Here are some exercises for frozen shoulder

Initially exercises are done very gently within the limit of pain, as pain improves the frequency and duration of exercises is increased. The application of hot pack after exercises will make the exercises more tolerable.

Pendulum movement

Stand and lean over forward, letting your arm to hang down. Keep the normal arm supported on a chair. Move your affected arm in a small circle, clock and anti-clockwise. Repeat 10-20 times in each direction. As your symptoms improve, increase diameter of your circle but don’t do forcefully.

Finger walk

Stand facing a wall, such that when you stretch your hand your finger can comfortably touch the wall. Touch the wall at waist level with the fingertips of the affected arm, keeping your elbow slightly bent. Slowly walk your fingers up the wall until you’ve raised your arm as far as you can comfortably. Now start lowering the arm. Repeat this 10 to 20 times. This slow and controlled movement of the shoulder joint can help to thaw a frozen shoulder.

Shoulder elevation

Lie down on your back. Clasp both the hands together in front of the body, then slowly elevate your hands keeping the elbows straight. Elevate your hands to the point where you feel slight pain. Slowly lower down. Repeat this movement for a minimum of 10-20 times.

Shoulder external rotation in lying down

This movement may be difficult to do when the pain is at its peak. You can try it on days then the pain is bearable or warm fomentation of the shoulder.  Clasp both the hands behind your neck. Slowly lower both the elbows up to the point where you feel pain then again  raise your elbows. Repeat this exercise 10-20 times.

Anterior shoulder stretch

Once you have progressed through the previous exercise you can try this stretch with your forearm on the wall and your elbow resting on the edge of the wall. Lean forward until you feel a comfortable stretch in the front of your shoulder. Hold for 10-30 seconds.

Gomukhasana using a belt

This is a yogic pose that is excellent for opening the shoulders. Also known as ‘cow face’ pose. Classically in this pose, you clasp the wrist of the opposite hand. When recovering from frozen shoulder, use a belt to manoeuvrer your hands and open your shoulders as per your pain threshold. As the pain decreases you can bring your hands closer to each other.

Other than exercises, you can also try acupuncture and massage to hasten healing.

Remember healing from a frozen shoulder will take time, but adopting the right posture along with regular and correct exercises can relieve the pain and increase the range of movement.

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“Props are guides to self-learning,” said yoga stalwart Guruji BKS Iyengar, who initiated the use of props in yoga and also designed many props himself . These days, most modern yoga studios will have props like sticky mats, blankets, belts, blocks, chairs, bolsters, wall ropes and sand bags.

Why do I need to use a yoga prop?

You may think that if yoga is all about reconnecting with your body why use external supports such as props. Well many asanas, such as inversions and backbends, bring us face to face with our fears. And when faced with our fears, it’s human tendency to look for security and a safe zone. For instance, we bend forward easily but it’s not the same for  bending backward. For poses like these we can use support, and that is where props help. The use of wall ropes for a backbend can provide you with some anchorage and also give you freedom to move your body.

Even learning to do sirsasana with the support of the wall helps beginners to overcome the fear of falling. A wall can support the body so well that the energy needed for the particular movement is made available. In this way, props can support and stabilize the outer body without restricting the freedom of movement of the inner body or organic body.

How to use yoga props

• To perform asanas which are difficult to do independently.
• To achieve correct alignment in the asana when your body is not strong enough to do the asana.
• To provide support so that a person can receive the maximum benefits of holding a posture for a longer time.
• It also enhances the restorative or therapeutic qualities of a pose
• It helps to support the practitioner to work in a range of motion that is safe and effective.
• To stay longer and relax in any asana practice to get the maximum benefits.
• It also helps in pranayama by giving support to the body, thus allowing the mind to relax.

A yoga block is the most wonderful tool to bring the floor closer to your body. A belt makes your arms longer, while bolsters and blankets are the most comfortable companions to take your savasana to a whole new level. Using yoga props is not a sign of weakness, rather it is an intelligent way of maneuvering your body.

Some ways to use props to change your asana practice

1. Use blocks under your arms in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana [upward facing dog] to get a higher lift of the chest and to lengthen your spine further.
   

   

2. Loop a belt around the arch of your foot in Supta padangustasana [lying down, hand to toe] instead of craning your neck and shoulders to reach your toes and find more release in the upper body and hamstrings.
3. Start your yoga practice lying over a bolster with arms dropping onto the floor for gentle chest opening.
4. Blanket and belt can be use for Janu shirsasana [head to knee] too. Sit on a blanket or block to elevate your hips so your tailbone and sacrum area becomes free. Hook the belt to the leg which is straight.

Using the belt helps you avoid doing forward bends with a hunchback and stay out of what I call “Quasimodo Land”. It is easy for the chest to cave in during forward bends and twists. Belts are very helpful to lift the chest and lengthen the spine.

1. During Savasana, place a bolster under your knees for a more gentle position for the low back.
2. From opening of the body to stabilizing a pose, there are many ways the wall can assist you in your practice. One way is Uttana asana [standing forward bend] with the wall. Stand with your back facing the wall, keep your chest lifted and feet will be placed hip width apart. Lean forward, bend your knees and bring your hips against the wall. Press down through the outer edges of your feet, as you begin to lift your sitting bones higher up the wall to straighten your legs. Stay in this pose for few seconds.



3. Another way of using the wall is Half Handstand in L-shape. This is a killer core workout. Come into Adhomukha svanasana [downward dog] position with your feet towards the wall. Take one foot up the wall, at about the height of your hips. Then take the second leg up to join the first. Straighten both knees, pressing the sole of your feet into the wall. Lower your legs back one at a time, pulling back through your core. Stay in this pose for few seconds

Props can be used in endless ways, according to the situation and need of the practitioner. Once you progress in the pose, you can stop using the prop. Props help to achieve steadiness and ease in every pose, which is the very thing that the ancient sage Patanjali wrote in Yoga Sutra 2.46: sthira sukham asanam.

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