How Massage Can Help Your Stiff And Sore Shoulders
- Ali Saoirse
- 14 minutes ago
- 9 min read
A stiff, sore shoulder can be frustrating. Reaching for a cup on the top shelf, turning over in bed, or getting dressed can suddenly feel like a whole mission. The good news? Massage — done well — is one of the most practical, comforting, and effective ways to reduce shoulder pain, loosen tightness, and help you get back to normal life. It is one of the most common requests we get at Ripple ("my shoulders are really tight!") and the part of the body we often do the most work on.
A stiff, sore shoulder is usually caused by tight muscles, trigger points, inflammation around the joint, or in some cases adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”). Massage can reduce pain, improve range of motion, and help break down muscle tension and myofascial restrictions. For frozen shoulder, massage is one part of a broader program (manual therapy + exercise +, in some cases, injections or other medical management).
Here are some of the ways massage can help stiffness in your shoulders, other complimentary treatments like stretches that may help and more.
1. Why Your Shoulders Get Stiff And Sore
Your shoulder is built for movement. It’s the most mobile joint in the body, which is brilliant for everyday tasks — but that mobility depends on many muscles and soft tissues working together.
That mobility comes with many moving parts — muscles, tendons, joint capsule, ligaments, bursae — and any of those can become irritated.
When those muscles get tired, shortened, or overloaded (from desk work, sport, repetitive lifting, poor posture, or stress), the shoulder starts to stiffen. Common, real-world contributors include:
Lots of sitting at a desk, looking at screens
Rounded shoulders and forward head posture
Overhead work, heavy lifting, or repetitive motions at a job or in the gym
Stress and emotional tension — the shoulder is a classic place the body stores tension
Sleeping on one side or awkward sleeping positions
Previous injuries that didn’t fully settle
These can lead to
Muscle overuse or strain — repetitive lifting, computer work, carrying heavy loads.
Myofascial trigger points — tight “knots” in muscles like the upper trapezius or levator scapulae that refer pain into the shoulder and neck.
Rotator cuff strain or tendinopathy — pain with overhead tasks and weakness.
Bursitis / impingement — inflammation of a bursa under the acromion causing painful elevation.
Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) — progressive stiffness and loss of passive and active range of motion due to contracture of the shoulder capsule. More information on frozen shoulder here
When muscles tighten, they pull the joint out of its ideal position, movement becomes more difficult, and pain sets in. That’s where targeted massage can help — by addressing the tight muscles and the patterns that keep the shoulder stuck.
What A Massage Can Do For Your Shoulder Pain
Massage isn’t magic, your therapist isn't a Shaman, but it does several useful things that explain why people feel better after a session:
Releases tight muscles and “knots” (trigger points) so muscles can lengthen and move more freely.
Improves circulation to tissues, helping clear metabolites and bring nutrients for recovery.
Calms the nervous system, reducing protective guarding (your body’s tendency to tighten up around pain).
Improves tissue glide (how muscles and fascia slide against each other), reducing the sense of stiffness.
Makes exercise and stretching easier — massage reduces pain enough that clients can do the active work that keeps gains long-term.
Many university reviews have shown that massage therapy provides short-term pain relief and improvements in range of motion for shoulder pain and neck/shoulder complaints. That evidence is strongest for short-term effects, and massage is most powerful when combined with exercise and rehabilitation approaches.
Frozen Shoulder - What It Is And How Massage Can Help
What is frozen shoulder?
Frozen shoulder, medically called adhesive capsulitis, often starts with pain and gradually progresses to significant stiffness. The shoulders' joint capsule thickens and becomes less stretchy, making both active and passive movement hard. Everyday tasks like dressing or putting your arm overhead can become very difficult.
Important reality check:
Massage alone generally cannot “unfreeze” the joint capsule in adhesive capsulitis. The capsule itself — a deep layer around the joint — often needs a staged program (pain management, gentle mobilization, progressive stretching, and strengthening) and sometimes medical interventions. Large reviews show that combined approaches (manual therapy plus exercise, sometimes injections) are most effective. JAMA Network+1
So, what does massage help with in frozen shoulder?
Relieves surrounding muscle pain and tightness so the area is more comfortable.
Reduces guarding (when muscles stiffen to “protect” a painful joint), allowing more gentle movement.
Improves sleep and reduces night pain, which is very common and distressing.
Makes rehabilitation exercises and joint mobilizations tolerable so you can progress.
