My Friend Might Have a Frozen Shoulder
I Fell Down the Rabbit Hole of Shoulder Injuries in Menopausal Women So You Don’t Have To (But Help Me Out of the Hole)
It started with a casual conversation:
“My shoulder feels weird.”
Then came:
“I can’t put my bra on.”
And before I knew it, I was Googling things like “frozen shoulder hormonal link” and “why do women over 40 randomly fall apart?”
Welcome to the rabbit hole. There are memes. There are cortisol spikes. There’s me screaming "Why didn’t anyone warn us about this?"
So what is frozen shoulder, actually?
Short version: Adhesive capsulitis. Sounds like a spell from Harry Potter, but it’s way less fun.
It’s when the connective tissue in the shoulder thickens and tightens, limiting movement and often without a clear cause. You just wake up one day and your arm is like, “I no longer work here.”
Who gets it?
Guess who’s statistically most likely?
Women. Over 40. Peri- and post-menopausal.
Hormonal changes mess with collagen, joint mobility, inflammation, and everything else you didn’t sign up for. Add stress and sleep deprivation to the mix and suddenly, your shoulder is like, “I’m going on strike.”
What can help?
Here’s the good news: Movement helps. Gentle, consistent, shoulder-friendly movement.
This is where Reformer Pilates slides in wearing a cape and whispering, “Let’s fix that scapular control.”
We work on:
Shoulder mobility (without flaring it up)
Postural strength (so you’re not always slumped like a raccoon over a laptop)
Thoracic spine movement (because your upper back is part of the problem too, sorry)
Stability, balance, and breath, because your nervous system needs love too
Plus, our instructors actually watch you move and can suggest tweaks so you don’t make things worse. Not to name names, but your foam roller isn’t giving you feedback.
Final thoughts from the hole
No, I’m not a physio.
Yes, I’m staying in my lane.
But I am going to keep learning and I am going to keep sharing this stuff because if I can save one woman from needing help doing up her bra, my job here is done.
So if your shoulder feels weird, please don’t wait. Start moving gently. Talk to someone who gets it. And maybe come to class before it freezes completely, because “Reformer for shoulder rescue” is about to become a whole vibe.
