Frozen shoulder

Frozen Shoulder – Stiffness and Pain

Frozen shoulder is an ailment that leads to pain, together with stiffness of the shoulder whichis also known as adhesive capsulitis or shoulder contracture. It has a limited range of movement causing stiffness which could be due to an injury, strain, diabetes or a stroke. The stiffness may cause restriction and the inability to carry the daily functions and in more severe cases, the person may find it very difficult to even move the shoulder at all.

The tissues around the joint stiffen; scar tissue forms and shoulder movement tend to get difficult and painful. The symptoms gradually gets worse over a period of time and the person may experience shoulder pain for the first two to nine months which may later on lead to increasing stiffness. This ailment may improve over a period of time though it may take several years to get relieve from this condition.

Frozen shoulder could develop when one stops using the joint normally due to the pain, injury or due to chronic health condition and any shoulder pain could get worse if the frozen shoulder is not exercised well and not kept in motion. It could occur after an injury or a surgery, in people between the ages of 40 to 70 years old, in people suffering from chronic diseases and this condition is more common in women than men.

Known as Capsule- Gets Thicken and Inflamed

Frozen shoulder develops when the flexible tissue surrounding the shoulder joint also known as the capsule, gets thicken and inflamed. Frozen shoulder is diagnosed when the physician suspects limited shoulder movement and an x-ray is done to indicate symptoms if they are related to broken bone or arthritis.

Often the frozen shoulder eventually gets better without much treatment though proper treatment is necessary to eliminate the pain and misery of this condition, to improve the movement of the shoulder and be relieved from this condition. Possible treatments options could be painkillers, pain relieving injections, and shoulder exercises together with physiotherapy which could be helpful to the person to get some relieve though the treatment will depend on how severe the condition is and its progress.

Application of Heat to Affected Area

Besides this, application of heat to the painful area together with delicate, gentle stretching could prove to be helpful. Ice and medicine could also be used to reduce the pain and swelling. To increase the range of motion, physical therapy is a good option to the person with frozen shoulder. At times if the said treatment does not give much relief, a surgery may be suggested which is done to loosen some of the tight tissues around the shoulder and is often done with an arthroscope.

The causes of some of the cases of frozen shoulder is not known andthough it may not be possible to prevent them, efforts can be done to improve or reduce the pain experienced in this condition. Gentle progressive range of motion exercises, using the shoulder more often, stretching, together with patience and adhering to the instructions provided by the physicians, could all add to some relieve to the pain of frozen shoulder.