Frozen shoulder is a disorder where the synovial membrane, a soft tissue that creates a protective capsule around the shoulder joint, swells, thickens, and contracts. It is also referred to as adhesive capsulitis of shoulder contracture. Scar tissue limits the range of motion in the upper arm. As a result, the shoulder suffers and has limited range of motion.However, it frequently affects patients who also have other inflammatory conditions. Other people get frozen shoulders following an accident or period of immobilisation, such as following a violent fall or surgery.
Symptoms Of Frozen Shoulder
The major signs of a frozen shoulder are pain and stiffness, which make moving it challenging or impossible.
If you have a frozen shoulder, you'll likely have a dull or agonising pain in one shoulder. It might hurt in the shoulder muscles that encircle the top of your arm. There may be a similar sensation in your upper arm. If your discomfort becomes unbearable, it could be challenging to sleep at night.
A frozen shoulder often progresses through three stages. Each comes with its own set of symptoms and time.
Freeze phase:
- 1. Every time you move your shoulder, a pain (sometimes quite intense) develops there.
- 2. Over time, it gradually grows worse and could hurt more at night.
- 3. This may last for six to nine months.
- 4.Restrictions in movementYour shoulder's range of motion is constrained.
Frozen stage:
- 1. Although your pain may lessen, your stiffness will only get worse.
- 2.It gets increasingly challenging to move your shoulder and more challenging to carry out normal tasks.
- 3.4 to 12 months are possible during this stage.
Thawing Phase
- 1. You begin to regain your normal range of motion.
- 2. It could take anywhere from six months to two years to complete.
Causes
We still don't fully understand what causes frozen shoulder. You may be more susceptible to experiencing frozen shoulder due to a few causes.
- 1. Diabetes
- 2. Other Diseases
- Immobilisation
Diabetes patients are much more likely to get frozen shoulder. Additionally, diabetic people with frozen shoulder typically experience a higher level of stiffness that lasts longer before "thawing."
Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson's disease, and cardiac disease are a few more medical conditions connected to frozen shoulder.
A shoulder that has been immobilised for a while owing to surgery, a fracture, or another ailment may develop a frozen shoulder. One method for preventing frozen shoulder is to have patients move their shoulders as soon as possible following an injury or surgery.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will evaluate your shoulder after going over your symptoms and medical background.
Your doctor will carefully move your shoulder in all directions to check for restrictions in motion and any accompanying pain. "Passive range of motion" refers to the range of motion your shoulder has when another person moves it. When you move your shoulder on your own, your doctor will compare this range of motion to it ("active range of motion"). The range of motion is restricted in frozen shoulder patients both actively and passively.
Treatments For Frozen Shoulder
The recommended course of action for frozen shoulder involves limiting the shoulder's range of motion as much as possible. Pain and inflammation can be reduced by over-the-counter drugs like Motrin IB and Advil. PRP, or platelet-rich plasma therapy, is an additional method of treating frozen shoulder. PRP, which is made from the patient's own blood and is high in growth factors, aids in the treatment of a number of soft tissue problems. Therefore, it has no negative side effects either. It facilitates a quicker recovery process. Surgical procedures and shoulder manipulation are other treatments. PRP has had remarkable success treating frozen shoulder, though.