In short: massage is supportive and very helpful for symptom relief and enabling rehab, but it’s usually part of a broader plan for frozen shoulder rather than the only treatment.
The Main Muscle Groups In Your Shoulders
You don’t need to memorize everything, but here are the important muscles and what they do — explained simply so you know what your therapist is working on.
Rotator cuff (deep stabilisers) — the control team
Supraspinatus — helps lift the arm out to the side (initiates abduction).
Infraspinatus — helps rotate the arm outwards (external rotation).
Teres minor — assists external rotation.
Subscapularis — rotates the arm inwards (internal rotation) and stabilises the front of the joint.
These small muscles hold the ball of the upper arm (humeral head) snugly in the socket. When they’re weak or tight, shoulder mechanics suffer.
The movers and posture muscles — the bigger players
Deltoid — the large, visible shoulder muscle that lifts the arm.
Trapezius (upper, middle, lower) — controls the shoulder blade; the upper part often stores stress and tightness.
Levator scapulae — lifts the shoulder blade, commonly tight in desk workers.
Pectoralis major & minor (chest muscles) — when tight, these pull the shoulders forward, causing rounded posture.
Latissimus dorsi & teres major — big muscles that affect overhead movement and internal rotation.
Why Massage Will Target These Areas
Tightness in any of these muscles can cause pain, reduced motion, or odd movement patterns. Massage helps:
Release tight fibres
Reduce trigger points that refer pain (you might feel neck pain because of a trigger point in your shoulder blade muscles)
Improve the way the shoulder blade and upper arm move together
How Your Therapist Will Massage Your Shoulder
Therapists blend techniques depending on your needs and how your shoulder presents. Here’s a friendly guide to the common approaches and what each one does.
What it feels like: long, flowing strokes and gentle kneading.
When it’s used: when stress, tension, or high sensitivity is present.
Why it helps: calms the nervous system, improves superficial circulation, and prepares tissues for deeper work.
What it feels like: slower, deeper pressure to reach tight, stubborn areas.
When it’s used: chronic tightness, long-standing knots, or when deeper fibres need work.
Why it helps: helps break down adhesions and lengthen tightened muscle fibres.
What it feels like: direct, focused pressure into a tight “knot” until it eases.
When it’s used: for specific painful spots that trigger pain elsewhere (referred pain).
Why it helps: can reduce referred pain and restore normal muscle tone.
Myofascial release
What it feels like: slow, sustained pressure and stretches through the fascia (the connective tissue around muscles).
When it’s used: when tissue feels “stuck” or there’s a global sense of restriction.
Why it helps: improves slide between layers of tissue and reduces a global feeling of tightness.
Cross-fiber friction & short-stroke techniques
What it feels like: small, targeted movements across the grain of a tendon or muscle.
When it’s used: for tendinopathies, scars, or precise areas of restriction.
Why it helps: promotes healthy collagen alignment and local healing responses.
Assisted stretching & gentle mobilisation
What it feels like: therapist-guided stretches and small joint movements.
When it’s used: to restore range without forcing it.
Why it helps: allows safe increases in mobility and supports function.
A thoughtful therapist will combine these approaches in a session, using gentler methods on high-pain days and deeper work when tissues are ready. Please always let us know if the pressure or stretch is too intense.
Massage And Frozen Shoulder
Because frozen shoulder typically has stages (painful/freezing → stiff/frozen → thawing/recovery), the way massage is used changes with each stage:
Early painful stage: gentle, soothing techniques to reduce pain and improve sleep. Focus on relieving muscle tension around the joint.
Frozen / stiff stage: careful soft-tissue work and gentle mobilisations; the aim is to reduce guarding, not force the joint open.
Thawing / recovery stage: more active mobilisations, deeper soft-tissue work as tolerated, and progressive strengthening exercises.
Evidence supports combining manual therapy (which includes soft-tissue work and mobilisation) with exercise for the best outcomes in adhesive capsulitis — and injections or hydrodilatation may be considered in some cases for earlier pain control. PubMed+1
Gentle Stretches To Help With Shoulder Stiffness
Doing a little bit every day between sessions helps the benefits of massage stick. Here are reliable, easy stretches and tips.
Safety: perform stretches within a comfortable range. Mild discomfort is okay, sharp pain is not. If you have significant inflammation or a medical condition, check with your clinician first.
1) Pendulum swings
Lean over a bench or chair, supporting your non-affected hand on the surface.
