Don’t Panic If Frozen Shoulder Sets In
If your shoulder has become increasingly painful and stiff lately, you might have frozen shoulder. Known formally as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder usually sets in gradually and worsens over time. It’s easy to start panicking if you find your range of motion gradually shrinking and the pain growing. Fortunately, frozen shoulder is often reversible with the proper treatment from Spinal Healthcare & Physical Medicine.
Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder
The onset of adhesive capsulitis is typically gradual and occurs in three stages, each of which can last several months:
- The “freezing stage” is when any shoulder movement causes pain. This often increases at night, sometimes disrupting sleep. Range of motion also begins to diminish.
- The “frozen stage” is the height of frozen shoulder. The pain may lessen, but increased stiffness makes your shoulder difficult to move.
- The “thawing stage” is when flexibility returns to your shoulder and it becomes easier to use again.
Causes of Frozen Shoulder
The shoulder joint is encased in a capsule. Frozen shoulder sets in when the capsule thickens and tightens around the bones, tendons and ligaments in the joint. There’s no clear reason why this happens, though it’s most common for people to develop frozen shoulder following a medical procedure or condition that restricts arm movement, such as:
- Fractured or broken arm
- Rotator cuff injury
- Stroke
- Recovery from surgery
If you have an arm injury and must keep your shoulder immobile during the recovery period, talk to your doctor about exercises you can perform to prevent frozen shoulder.
People with certain medical conditions also have an increased risk of developing frozen shoulder. These conditions include:
- Diabetes
- Over or underactive thyroid
- Cardiovascular disease
- Tuberculosis
- Parkinson’s disease
Diagnosing Frozen Shoulder
There are many possibilities for chronic shoulder pain, so to make sure you really have adhesive capsulitis, you may go through this diagnostic process:
- Move your arm in certain ways to check your active range of motion.
- Relax your muscles while the doctor moves your arm in certain ways to check your passive range of motion.
- Have an x-ray or MRI to rule out other medical problems that cause shoulder pain and stiffness.
Treatments for Frozen Shoulder
The goal of any treatment is to control the pain and preserve your range of motion until the condition passes on its own, which often takes 12 to 18 months. Common treatments include:
- At-home remedies: With your current level of pain and range of motion considered, use your affected shoulder as much as possible. Apply heat or cold to relieve pain. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers may also help, though your doctor may prescribe stronger medications.
- Physical therapy: A physical therapist at Spinal Healthcare can perform range-of-motion exercises to help maintain as much mobility in your affected shoulder as possible.
- Joint injections: Especially in the “freezing stage,” joint injections can decrease pain. Injecting sterile water into the joint capsule can also help stretch the tissue and improve mobility.
- Shoulder manipulation: The doctor moves your shoulder in different directions to loosen the joint. You receive a general anesthetic so you’re unconscious and feel no pain during the procedure.
- Arthroscopic surgery: Resorting to surgery for frozen shoulder is rare. It’s considered a last resort if nothing else helps. Surgery removes scar tissue and adhesions from the joint to help it heal.
Whether you’re in the early or late stages of frozen shoulder, contact Spinal Healthcare & Physical Medicine or call us at (260) 493-6565 to schedule a consultation at our New Haven office. We’ll help you figure out why your shoulder is locking up and interrupting your ability to follow your normal daily routine.
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