Frozen Shoulder

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder is a very painful and debilitating condition affecting the shoulder. It results in limited mobility of the shoulder joint or in some cases complete stiffness with on movement possible.

Being diagnosed with a frozen shoulder can occur without any prior symptoms but can be precluded by a mild injury to the shoulder girdle or post operation to the shoulder. Other factors have also been known to increase the incidence of a frozen shoulder occurring. These include being diabetic, suffering from elevated cholesterol and cardiac disease.
The shoulder capsule is an elastic structure surrounding the shoulder joint and permits flexibility and movement of the shoulder. When a frozen shoulder sets in, this capsule, together with its ligaments, become inflamed and swollen, and contract around the shoulder causing pain and reducing the range of motion of the shoulder.

There are three phases through which a frozen shoulder has to go before recovery occurs:

1. The freezing phase: Pain in the shoulder increases with movement and is usually more symptomatic at night time. This increase in pain levels is combined with a steady loss of range of motion in the shoulder and usually lasts for between 2-9 months.

2. The frozen phase: The pain experienced starts to ease off but the mobility is significantly reduced; in some cases up the half the mobility of the unaffected shoulder. This period could last from anywhere between 4 months to 1 year.

3. The thawing phase: The shoulder’s range of motion returns slowly back to normal. This phase can take from 1-4 years to resolve.

If no treatment is sought, the shoulder should return back to its normal condition within 2 to 4 years but there are options available to speed up its recovery.
Procedures that one can do include localised injections into the shoulder joint, hydrodilation or actual surgery. These are obviously more invasive and one would recommend starting the pain management process with anti-inflammatories and a regulated physiotherapy rehabilitative program to reduce the pain and improve the shoulder’s mobility.