Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder becomes painful and stiff. This happens because the lining around the shoulder joint becomes inflamed, thickened, and tight. As a result, the shoulder loses its normal movement.

Sometimes frozen shoulder develops after an injury or another shoulder problem. In many cases, however, it appears without a clear reason.

A common symptom is pain while resting, especially at night. Both active movement (when you move your arm yourself) and passive movement (when someone else moves it for you) become limited. Turning the arm outward and lifting it to the side are usually the most restricted movements. Lifting the arm forward is often slightly easier but still limited.

The Three Stages of Frozen Shoulder

1. Freezing Stage (Painful Stage)

• Shoulder pain gradually increases.

• Movement becomes more and more difficult.

• Even small movements can be very painful.

• This stage can last from 2 to 9 months.

2. Frozen Stage (Stiffness Stage)

• Pain may reduce.

• Stiffness is at its worst.

• Shoulder movement is very limited.

• This stage can last from 4 to 12 months.

3. Thawing Stage (Recovery Stage)

• Pain continues to decrease or may disappear.

• Movement slowly improves.

• This stage can last from 5 to 24 months.

Our Approach at Joki Flow Therapy

At Joki Flow Therapy, the first step is to identify the possible cause of the problem. We look at whether there has been:

• A previous injury

• Repeated strain

• Postural or balance changes

• Or an underlying medical condition

Understanding the cause helps us create the most effective treatment plan for you.

Once we complete a careful examination and identify the likely cause, we create a treatment plan tailored to you.

We aim to make the treatment as gentle and pain-free as possible.

Treatment may include:

• Warming up the shoulder joint and surrounding tissues to help them relax

• Gentle guided arm movements, working from the wrist up to the shoulder

• Soft stretching of the upper arm muscles

• Gentle lifting and mobilising of the shoulder joint to gradually improve movement

Our goal is to reduce pain, improve mobility, and help you safely regain comfortable use of your shoulder.

Why We Treat the Whole Body First

Please note that your first treatment session will focus on the whole body.

You may wonder why this is necessary when the problem is in the shoulder. The reason is that the body often adapts to pain. When the shoulder is painful, other parts of the body — especially the lower body — may compensate without you realising it.

Over time, this compensation can lead to pain, stiffness, or reduced movement in areas far away from the shoulder.

By treating the whole body first, we help restore overall balance and reduce strain. This supports the shoulder’s recovery and helps prevent further discomfort elsewhere.

For more information please call Pasi +351 910 636 or send an email to pasi@naturaljokiflow.com

A therapist applies targeted pressure to alleviate shoulder blade pain during a treatment session.

A therapist carefully assists a client in gently stretching to alleviate a frozen shoulder.

A therapist gently assists a man with exercises for frozen shoulder treatment in the Algarve.