Frozen Shoulder: Could Your Metabolism Be the Real Culprit?

Frozen Shoulder: Could Your Metabolism Be the Real Culprit? (Portsmouth, NH Expert Explains)

If you’re dealing with a frozen shoulder, daily life can become difficult fast. Simple activities like putting on a jacket, reaching for a coffee mug, or sleeping comfortably can feel stiff, limited, or nearly impossible.

Traditionally, frozen shoulder has been viewed as a musculoskeletal issue caused by a tight shoulder capsule. Because of this, treatments often focused on aggressive stretching, cortisone injections, or even manipulation under anesthesia.

However, new research suggests frozen shoulder may actually be rooted in metabolic and immune system dysfunction— not just the shoulder itself.

New Research Shows Frozen Shoulder Is More Than a Shoulder Problem

A 2025 review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (Navarro-Ledesma et al.) proposes that frozen shoulder is influenced by:

chronic inflammation
metabolic dysregulation
hormonal changes
immune system imbalance

This supports something clinicians have observed for years:
frozen shoulder is a whole-body condition that shows up in the shoulder.

This also explains why standard treatments often don’t work long-term — because they fail to address the deeper biological factors influencing healing.

Why Frozen Shoulder Happens More in People Over 40

Frozen shoulder affects 2–5% of the population, especially women ages 40–60. What’s striking is how strongly it’s linked to metabolic issues:

Diabetes (10x higher risk)
Thyroid dysfunction
Obesity
Elevated inflammatory markers

These are no longer considered coincidences.

Another 2024 study (Healthcare, Hamed-Hamed et al.) found that individuals with elevated GGT (a liver enzyme linked to metabolic stress) or higher TSH (thyroid dysfunction) had worse stiffness and poorer outcomes.

This means your shoulder’s ability to heal is directly influenced by your whole-body biology, not just the joint itself.

Why Traditional Frozen Shoulder Treatments Often Fail

If frozen shoulder is driven by metabolic and immune changes, then forcing the shoulder to move aggressively can make symptoms worse.

Common treatments that fall short:

Cortisone injections
– Provide short-term relief
– Do not address systemic inflammation
– May weaken tissue with repeated use

Manipulation under anesthesia
– Can cause tearing or trauma
– May worsen inflammation
– Stiffness often returns

Aggressive stretching
– Overloads irritated tissue
– Increases inflammation
– Rarely works without addressing metabolic drivers

This is why many people go months or years without meaningful improvement.

A Smarter, More Effective Approach to Frozen Shoulder Treatment

At CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth, NH, we use a whole-body, research-supported approach that calms inflammation, supports natural healing, and restores shoulder mobility safely.

Two of the most effective regenerative therapies include:

Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)

Stimulates blood flow
Softens tight, fibrotic tissue
Reduces chronic inflammation
Encourages natural mobility

EMTT (Electromagnetic Transduction Therapy)

Supports healthy cellular activity
Improves circulation
Reduces inflammatory signaling
Enhances tissue regeneration

These non-invasive therapies help your shoulder transition from the painful freezing phase into the healing thawing phase more effectively — without causing trauma.

Once inflammation calms, mobility exercises finally start to work as intended, allowing for faster and longer-lasting improvements.

Why This Matters for Seacoast Residents Over 40

Frozen shoulder rarely develops randomly. In your 40s, 50s, and 60s:

hormones shift
blood sugar regulation becomes more difficult
inflammation increases
connective tissue becomes more reactive

The right environment — not aggressive force — helps the shoulder heal.
Shockwave therapy, EMTT, and guided mobility exercises create the conditions your body needs to restore function naturally.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been told to simply:

“wait it out,”
get another cortisone shot,
or undergo manipulation under anesthesia…

…it may be time to consider a more effective, biologically aligned solution.

Frozen shoulder may start in the shoulder, but the real drivers are systemic. Addressing these factors leads to quicker, safer, and more complete recovery.

Looking for Frozen Shoulder Treatment in Portsmouth, NH or the Seacoast?

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist and Mechanical Pain Expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth, NH and writes for Seacoast Media Group.

If you want natural, research-backed solutions for frozen shoulder — without medication, injections, or aggressive procedures — we can help.

CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates — Portsmouth, NH – cjphysicaltherapy.com – 603-380-7902