what is frozen shoulder?

Many people nowadays have a common condition known as frozen shoulder. It is a medical condition that has its effect in the shoulder joint of a person resulting in stiffness and pain in the shoulder joints. The pain gradually worsens and then goes away on its own. However, the period of pain could be longer and it can take almost 3 years of frozen shoulder care to make it go away.

frozen shoulder symptoms

There are some main frozen shoulder symptoms that are very common. If someone sees these frozen shoulder symptoms then referring to the doctor is a must as this can become worse in the future. The most common symptoms of frozen shoulder include stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. The person almost feels as if it is impossible to move the area.
If someone is suffering from a frozen shoulder, then there will be an achy pain in the shoulder. The shoulder muscles which are located on the top area of the arm will also feel the stress and pain.
Most people find it really difficult to sleep due to the pain. This could be another one of the signs of frozen shoulder.

frozen shoulder stages

There are three main stages that take effect in the body of a person suffering from a frozen shoulder.

freezing stage

Pain starts to develop in the shoulder area
The pain worsens and it hurts at night
The period lasts for about 9 months at most
The movement of the shoulder is limited

Frozen Stage

The pain starts to get better, the stiffness worsens
Difficulty to move the shoulder
The period lasts for 12 months at most

Thawing Stage

The motion range becomes normal
This period lasts for about 2 years at most

frozen shoulder causes

The cause for frozen shoulder in some people is still not identified. However, there are certain groups that get affected by this condition the most.
Women are the most at risk when it comes to developing frozen shoulder
The people who are in between the age group of 40 and 60 years can get this condition
People who have just had some sort of surgery like mastectomy can be at risk as well
There are medical conditions that can be triggering factor. People with diabetes have a risk of getting a frozen shoulder. Also, thyroid, heart disease, or Parkinson’s can be some of the most common risk areas

frozen shoulder diagnosis

For the diagnosis of frozen shoulder, the doctor prescribes a physical examination. The frozen shoulder test is recommended to see whether the movement of the shoulder hurts a lot or not. In the ‘Active’ exam part, the doctor will ask you to move the shoulder on your own. In the ‘Passive’ part of the exam, the doctor will help you move it.
The doctor might also decide to give an injection of anesthesia for the shoulder. This medication will help in numbing the pain in the shoulder. It helps the doctor in judging the active and the passive motion ranges.
The physical examination is often enough for the diagnosis of the condition. However, in certain cases, tests such as ultrasounds, X-rays, and MRIs are included for ruling out the other medical condition such as arthritis.

frozen shoulder treatment

For frozen shoulder treatment, there are many things that the doctors will try on you. Most doctors just recommend frozen shoulder exercises for the treatment of the condition. However, there are some other medical options available for the frozen shoulder treatment.

Non-Steroidal, Anti Inflammatory Drugs or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and aspirin are some of the most common frozen shoulder remedies. In case these don’t work, a stronger dose of medication is prescribed

Some cases of frozen shoulder treatment also include the frozen shoulder exercises. These frozen shoulder exercises help to stretch the muscles to improve the movement.

For more intense symptoms, the doctor advises these treatment options.

A certain corticosteroid injection on the shoulder joint for reducing pain and improving motion
Joint distention– Injecting sterile water into the shoulder capsule for stretching it
Physical therapy– Frozen shoulder physiotherapy is also useful to provide relief from frozen shoulder
Surgery – is another one of the options that can be used as the cure for frozen shoulder. The doctors surgically insert tools that are the size of pencils in the shoulder cuts made by them

how can we help?

We are one of the best medical health service providers that offer the cure and methods of frozen shoulder treatment. Even if you are not able to reach the hospital, we provide options for frozen shoulder treatment at home. The doctors and physiotherapists at Portea are compassionate towards the patients and that is the reason we are the No. 1 choice for home treatment services.