Frozen shoulder

 

Definition

 

Frozen shoulder is when the shoulder is painful and cannot move normally because of inflammation.

 

Alternative Names

 

Adhesive, capsulitis

 

Causes, Incidence, And Risk Factors

 

The joint capsule of the shoulder joint has ligaments that hold the shoulder bones to each other. When the capsule becomes inflamed, the shoulder bones are unable to move freely in the joint.

Most of the time there is no cause for the inflammation. However, inflammation may be caused by:

 

Cervical disk disease of the neck

 

Diabetes

 

Shoulder trauma

 

Shoulder surgery

 

Open Heart Surgery

 

Hyperthyroidism

 

Symptoms

 

The main symptoms are:

 

Decreased motion of the shoulder

 

Pain

 

Stiffness

 

Frozen shoulder without any known cause starts with pain. This pain prevents you from moving your arm. The lack of movement leads to stiffness and decreased motion. Eventually you cannot perform activities such as reaching over your head.

 

Treatment

 

Pain is treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)

 

Intraarticular steroid injections with suprascapular nerve block.  injections along with physical therapy can significantly improve motion. It can take as long as 6 - 9 months to see improvement. The physical therapy is intense and needs to be done every day.

 

           Any risk factors for frozen shoulder may also need to be treated.

 

Manipulation under anaesthesia .

 

Arthroscopic surgery can be used to cut the tight ligaments and remove the scar tissue from the shoulder. Some surgeons may use repeated pain blocks after surgery so you can participate in physical therapy.