Frozen Shoulder Causes

Frozen shoulder — adhesive capsulitis — is a condition in which the shoulder becomes progressively stiff and painful, eventually losing much of its range of motion. Conventional medicine largely regards the cause as unknown, and treatment typically consists of physical therapy, cortisone injections, or surgery. For many sufferers, none of these bring lasting relief.

If you have been to doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists and are still in pain — there is a reason. These treatments address the physical symptoms without touching the underlying conflict that is driving the condition.

In my experience, frozen shoulder is almost always rooted in a conflict involving the inability to embrace or be embraced — literally or figuratively. Common themes include:

• Feeling unable to hold on to someone or something important
• A conflict around giving or receiving care and affection
• A sense of being pushed away or rejected by someone close
• Suppressed anger toward a family member or partner that cannot be expressed
• Feeling burdened by responsibilities that weigh heavily on the shoulders

The shoulder joint is mesodermic tissue. During the conflict-active phase, painless tissue breakdown can occur. When the conflict is partially resolved, the healing phase begins — and this is when swelling, stiffness, and pain set in. If the conflict oscillates — partially resolved, then reactivated — the condition becomes chronic, as is so common with frozen shoulder.

Exercises and physical therapy can offer some relief during the healing phase, but they do not address what keeps reactivating the conflict. Once the underlying emotional issue is identified and cleared, the body can complete its healing uninterrupted.

Inner Influencing® is the most effective approach I have found for locating and resolving the conflicts driving frozen shoulder — often with results that surprise people accustomed to years of treatment with little progress.