Frozen Shoulder: What Is It Exactly, and How Can Exercises Help When Movement is Painful?

Frozen shoulder (also known as adhesive capsulitis) can cause pain, stiffness and a significant loss of shoulder range of motion. In this episode, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr Jeannette Loram explain what’s actually happening inside the shoulder capsule during frozen shoulder. They discuss the different stages of the condition — including the freezing, frozen and thawing phases — as well as its connections with inflammation, menopause and diabetes.They also explore why movement matters for shoulder health, and during recovery from frozen shoulder. To understand how movement can affect the shoulder capsule, it’s important to distinguish between movement in the shoulder and movement of the shoulder. Katy and Jeannette also look at everyday habits that may limit capsule movement and share some practical daily movements for maintaining shoulder mobility. Plus, they answer a listener's question about using hand paddles when swimming.Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript00:00 Why we're talking about frozen shoulder02:45 Dynamic Collective sponsors05:05 What is frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)?14:28 Frozen shoulder, inflammation, menopause & other risk factors24:37 The freezing, frozen & thawing stages — and treatment29:16 Movement as prevention: moving in the shoulder vs movement of the shoulder33:00 Daily prehab & rehab movements37:22 Why, in this case, pain might be the way through40:58 Everyday shoulder habits: bags, carrying & asymmetry43:13 Should you swim with hand paddles? — listener question sponsored by ScreenFit™51:00 Your shoulder movement diet: climbing & clambering, hanging & “paint the globe”Research Mentioned Millar, N. L. et al. (2022). Frozen shoulder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 8, 59. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-022-00386-2Navarro-Ledesma, S. (2025). Frozen Shoulder as a Systemic Immunometabolic Disorder: The Roles of Estrogen, Thyroid Dysfunction, Endothelial Health, Lifestyle, and Clinical Implications. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(20), 7315. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14207315Salamh, P. et al. (2025). An International Consensus on the Etiology, Risk Factors, Diagnosis and Management for Individuals with Frozen Shoulder: a Delphi study. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 33(4), 309–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2025.2470461Podcasts mentioned Ep 187: Diabetes and Exercise: How Exactly Muscle Movement Manages Blood SugarEp 208: Too Much Sitting, Spiky Cholesterol and Heart DiseaseConnect, Move & Learn with KatyFree Shoulder Class With Katy: How to Move In the Shoulder Joint Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored GlassesFollow Katy on SubstackTry Katy's Virtual Studio Free for 7 days!Made Possible By Our Wonderful Sponsors:Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs and floor cushions that encourage dynamic sittingFreet Barefoot: creators of comfortable barefoot shoes built for natural movement, flexibility, and durability— use code DNA10 for 10% off.ScreenFit™: a complete online vision training program —take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENTIkaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off