Let the affected arm hang relaxed.
Gently swing the arm in small circles clockwise and then counterclockwise.
1–2 minutes, repeat 1–2 times daily.
2) Cross-body shoulder stretch
Stand or sit tall.
Bring your affected arm across your chest, using the opposite hand to gently pull the arm closer to your chest.
Hold 30–45 seconds, repeat 2–3 times.
3) Wall climb (finger walk)
Face a wall at arm’s length.
Place the fingertips of your affected arm on the wall and “walk” them slowly upwards as high as comfortable.
Hold the top for a few seconds, then walk fingers back down.
Repeat 3 times, 2–3 times daily.
4) Doorway chest stretch
Stand in a doorway, place your forearms on the door frame with elbows slightly below shoulder height.
Gently step forward until you feel a stretch across the front of the chest and shoulders.
Hold 20–30 seconds, repeat 2–3 times.
5) Shoulder blade squeezes (scapular retraction)
Sit or stand tall.
Squeeze shoulder blades together gently (imagine trying to hold a pencil between them).
Hold 5 seconds, repeat 10–15 times, 2 sets daily.
6) External rotation stretch (for posterior capsule / subscapularis)
Stand with your elbow bent at 90° and tucked to your side.
Use the opposite hand to gently rotate the forearm outward until you feel a stretch inside the shoulder.
Hold 20–30 seconds, repeat 2–3 times.
Self-massage tips
Use a lacrosse or massage ball against a wall to work gently on the upper trapezius and around the shoulder blade.
Apply gentle heat (10–15 minutes) before stretching to warm tissues.
Ice after intense activity may help if there’s a short period of inflammation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shoulder Massage
1. Can massage help a sore shoulder from desk work? Yes — massage is excellent for posture-related tension and muscle overload caused by long hours at a desk. It helps release tight neck/shoulder muscles and improve comfort.
2. Will deep tissue massage hurt my shoulder more? Not if done correctly. Deep tissue can feel intense but should be controlled and tolerable. A skilled therapist adapts pressure and checks in with you.
3. Can massage cure frozen shoulder? Massage helps symptoms — particularly pain and muscle guarding — but frozen shoulder often needs a combined program of manual therapy, guided exercise, and sometimes medical options.
4. How soon will I feel better after a massage? Many people feel improvement immediately or within 24–48 hours. For long-standing problems, several sessions plus home care are often needed.
5. Is it safe to massage an inflamed shoulder? Gentle techniques are usually safe, but aggressive deep work should be avoided during a flare. If swelling, redness, or fever is present, seek medical review first.
6. How often should I have shoulder massage? For an acute flare 1–2 times a week may help. For chronic stiffness, weekly or fortnightly initially, then taper as you improve.
7. Should I exercise after a massage? Yes — gentle movement and the stretches above are usually recommended after massage to consolidate gains.
8. What if I have neck pain with my shoulder pain? Neck and shoulder tension often come together. Therapists will usually treat both areas to get the best result.
9. Can massage prevent future shoulder problems? Regular maintenance massage, better posture, and targeted strengthening can reduce the risk of recurrence, especially in people with repetitive jobs.
10. Do I need a doctor’s referral for shoulder massage? No — for most people, massage is safe and accessible. If you have complex medical issues, recent trauma, or neurological symptoms (numbness, weakness), check with a clinician first.
Look for therapists who:
Are qualified (remedial massage, accredited therapist, or working with physio teams for complex cases).
Ask questions about your history and goals, and perform a short movement test.
Explain what they’re doing and check your comfort with pressure.
Provide a home program to reinforce what they do hands-on.
Communicate when a case might benefit from a physiotherapist or GP referral.
If you’re local to the Gold Coast, Tamborine Mountain, Brisbane, Scenic Rim or Northern NSW, choosing a mobile, high-quality therapist who can treat you at home (like the Ripple Massage team) can be a convenient way to get consistent care without the stress of travel.
If your shoulder is holding you back, a focused assessment and hands-on session can make a big difference. Ripple Massage brings experienced therapists to your home or accommodation across the Gold Coast, Tamborine Mountain, Brisbane, Scenic Rim and Northern NSW, offering tailored shoulder massage (relaxation or remedial) and practical home programs so you can keep moving comfortably.
Book an assessment or ask about our shoulder massage and frozen shoulder massage options — we’ll match pressure and techniques to your comfort and create a simple recovery plan together.
