I have a new client and she came in with a frozen shoulder.  she has been to PT, but her sessions ran out, she is still in pain and can not work with her left arm. Lifting is almost impossible. The upper back and neck are tight as can be.
This is my first frozen shoulder and I am not sure what to do. Should i have her go back to PT until she gets better? She did not like the place and felt lost.
Or can you recommend anything to me?  Overall she has no history in working out, early 50es.  Pilates Teacher

Frozen shoulders is a very painful condition where the muscles around the shoulder girdle contract severely and in some way immobilizes the shoulder and arm.  A lot of women going through menopause experience this.  I even knew of an older dancer who appeared to have great range of motion develop this.

As Pilates teachers, you getting her lower body and core moving is quite beneficial. Keep working on getting her spine moving in all planes, strengthening her core expecially her back extensors.

With Frozen shoulder, you don’t want to push range. All movement should be in her comfort range.  For example, supine arms with straps take small arm circles of a range of a couple inches.  You want to get her bones moving in gentle tiny ranges of motion.

Even for her to stand with her arms to her sides,

• Internally and externally rotate the arm.
• Small arm circles of a few inches.
• As she gets more comfortable, change the range of motion and do the same as above.
  

With frozen shoulder, go to range of motion that is painfree.

All the movement principles of Balanced Body and Bartenieff Fundamentals are great.  Especially those that work on mobility and release.  Just have her work in a range of motion that is painfree.

Finding a good Physical therapist or massage therapist could still be needed.  The clients who improved the most, had therapists that did hands on techniques to release the muscles.  Accupuncture could also be helpful.

Hanna Somatics and Feldenkrais are also wonderful somatic techniques that help change the neurological system of organizing.  Both styles are very gentle and encourage small movements without pain.

A Fun-D Raising event for Breast Cancer with Dr. Martha Eddy and Lesley Powell

Come October 16 6-7:30 PM
Take care of your body as you support 
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

All proceeds will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Cash or check, credit card donation can be made by going online

Moving On Aerobics with Dr. Martha Eddy

Unique Aerobics class that not only changes your heart rate but improves your lymph health, flexiblity and feels absolutely great on your body; heart & soul.

Pilates Mat & Stand with Lesley Powell

Get to the core of the matter- you for a fun dynamic Pilates class

I am proud to announce that I am in an article about posture on

page 107 in O Magazine.

Posture is more than looks.  It is the foundation for health.  Your bones house important organs for life.  With poor posture,  the organs get compressed and cannot fully function at full capacity.  Think of a front end crash of a car.  The engine does not run as well. Improving your posture is a long term health plan. Good posture enhances how you walk, how you present yourself to the world and your internal health.

Walk around slumped.  How does it change how you walk and how you feel?

Taking a stand

I have included many standing exercises.  I have been doing alot of exercises on a block.  It challenges balance and how you use your standing leg.  The exercises on the floor are the building blocks for strengthen for standing.

Oprah in the past month has been leading interesting shows and articles on health.  This February issue has some excellent articles about menopause.  If you missed her shows, you can go to Oprah’s website.  Great information about weight, finances, women’s health and more.  Do check it out!

It is so frustrating to see your body changing and gaining weight as I am in my 50′s.

You think that you are doing all the right things…Eating well, moving everyday. I have had health problems about digestion. A year ago, I was nauseous everyday for almost 2 years straight. Movement and eating made me more nauseous. It was hard to solve the problem. I finally found a Doctor who did tests how I was metabolising food. I had some food allegeries.

I don’t snack or binge. The main thing that I am working on, is getting more aerobics. It is hard. When I was dancing, I could dance all day. My own choreography was extremely aerobic. Aerobic machines are extremely boring for me. A decade ago, I tried running. My knees were killing me. The minute that I stop running, my knees were ok.

I am grateful for Pilates. Even with the weight gain, Pilates keeps my posture and tone. Without Pilates, I think that I would be worse. I am taking time out of my day to take classes with my teachers and in the mornings going to the park for an aerobic set. Our New class, Pilates Mat/Spring: Heart & Core has helped me a lot with my knees. I am back to doing small sets of running, walking and dancing in the park for my aerobics. I feel great.

Problems of tightness is affecting me now. I am not as mobile as I was ten years ago. Sometimes taking a yoga class with so much stretching, my muscles start tightening more if I push too much. Pilates has been more helpful because of training the muscles at the same time as stretching.

There is a joke about an old woman looking in the mirror and saying, “Who is that old woman?” That is how I feel sometimes.

I appreciate Pilates more today than 20 years ago. My body is changing with menopause. As a dancer, I was hypermobile. My sacrum goes out of whack and my body compensates for this. Dancers typically overstretch which creates ligament laxity. Once a ligament is stretched, it will not return to its original length. That is why people with sprained ankles are proned to hurting their ankles again.

Hitting my 40′s and perimenopause, my flexibility is changing. One side feels very flexible and the other, very tight. Pilates has given me back the stability my spine needs with working on flexiblity as I strengthen. I feel balance after my Pilates workout.

Some of my other clients have problems when they overstretch without any stability training. Pilates uniquely works on stability/mobility at the same time. For the hypermobile, it creates a foundation. For the tight client, it brings the joints back to a normal range of motion.
I regularly take reformer classes at my studio. It is a beginner/intermediate class taught by Molly Wilson. Even a beginner Pilates Class is a great workout. I feel absolutely great after the class.

I still do a yoga practice. Sometimes the overstretching in a yoga class puts my muscles in spasm. I have learn to bring the Pilates principles of stability in my yoga practice.