Frozen Shoulders: What To Do And What Not To
A frozen shoulder can be triggered by a medical condition, past injury or if you have not been able to move your shoulders for a long period of time.
A frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a joint problem that causes stiffness, pain, and loss of motion in the shoulder. This may lead to a severe disability and cause prolonged pain if left untreated.
The reasons behind the frozen shoulder condition are unknown. However, it may occur because of immobilization of the shoulder for a long, long time due to injury, surgery, or illness. In many cases, the cause is obscure. However, with proper treatment, you can usually unfreeze the shoulder. The recovery takes time and patience.
The shoulder has a broader range of motion than any other part of the body. It is a ball-and-socket joint, which enables the shoulder to move forward or backwards and allows the arm to rotate and extend outward. The synovial fluid lubricates the joints and helps them to move smoothly. Various muscles and tendons stabilize the shoulder and control its movements. They are known as the rotator cuff. This elaborate architecture of soft tissue allows for the shoulder's flexibility, but it also makes it vulnerable to wear and tear and trauma.
Anatomy of a frozen shoulder:
Usually, the head of the humerus moves smoothly in the glenoid cavity, a depression in the scapula. A shoulder is considered frozen when the capsule protecting the glenohumeral joint contracts and stiffens. Adhesions may also form between joint capsules and the head of the humerus.
Frozen shoulder can have typically three stages:
The symptoms occur in stages, as mentioned above. However, you can experience one or more of these over time:
The causes and risk factors of the Frozen Shoulder are:
After surgery, the patient is made to go through a gentle range of motion exercises. This progressively stretches the joint capsule and thus maintains the shoulder movements and prevents the frozen shoulder.
Experts still cannot figure out the reason for the frozen shoulder and think medication may not stop it. However, certain exercises may help. Be patient and follow your doctor's advice.
Physical examination:
After taking a brief history of the symptoms, the doctor will examine the shoulder.
The doctor will check the shoulder’s elasticity/restrictiveness by moving it in different directions. When the doctor moves the shoulder, the range of motion is known to be the "passive range of motion". When the patient moves his/her shoulder independently, it is known as the “active range of motion”. Both active and passive range of motion is limited in the case of people having frozen shoulders.
Imaging tests:
The frozen shoulder tends to get better with time, although it takes up to three years for complete recovery. The focus of the treatment is to control the pain and restore motion and strength in the shoulder through physical therapy.
Some lifestyle changes that will help to improve the pain, and swelling of the frozen shoulder are:
Prognosis
Pain relievers and shoulder exercises are often helpful in restoring the motion and function of the shoulder within a year or even less. The completely untreated shoulder also tends to get better on its own but takes a much longer time. Complete or nearly complete recovery is seen after two years.
Complications
The complications associated with frozen shoulder include:
Alternative treatment includes surgical interventions like:
Anesthesia accompanied manipulation in which your physician will move the shoulder’s placement that will release the tightening.
Shoulder arthroscopy is a procedure where your doctor will cut the tightened portions of the shoulder surgically.
References.
A frozen shoulder can be triggered by a medical condition, past injury or if you have not been able to move your shoulders for a long period of time.
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A frozen shoulder can be triggered by a medical condition, past injury or if you have not been able to move your shoulders for a long period of time.
Do you have debilitating pain in your shoulder but you tend to ignore it? Here are some of the reasons why you should ignore it and take care of the problem.
Shoulder pain is one of the most commonly reported joint and muscle pains. Here are some no-drug remedies for your ailing shoulders.
You must also ensure that you do a few yoga asanas and exercises to keep your joints active and prevent frozen shoulder.
In his exclusive article, Dr. Dhananjay Gupta, Director, Department of Orthopedics, Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, talks about how you can take better care of your bones with a few fresh strategies that have replaced the old ones.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says his team of doctors will "fiddle around" with his body and set him up again.
According to our expert, the maximum weight a child should carry is one tenth (10%) of their body weight.
Frozen shoulder's self-limiting pain can be treated without using any surgical intervention.
Make your upper body stronger with these yoga poses.
Try these easy-to-do and at-home exercises to improve shoulder flexibility and mobility.
Relieve pain in your shoulder with these herbal remedies.
Suffering from an incesant back or neck ache? Well, it might be your posture. Here is a list of things that you might be doing wrong.
Being fashionable can be a hindrance to your health if you follow these trends.
Shiprah Lakka, a physiotherapist, offers tips on living with a frozen shoulder.
Have shoulder or neck pain? Blame Posh and big handbags
Stiffness, pain and inability to move the shoulder are the key symptoms of frozen shoulder. Take necessary steps before it's too late
Dr Garima recommends simple, at-home exercises for knee pain, hip pain, spinal problems and more.