What is Frozen Shoulder?

Recently, you’ve noticed that your shoulder feels stiff, and it hurts when you try to lift things you never had trouble lifting before. Forget lifting things, even pulling a T-shirt over your head makes you slow down. Sometimes you feel a sudden, sharp pain in your shoulder that leaves a dull ache behind. Sleeping on your side has become impossible because your shoulder hurts too much.

IS THIS FROZEN SHOULDER?

What is frozen shoulder, and who is likely to get it?

The medical name for frozen shoulder is “adhesive capsulitis.” It is an inflammatory condition that causes fibrous tissue to form around the shoulder joint. That extra tissue limits the motion of the joint causing pain and stiffness. Frozen shoulder can occur when a shoulder joint isn’t used much, for example, after breaking an arm or recovering from rotator cuff surgery.

Sometimes a pre-existing condition, such as Parkinson’s disease or diabetes, can make people more likely to develop frozen shoulder. Being a woman over age 40 also increases the chance of getting frozen shoulder. The reasons why some people get frozen shoulder and others don’t aren’t fully understood.

How is frozen shoulder identified?

Typically, the symptoms of frozen shoulder begin suddenly, pass through three stages, and affect one shoulder. The other shoulder may or may not develop frozen shoulder at a later time.

Freezing stage: Shoulder pain gradually increases, and the range of motion decreases. This stage tends to last from about two to nine months.

Frozen stage: Pain may level off or improve a little during this stage, but the shoulder is still stiff. This stage usually lasts about four to six months.

Thawing stage: Shoulder motion slowly begins to improve, but it may take anywhere from six to 24 months before joint motion returns to normal, or close to normal.

Can I prevent frozen shoulder?

Although there is no guarantee frozen shoulder can be prevented completely, there are actions you can take to reduce the chances of getting frozen shoulder.

• Do exercises daily that move your shoulder joint and the structures immediately around it through all their motion ranges. Range of motion exercises will improve lubrication of and circulation around the joint.
• Strengthen the tendons and muscles around the shoulder joint.
• Stretch and straighten your upper back. This is particularly important for desk workers, because there is a tendency to hunch shoulders and pull them inward over the course of the day.

What treatments are available for frozen shoulder?

• Physical therapy is commonly recommended to help with frozen shoulder. It’s important to perform the prescribed exercises in between visits to the physical therapist to achieve the best results.
• Anti-inflammatory pain relievers may help treat some of the symptoms resulting from inflammation. These include oral anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, and topical anti-inflammatory creams, such as diclofenac sodium gel.
• Steroid injections may help decrease pain and improve range of motion, especially in the early stages of frozen shoulder.
• Surgery is needed in rare cases to remove scar tissue and release adhesions inside the shoulder capsule. The surgeon might need to manipulate your shoulder joint in multiple directions to help loosen it during surgery.

Although frozen shoulder can get better on its own, it’s best to make an appointment with a specialist at Orthopedic + Fracture who can confirm the diagnosis of frozen shoulder. Early intervention may prevent frozen shoulder from becoming worse. The shoulder is a complex joint, and a medical examination is needed to eliminate the presence of more serious shoulder conditions that have similar symptoms.