How I Healed From Frozen Shoulder

By Rebecca Lee Lerman

Author, Rebecca Lee Lerman

I would not wish frozen shoulder on my worst enemy. It can be one of the most frustrating and painful conditions to have. The medical term is adhesive capsulitis, characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. It can happen if you injured your shoulder — for example, falling on your arm — or it can happen out of the blue.

I was singing and dancing for six months on a ship. During a quick costume change, I reached behind my back to tuck in the tag sticking out of my bra strap. The front part of my shoulder twinged. It seemed like nothing. But then, slowly, I started losing range of motion in my arm. I was still able to dance, but I noticed I could no longer reach across my torso to pull off my costume. I got creative on how to disrobe. I thought, this is just a little twinge. It will heal on its own. But as soon as my contract ended, it got worse. I could not lift my arm above my shoulders or stretch around my back. It really felt like I had imprisoned myself. 

Physical therapy did almost nothing. An orthopedic surgeon told me that if I didn’t get better in a month, he would have to operate. Something didn’t feel right about his recommendation. Friends came out of the woodwork telling me that when they had frozen shoulder, it took up to three years to heal. Why would this doctor operate so quickly, especially when I heard stories that this particular surgeon would make people’s injuries WORSE. No, thank you. I had just gone under the knife a month before to remove ovarian cysts. The thought of going back to surgery so soon, plus medical bills, was too stressful to think about.

There had to be another way.

When googling how to heal frozen shoulder, things would come up like, “self limiting condition” — it still baffled medical professionals. However, I am happy to report that I made a full recovery, and I did it in less than a year. Here is how I recovered from frozen shoulder. If you are suffering, I hope it brings you relief.

1. Myofascial Release Massage.

Myofascial Release Massage. Myofascial Release Massage. Not regular massage. Not medical massage, where they keep pulling your arm and it’s PAINFUL (waste of money). Myofascial Release Massage. After struggling with physical therapy and acupuncture, I saw little improvement. A friend, who also had frozen shoulder, told me, “Rebecca, it’s your fascia. It’s stuck together. You need to release your fascia.” The fascia, according to Wikipedia, “is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs.” A friend recommended a wonderful place to get a myofascial release massage. It was expensive. It was worth it. Doctors don’t take insurance? See if they can work out a discount or a payment plan. That’s what I did. Even if you just have ONE session, the results will be astounding. The first time I went, my range of motion increased from 90 degrees to 130 degrees. If you can only go one time, PLEASE GO!

2. Emotional Freedom Technique: EFT tapping.

This technique involves tapping your fingers on certain points of your hands, face, and chest while you breathe and repeat a mantra. It is kind of like acupressure. With almost every physical ailment comes an unreleased emotional trauma that has manifested in the body, and these exercises help release them. During my ship contract, I was hit on and teased by noncommittal boys, used for sex, and felt isolated from my peers. Additionally, a Reiki healer (yes, I had some Reiki sessions too) told me that I was storing a lot of anger toward my mother in my shoulder. My mother was raised in China when corporal punishment was in the school system. She raised me in the same way. Whenever I got a problem wrong on a test, I would get hit with a ruler, pushed out of a chair, or slapped across the face. There was also verbal abuse. This led to low self-esteem, a fear of learning, and once I started dating, the pattern of being drawn to painful love. Come to think of it, it also led to a lot of female bullying in what I thought were friendships. There is always an emotional connection to a disEASE. 

When I googled Emotional Freedom Technique, Brad Yates’ YouTube channel came up. The beauty of following along on YouTube is that it can be done in the comfort of your own home. Brad always starts with the mantra, “Even though I feel (insert unsettling emotion here), I choose to love and accept myself.” Just writing this brings relief. He has videos on every feeling possible — guilt, anger, shame, anxiety, worry, heartbreak, etc. He also has videos for bringing about a million dollars and reclaiming your power. It is highly therapeutic and also a lot of fun. You really feel like you are improving yourself. 

A little secret — it’s not necessarily the shoulder that is frozen. Your arm is very much an extension of your heart, and I was told that my pectoral muscles had tightened to the point of preventing my arm from lifting. I also had a session with a long distance healer who told me to bring my emotions into my myofascial release massage. While the therapist worked on me, I specifically breathed into my heart to let the emotions go! 

Some other little tips for shoulder inflammation: CBD oil, turmeric tea, and KT (kinesiology) tape.

Sometimes a setback can be a blessing in disguise. It can force you to slow down and spend some time on self-care. Pamper yourself, get those spa treatments, take that bubble bath, meditate, perfume your house with essential oils. Ask yourself what other ways you have always wanted to be treated, and treat yourself!

I hope this article helps somebody today. Ever since I told people I had frozen shoulder, more often than not I get the response, “I have it now too!” or “I had it too!” Who knew there were so many people suffering from this condition? There really is such a sense of freedom when you are able to reach your hands to the heavens. I will never take this range of motion for granted again. I hope you’ll be able to get healed faster now.

Happy Healing Hapa Day!

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Rebecca Lee Lerman is a New York City based writer and performer. Her plays and screenplays were featured at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, The Midtown International Theatre Festival, Universe Multicultural Film Festival and We So Hapa, which celebrates people of mixed race. Most recently, PheLerm Productions, for which she is writer, participated in the 72 Hour Shootout competition, and their short film was selected as the top 40 out of 400 to be screened at the Asian American Film Festival.