What is a frozen shoulder?
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of three bones: your upper arm bone (humerus), your shoulder blade (scapula), and your collarbone (clavicle). The head of the upper arm bone fits into a shallow socket in your shoulder blade. Strong connective tissue, called the shoulder capsule, surrounds the joint. To help your shoulder move more easily, synovial fluid lubricates the shoulder capsule and the joint. In frozen shoulder, the shoulder capsule thickens and becomes stiff and tight. Thick bands of tissue called adhesions develop. In many cases, there is less synovial fluid in the joint which can lead to pain. Dr. Austin Chen, Orthopedic shoulder and sports medicine specialist is well versed in treating frozen shoulder and is available to discuss all options for treatment.
What are the symptoms of a frozen shoulder?
The hallmark signs of this condition are severe pain and being unable to move your shoulder –either on your own or with the help of someone else. Frozen shoulder develops in three stages:
- Stage 1: Freezing: In the “freezing” stage, pain develops slowly. As the pain worsens, you begin to lose range of motion in the shoulder. The freezing stage typically lasts from 6 weeks to 9 months.
- Stage 2: Frozen: During the frozen stage, pain may actually improve although the stiffness remains. This stage typically lasts for 4 to 6 months. During this time, daily activities may be very difficult.
- Stage 3: Thawing: During the thawing phase, patients may find that the shoulder motion slowly improves. It can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for normal strength and motion to return.
What is the cause of frozen shoulder?
Unfortunately no definitive cause for frozen shoulder is known, although there are some factors that may put you at risk. These factors include diabetes, immobilization following a surgery, fracture or other injury, and other diseases. Other diseases that increase a risk for frozen shoulder are hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease, and cardiac disease.
What are the symptoms of frozen shoulder?
Pain from frozen shoulder is usually dull or aching pain that worsens when you move your arm and early in the course of the disease. The pain is usually located over the outer shoulder area and sometimes the upper arm.
What is the treatment for frozen shoulder?
Generally, frozen shoulder will resolve over time although it may take a few years. Conservative treatment measures including aggressive physical therapy, ultrasound-guided cortisone injections and oral anti-inflammatories. In extreme cases, failed to resolve with conservative measures and physical therapy, surgical intervention may be necessary, consisting of a shoulder arthroscopy to release the capsular stiffness, break up scar tissue and manipulate the arm to regain motion. This procedure requires aggressive physical therapy the following day postoperatively.
