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The shoulder joint is formed by three bones: the scapula, the clavicle, and the humerus. The connective tissues around your shoulder hold all these together. This is called the shoulder capsule.
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, causes the shoulder joint capsule to thicken and tighten. The movement of the fluid that lubricates your shoulder also gets restricted. This situation prevents you from moving your shoulder. In this article, the various aspects related to frozen shoulder will be discussed for your better understanding and treatment.
Synopsis
What Are the Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder?
You can develop the symptoms of a frozen shoulder in three stages.
- Freezing Stage: The shoulder becomes painful to move. Its range of motion becomes restricted. This phase lasts for two to nine months.
- Frozen Stage: You may experience less pain during this phase. The shoulder stiffens up more, and using it becomes difficult. This phase lasts for four to twelve months.
- Thawing Stage: The shoulder’s range of motion starts to increase. This phase lasts for five to twenty-four months.
What Causes Frozen Shoulder?
The precise causes of frozen shoulder are unknown. However, it is more likely to occur after keeping the shoulder still for an extended period, such as after surgery or an arm fracture.
An experienced orthopaedician can identify the proper causes for your frozen shoulder.
What Are the Risk Factors for Frozen Shoulder?
Various factors increase the risk of developing a frozen shoulder, as discussed below:
- Age: People aged 40 to 50 are more prone to developing this condition.
- Diabetes: Around 30% of diabetic patients develop frozen shoulders because of their underlying health concerns.
- Recent trauma: Injury, illness, or surgery also increases the vulnerability to developing a frozen shoulder
Other conditions that increase the risk include:
- Hyper and Hypothyroidism
- Cardiovascular disease
- Tuberculosis
- Breast Cancer
- Open Heart Surgery
- Depression
- Parkinson’s disease
- Stroke
Frozen Shoulder can coexist with other conditions, too, like Calcific Shoulder Tendonitis and Rotator Cuff Tear.
Diagnosis of Frozen Shoulder
To diagnose a frozen shoulder and determine its stage, an expert medical professional performs different tests. It can be an independent analysis or in combination with other examinations. These tests include:
- Physical Examination by manually checking your shoulder condition
- Arthrogram
- X-rays
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Treatment of Frozen Shoulder
The majority of frozen shoulder treatment involves controlling shoulder pain and preserving as much shoulder range of motion as possible. Below, we have discussed the most common treatment options for this condition.
- Medications: Aspirin and ibuprofen can reduce the inflammation and pain associated with a frozen shoulder. Your doctor determines the dosage of this prescription depending on your condition.
- Physical Therapy: A physiotherapist can teach you exercises that promote range of motion to help you regain movement in your shoulders. You must commit to doing these exercises regularly for better outcomes.
- Surgical and other procedures: In most cases, the frozen shoulder gets better on its own within 12 to 18 months but some patients may not regain their full range of movements. In case there are severe or persistent symptoms, several modalities are available in the treatment ladder
- Steroid Injection: It is a widely used outpatient procedure which yields good results when combined with physiotherapy. These injections can improve shoulder mobility if done soon after the onset of a frozen shoulder.
- Hydrodilatation: this is a process during which a sterile saline solution is injected into the joint capsule. This helps stretch the tissue and makes the movement easy. It can also be used in conjunction with a steroid injection.
- Shoulder Manipulation: This procedure uses a general anaesthetic. It makes the patient unconscious so that they don’t sense any pain. The care provider then moves the shoulder joint in different directions for the tightened tissues to loosen up. This procedure may be associated with complications such as a fracture of the humerus and bleeding within the joint.
- Surgery: most patients recover satisfactorily with a conservative line of management. however, for refractory cases, arthroscopic release can be performed. This procedure helps remove scar tissue from inside the shoulder joint. Small incisions are made for the insertion of miniaturised instruments guided by a tiny camera (arthroscopy).
The most suitable treatment procedure for a frozen shoulder can be determined by a specialist. Consult the best orthopaedician in Bangalore to receive proper diagnosis and treatment. Early determination of this condition is necessary to avoid complications and ease the pain as soon as possible.
FAQ's
No, frozen shoulders cannot cause chest pain. If you have chest pain, immediately consult your doctor to be safe.
No. The shoulder pain usually gets better on its own without treatment. However, you may continue to have limitations in your range of motion. Early treatment plans will make your condition better.
The association between frozen shoulder and diabetes is unknown. However, it can be due to high glucose. One of the theories suggests that the glucose molecules get attached to the collagen of the shoulder lining, making the area stiffer.
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