, and everything around the shoulder guards. Release the supraspinatus and the bone drops back into its space. Movement returns because the blockage is gone, not because the capsule was forced.

What this release relieves

• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis). The progressive loss of motion reverses as the compression pattern releases; clients typically regain a striking amount of range in the first sessions.
• Pain lifting the arm or reaching overhead. The sharp catch at the top of the shoulder is the tubercle failing to clear the acromion; with the muscle released, it clears.
• Inability to sleep on that side. Night pain eases as the joint stops being held in compression.
• Shoulder impingement. The same upward pull produces impingement long before the shoulder freezes.
• Stiffness after injury or surgery. Guarding after an injury sets off the same spasm; releasing it keeps a sore shoulder from becoming a frozen one.

El hombro congelado es una afección que se caracteriza por:

• movimiento restringido

• Dolor al levantar el brazo • Pérdida progresiva del rango de movimiento

En Releasología, la causa principal es: 👉 espasmo del músculo supraespinoso. El supraespinoso se encuentra en la parte superior del hombro y pasa por debajo del acromion.

Cuando funciona normalmente:

• El húmero se desliza libremente

• El hombro se eleva suavemente

Cuando entra en espasmo:

👉 Comprime la cabeza del húmero contra el acromion.

👉 El movimiento se ve restringido

Frequently asked questions

Doesn't frozen shoulder just resolve on its own in a year or two?

Often, eventually, and painfully. Releasing the muscle that is holding the joint in compression means not waiting it out.

Is this the same as physical therapy stretching?

No. Stretching pulls against a muscle in spasm, which is why it hurts and progresses slowly. Releasology releases the spasm first; range of motion then returns with far less force.

What about the rotator cuff?

The supraspinatus is one of the four rotator cuff muscles and the usual driver. The external and internal rotators (Modalities 16 and 17) are released alongside it when they are guarding too.