Frozen Shoulder and Yoga - Tips for Teachers to Modify Safely
It’s hard to practice yoga with a shoulder injury, particularly frozen shoulder.. we really do rely on our arms so much in our yoga practice, it can make it incredibly difficult to maintain a regular yoga practice.
How confident are you in modifying yoga students with a shoulder injury?
Do you not know where to start?
Does it make you nervous?
Do you avoid it, hoping they will just stop practicing for a while?
I want to be able to instil confidence in you to understand what is happening so you can advise the student when they are suffering from pain or injury. Ultimately, you want every student to be able to continue with their yoga practice, but you must be confident in your modifications to allow them to do so.
Frozen Shoulder
What is a frozen shoulder?
Frozen shoulder, medically known as adhesive capusilitis creates thickening and inflammation of the shoulder joint which results in pain.
The shoulder joint will become increasingly stiff and painful and can last from 1-2 years.. a long time to not be able to practice yoga if the teacher isn’t confident with modifying isn’t it..
There are 3 stages to frozen shoulder and each stage can last months at a time.
Freezing Stage: Gradual onset of pain and stiffness.
Frozen Stage: Stiffness becomes more pronounced, and pain may decrease.
Thawing Stage: Gradual return of mobility as the shoulder begins to heal.
A goal for these students dealing with frozen shoulder is to retain as much range of motion as possible.
Work within pain free thresholds but aim to maintain some motion in the surrounding joints- such as the neck, the scapula, elbow, rib cage, thoracic spine.. a must really. So think poses that improve thoracic and rib cage range of motion such as twists, lateral side bends, cat/cow, scapula protraction and retraction, and seated forward folds such as bound angle. Working on scapular mobility (moving the shoulder blades) can provide indirect relief and help prevent stiffness from developing in the upper back and neck. Lateral stretches help free up tight muscles around the shoulder girdle, improving circulation and reducing tension.
If the student stops using their arm completely, this can lead to a prolonged recovery, and could create other issues along the way such as muscle atrophy and increase joint stiffness.
Improve their diaphragmatic breathing to help with the yoga students drainage, this will aim to speed up their recovery too. Remember the effects the nervous system can have on recovery too. (see blog post)
Improve their posture through core exercises, spinal twists, hip openers and gluteal strengthening poses, this will all aid in their recovery.
When a student has a frozen shoulder, certain poses will likely be too intense or cause discomfort. Instead of traditional downward dog or plank, which place weight on the arms and shoulders, offer modified poses like all fours (tabletop) and cat/cow. This provides the same mobility benefits without the added stress on the shoulder joint. For backbends, instead of upward-facing dog, encourage a locust pose with arms at their sides, keeping the shoulder joints protected while still offering a gentle stretch to the chest and torso.
It’s essential that yoga teachers feel confident and equipped when working with students dealing with shoulder injuries, including frozen shoulder. By implementing thoughtful modifications and gradual progressions, you can help your students heal while still benefiting from their practice. The key is to maintain range of motion, focus on breath, and protect the shoulder joint while strengthening the body as a whole.
With these tips, you’ll be able to modify yoga poses in a way that supports the shoulder’s recovery process and reduces the risk of further injury. By using these yoga injury modifications, you can help your students stay on their mat, working toward healing while cultivating mind-body connection and self-awareness.
Learn more about frozen shoulder and ways you can manage this in your yoga teachings
For yoga teachers interested in deepening their understanding of anatomy and injury management, feel free to ask questions about my upcoming online anatomy teacher trainings.
I hope these tips help increase your confidence as a teacher and in-turn keeps more students on the mat.