Most of us probably know what it is like to have someone give us the cold shoulder, but have you ever heard of a frozen shoulder? Does that come from someone who is really cruel and mean? For purposes of this article, frozen shoulder has nothing to do with emotions and everything to do with adhesive capsulitis, which is the fancier, medical term for the condition. (I wonder if we could stir up the pot and say, “Wow! That person just gave me the adhesive capsulitis!” instead of saying the cold shoulder!? Doubt it!)
From a physical perspective, frozen shoulder is a condition that is characterized by pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. The symptoms and signs of this condition begin slowly, worsening over time, and then usually resolve themselves within a two-year period of time.
You may be at risk for this condition if your shoulder has been recently compromised, due to surgery in which your arm was immobilized in a specific position, or if you have had your arm in a sling for several weeks.
Frozen shoulder develops slowly and usually presents through three stages, and each stage can last for several months. The initial stage is the most painful stage. Any movement of your shoulder can elicit sharp pain, and you may notice a decrease in your shoulder’s range of motion.
During the next phase, known as the frozen stage, the pain may begin to disappear, but your shoulder will become noticeably stiffer, and your range of motion is drastically reduced.
The third stage, known as the thawing stage, the range of motion in your shoulder begins to improve. For some people, the pain associated with frozen shoulder worsens at night and can disrupt their sleep.
The exact causes behind frozen shoulder are not clearly known to doctors, but it is more likely, as mentioned above, to occur in those who have recently endured prolonged immobilization of the shoulder, due to surgery, an arm fracture, rotator cuff injury, or a stroke, for instance. There also exists a high incidence of this condition in those individuals with diabetes, so there may be some sort of autoimmune basis that contributes to the condition of frozen shoulder.
The demographics of this disease seem to suggest that people age 40 and older are more likely to experience this condition, and about 70 percent of the people who develop frozen shoulder are female. Other medical problems might predispose one to the disease, such as an overactive or underactive thyroid, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
Frozen shoulder can typically be diagnosed from the symptoms and signs alone, but imaging tests such as X-rays and MRIs may be conducted to rule out any other potential problems. Most frozen shoulder treatments involve controlling the pain and maintaining as much of the range of motion as possible. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen may be effective in controlling the pain. Injecting corticosteroids into the shoulder joint may also help to minimize the discomfort and shorten the duration of symptoms during the initial, painful stage. However, repeated injections such as these are not advised. Sessions with a physical therapist can help with exercises to maintain as much mobility in the shoulder as possible.
Other treatment options include distension, which is when sterile water is injected into the joint capsule to help stretch the tissue, making it easier to move the joint. Another option is shoulder manipulation. Done under general anesthesia, the doctor will move the shoulder joint in numerous way to help loosen the tightened tissue.
If the symptoms do not improve despite other treatment measures, then surgical intervention may be needed to remove any scar tissue and adhesions from the inside of the shoulder joint. This is usually an arthroscopic procedure. An alternative treatment measure that has been around for thousands of years is the use of acupuncture, which involves putting needles into the skin at very specific points on the body and leaving them there for about 15-40 minutes.
If you experience an accident or condition that decreases the range of motion in your shoulder, speak with your doctor about what exercises you can employ that will serve to prevent the onset of frozen shoulder. When you are free from pain and can move your shoulder about freely, chances are you will never be in the frame of mind to ever give someone the figurative cold shoulder. You’ll just want to move those shoulder joints and wrap your arms around someone to give them a big hug!
(Information for this article was found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/frozen-shoulder/DS00416/)