Frozen Shoulder is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. The condition occurs more commonly in people with diabetes and in people who've kept their arm immobilized for a long period of time.
Symptoms may start gradually and resolve in time but in some cases it does not cure itself and surgery is required to lossen the joint. Other treatment involves stretching and sometimes injecting corticosteroids and numbing medications into the joint capsule. In some cases, surgery is used to loosen the joint capsule.
Frozen shoulder is very treatable by an orthopedic specialist and requires a medical diagnosis.
FACTS: Frozen Shoulder
- A frozen shoulder is one that has become stuck and limited in movement.
- Frozen shoulder is often caused by inflammation of the capsule, tissue surrounding the shoulder joint.
- Diagnosing frozen shoulder requires a physical examination and x-rays and sometimes additional tests to rule out other causes of symptoms.
- Physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication are usually prescribed to treat frozen shoulder.
- Surgery is not usually indicated to treat frozen shoulder unless non-operative treatments have failed to improve range of motion and decrease pain.
Occasionally, arthoscropic surgery (a small medical instrucment with an attached camera placed into the shoulder through a small puncture-type incision) is used to directly cut or release the capsular adhesions. Most patients begin physical therapy the same day of the manipulation or the following day.
