Living With Frozen Shoulder? Know The Symptoms, Risks, And How to Treat It

Learn how to identify and manage frozen shoulder. Know its symptoms, risks, causes, and effective treatments to regain mobility and relieve pain.

Many people tend to dismiss the root cause of constant shoulder pain as "stress" or "bad posture", when it can be much more complicated than that. There's perhaps no condition more misunderstood than frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, as it's known in the medical field. It can very easily impact a person's daily activities if it's not treated.

What Is A Frozen Shoulder?

According to Dr Ashis Acharya, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, "A frozen shoulder is an affliction in which the tissues surrounding the shoulder joint become inflamed, stiff, and thick. This results in a loss of movement and gradual pain, which can become debilitating. Unlike the temporary stiffness that comes after a 12-hour workday, a frozen shoulder needs to be treated properly; otherwise, it can take months or even years to be resolved."

Frozen Shoulder Symptoms

These indicators may appear over a long period and in a particular order:

1. Freezing stage: Almost all shoulder movement becomes painful. Tasks like dressing and reaching overhead are profoundly impossible.
2. Frozen stage: Pain might be lessened, but mobility becomes even more restricted, and the shoulder becomes stiffer.
3. Thawing stage: Movement of the shoulder improves, even though slowly, but the pace of recovery still remains to be seen.

Do not hesitate to get medical consultation if you are experiencing pain in your shoulder for a couple of weeks without the ability to move it.

Who Can Develop It?

Anyone can suffer from a frozen shoulder, but the evidence suggests that it is much more common in:

• Adults between 40 and 60 years old.
• Those who have a medical history of diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.
• Individuals who have undergone surgery or sustained an injury that has restricted movement in the shoulder.
• There is also some evidence to suggest that women are more likely to suffer from this condition than men.

Frozen Shoulder Impact

"The pain and relief cycle can make focusing on work, sleeping, and your general emotional state more challenging. Even mundane tasks such as lifting, cooking, and grooming can become embarrassing obstacles to overcome without extra effort. With early diagnosis, it is much easier to avoid lasting issues," the doctor told.

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

In most cases, frozen shoulder is not treated with any form of surgery. It is common to suggest:

• Physical therapy: shoulder activities involving stretching and strengthening
• Pain management: medicine to relieve pain purchased without a prescription, and more personal options
• Use of self-warming or cooling packs: to manage pain
• Steroid injections: to edge inflammation in a few select cases

If pain and stiffness do not improve, surgery may need to be carried out. The shoulder can function to a great extent if used with proper care.

Conclusion

Not all shoulder pains are just "stress". Those who are constant and restrict their everyday activities may experience frozen shoulder. Noticing these signs and seeing a diagnostic specialist can make a major improvement. If recognised and treated, frozen shoulder makes rehabilitation easier. A person can continue their standard activities with little restriction.