Keep Your Shoulders LYMBR Without Limitations

Keep Your Shoulders LYMBR Without Limitations

Frozen shoulder – if you’ve ever had it, you know how debilitating it can be. You may feel fine one day, then the next you attempt to put on your coat and you can’t reach behind your back without pain and stiffness.

Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis, is a musculoskeletal condition that causes pain, stiffness, and limits the range of motion in the shoulder, making it difficult to elevate your arm, and decreasing the external rotation of your shoulder. This condition can greatly limit your ability to play your favorite sport like golf or tennis, limit your ability to practice yoga or workout at the gym, and just as importantly, limit your ability to perform simple daily tasks like putting on your coat, reaching up high to put something away, or even washing your back.

The exact incidence and prevalence of frozen shoulder is unknown, but it affects approximately 2% to 5% of the general population and mainly adults 40-65 years of age, with more cases appearing in women. The condition usually starts with one shoulder and commonly affects the opposing side years after the onset of symptoms in the first shoulder, but it does not affect the same shoulder twice.

Performing stretches on the isolated muscle is crucial to gaining and maintaining normal range of motion of the shoulder joint. We focus on the four rotator cuff muscles that surround the shoulder joint. But there are other muscles associated with shoulder elevation and rotation that are often overlooked and must be stretched as well. Some neck muscles like the Trapezius and Levator will be stiff on the same side of the affected shoulder. Also, part of the back muscles like the upper Latissimus play a role in shoulder rotation and depression of the shoulder. Stretching these areas as well will increase greater range of motion rather than focusing solely on stretching the shoulder joint muscles.

There are regression and progression stretches that can be executed depending on the severity of the frozen shoulder. Since the condition can affect both shoulders, our practice is to stretch both sides.

While it may be tempting strictly from a comfort standpoint, one thing to avoid is decreasing shoulder movement in the affected shoulder. Consistent stretching and strengthening exercises can get you to use more of the shoulder and greatly benefit in improving range of motion and thawing out that frozen shoulder.

Written by Morrida Chhan. Morrida is a Stretch Therapist and Manager in our Boca Raton studio.

Cold Days, Stiff Bodies

Cold Days, Stiff Bodies










Stretching For The Active Aging

Stretching For The Active Aging

For many of our therapists, the work they do is not only professionally rewarding, but personally rewarding as well. One of our therapists shares how LYMBR has made a difference in the life of someone very important to him.

We all have that one relative who just can’t move like they used to. An uncle who used to be agile as a fox can no longer look to his left or right without turning his whole upper body. Or mom who was an active runner all her life but now needs help getting in and out of the car. There is no denying it, our bodies experience wear and tear as we age.

For me it is my grandmother who used to be that one-woman army in the household. She did everything from trimming the hedges in the spring and shoveling her driveway in the winter, to taking the dogs out for a run at 6 o’clock in the morning. She defied all standards for what people her age are expected to do but it was only a matter of time before father time caught up to her. She developed osteoarthritis and had to undergo surgery for knee replacement in both of her knees. Now tasks that required no second thought or energy, such as picking up a piece of paper off the ground or tying shoelaces, were difficult and strenuous on her body.

She has gone through physical therapy multiple times in attempt to regain her flexibility and strengthen the muscles surrounding her knee to be able to do the things she was able to do prior to having her surgery. She made progress, however, she was nowhere near her flexibility goal of touching her toes, and nowhere near the level of independence she wanted and was used to. On some days she even needed a grappling device to pick things up that had fallen. There was still something missing, until I introduced her to LYMBR.

Prior to beginning her personalized stretching sessions, she was only able to extend her hands just beyond her knees in a standing position. I worked with her 3 times a week for an hour at a time focusing on her entire lower body chain. In our first session, I found that the reason she was having limited flexibility was due to tightness in her hamstrings, calf muscles and her lower back. By week 3 she was able to not only extend past her knees but able to grab on to her ankles. As we progressed with her range of motion we incorporated more stretches targeting muscles that pull the legs back towards the midline of the body, such as the adductor muscles. By doing this we were able to gain mobility in more directions rather than just neutral, front to back, which in turn promoted better balance as well. By week 5 she was able to touch her toes and was on track to regaining her independence.

I will continue to work with her so that she is able to maintain her range of motion and enjoy the independence that comes with her acquired flexibility.

