What Is A Frozen Shoulder

To understand how the shoulder joint works and the impact of having a frozen shoulder

, you first must be aware that the shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. The ball is the top of the arm bone and the socket is part of the shoulder blade. Surrounding the ball-and-socket joint is a capsule of tissue that surrounds the joint. Adhesive capsulitis, or Frozen Shoulder, is a medical condition that causes restriction of movement within the shoulder joint resulting in extreme physical pain. The capsule enclosing the shoulder joint contracts and scar tissue forms which prevents movement in the socket of the shoulder bone. The contraction of the capsule and the development of adhesions cause the shoulder to stiffen. Basically, the shoulder becomes 'frozen' hence the name Frozen Shoulder.

The shoulder joint permits more motion with more directions than any other joint. There are a number of causes of frozen shoulder. For instance, some people who develop frozen shoulder as a result of a serious injury to the shoulder. However, there are cases of frozen shoulder where there is no identifiable cause or the sufferer has no memory of an incident that would have resulted in a traumatic injury to the shoulder because the pain does not emerge until few days after the associated injury. Typical symptoms of a frozen shoulder include: dull and aching shoulder pain, limited movement of the shoulder, difficulty performing such activities as brushing hair, and pain when trying to sleep.

There are a number of mitigating factors that have been associated with the development of frozen shoulder. Here are some of the risk factors for developing a frozen shoulder: gender, age, surgery or trauma to the shoulder. Sufferers of frozen shoulder tend to be between the ages of forty to sixty years of age. Also, women are twice more likely to develop frozen shoulder than men. Following shoulder surgery or shoulder trauma resulting from an injury, a person who has a long recovery and not able to properly move the shoulder for a while can develop frozen shoulder.

Other factors that may predispose people to having a frozen shoulder are: endocrine abnormalities, systemic conditions or psychosomatic reactions. People who have endocrine system problems such as thyroid problems or people at risk of becoming diabetic are at risk of developing frozen shoulder. There are certain systemic conditions that can result in frozen shoulder such as Parkinson's disease and heart disease. There are some cases where it has been suggested that a person under a high degree of stress causing emotional pressure and restriction can develop frozen shoulder.

In most cases, a frozen shoulder can be diagnosed during a physical examination. As well, a patient will often have an x-ray to see if the shoulder joint looks normal and that there are no arthritic changes to the joint or traumatic injury. The thawing stage of frozen shoulder is slow and motion steadily improves over a period of time. It can last longer than a year. Frozen shoulder treatment primarily consists of pain relief and physical therapy. Occasionally a patient will need to have surgery. The majority of people who develop frozen shoulder will recover their functional motion with physical therapy.

by: Paul Malcolm

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