We don’t know how valuable the elasticity of our muscles is in so many day-to-day activities until we lose mobility and are faced with that lingering thought, “I should have taken better care of myself.” Like so many people, we tend to think that once we lose flexibility in our joints, that range of motion is gone forever. Here at LYMBR we challenge that misconception and evoke a new quality of life through active engagement of the mind and body through safe and efficient personalized stretching.

STRETCHING MYTH: When muscles are flexible around a joint, you will get injured.


The idea that tight muscles perform better is a common misconception.

In order for muscles to perform at their best and protect a joint, they must not only be strong, they must be flexible. It doesn’t matter how strong your muscles are around a joint, if they lack flexibility you risk imbalance and injury.

A strong muscle has the ability to lengthen and shorten at an adequate rate while acclimating to the forces placed on it. When the muscle is tight, it lacks the ability to fire properly due to poor adjustments to tensions being placed on it. When a muscle fires incorrectly, it causes a chain reaction throughout the entire body, throwing off your balance, posture and functional ability.

When a muscle lacks flexibility, it also restricts your joint’s range of motion, decreasing mobility, and creating muscular imbalances around that joint. In all sports and activities, proper form is imperative for maximum results and to prevent injury. Proper form can only be achieved if all the muscles that are involved in the movement are healthy and flexible and able to meet the demands being placed on them.

A tennis player came to see us complaining of recurring elbow bursitis. After evaluation, we found that her bursitis was a result of tight muscles surrounding her elbow joint. This tightness caused a friction force to be applied to the bursa, inflaming it. We stretched the muscles that surround her shoulder and elbow in order to increase blood flow and decrease pressure in the joint. After two sessions with our stretch therapist, the client reported that her pain was 100% relieved. Now that her elbow joint is more mobile, and the muscles are able to fire properly, she is able to play multiple sets without the added stress on her bursa.

Continued sessions with us have helped her to decrease tension forces in her elbow, increase mobility, enhance her posture and improve her tennis form and performance. She is now able to play longer and stronger without pain. Regular stretching sessions have taken her game to another level.

Stretching and Weight Training: A LYMBR stretch therapist and personal trainer’s perspective.


Strength Training continues to grow in popularity, more now than ever. It’s no wonder considering the many benefits – an increase in muscle size and strength, the ability to help maintain a lower body fat percentage, stress management, and, of course, the benefits we see in the mirror.

The last thing you want is for all that hard work at the gym to set you up for injury or pain down the road. If you make regular stretching a part of your fitness routine, you will greatly reduce that risk.

An avid weight trainer who focuses on upper bodywork came to us with lower back pain. A postural analysis was performed and it was identified that his shoulders were rounding forward. The anterior side (front) of his upper body became tight (overactive) due to the weight training, and the posterior chain (back) of the body became weaker (underactive).

The cause? Strength training shortens the muscles and creates microtears on the tissue during a workout. These microtears are caused by the tension placed on the muscle from using weights. Through this process, the length of the muscles is shortened, and over time, the more these fibers remain shortened, the more prone you became to injury and compromised posture.

The physiology of the body is very good at seeking equilibrium. The body will always seek a balance in which the body creates a stable environment. But in our client’s case, this new stable environment came at a cost. Rounded shoulders created an imbalance within the mid-line of this body, creating an improper posture. And thanks to gravity, the weight-bearing lumbar spine had to support more weight due to the slight protruding head that comes with rounded shoulders, resulting in lower back pain.

Stretching the muscles of the anterior portion of his upper body helped him regain better posture by lengthening the appropriate muscles. As the muscles lengthened, the rounding in his shoulders decreased. As his body found its new, more efficient equilibrium and his posture improved, the pain resolved as the pressure was taken off his lower back (primarily his Latissimus Dorsi).

We are often asked, “what is the best set of stretches for weight lifting?” The answer – there is no specific stretch regimen. It all depends on each person’s body blueprint, and what they need according to their overall assessment. Whether you’re a beginner, moderate or frequent gym member, every stretch protocol is different.

Our sessions helped him to better understand how his body works and how to be conscious of when his body is in need of a stretch. His workouts are more effective, his movements are more efficient, his training can progress, and he will reduce the risk of further pain or injury.

Written by Noah Moore. Noah is a Stretch Therapist in our Darien Studio.