Frozen shoulder is known as adhesive capsulitis. The condition gets worse over time, and it becomes hard to move your shoulder. When you move your shoulder, it causes pain and numbness in your shoulder and makes it difficult to work.
Once I visited a Homeopathic Doctor, he shared that an injury may cause the frozen shoulder, but the most common reason is the age factor (between the ages of 40 and 60). People who are suffering from diabetes are also at risk of developing stiffness in the shoulder.
Here, you can learn everything about frozen shoulders plus how to recover from the shoulder stiffness.
Frozen Shoulder – What it is?
It is a condition when a shoulder joint loses movement over time. Frozen shoulder causes stiffness and pain leads to worse condition but can go away with treatment. The recovery from a frozen shoulder takes time from one year to three years.
When the shoulder capsule becomes thick, it leads to tightness and moves the shoulder hard. We can also say that scarring is another reason that results in a frozen shoulder.
Symptoms
The most known symptoms of the frozen shoulder are severe pain and stiffness in the shoulder. If you feel pain in your shoulder and find it difficult to move your arm in every direction, you should visit the doctor. Pain in shoulder muscle may also be a sign of the frozen shoulder as it wraps around the top of your arm.
You should learn about the three freezing stages that can show how severe the condition is.
Frozen Shoulder Stages
- Freezing
Whenever you move your shoulder, it causes pain.
At night, it causes more pain and gradually gets worse over time if left untreated.
There will be only a few directions where you can move your shoulder.
It lasts for six to nine months.
- Frozen
In this stage, you will not feel much pain, but it increases the stiffness in your shoulder.
Lower Shoulder movement interferes with daily activities.
It can last for four to twelve months.
- Thawing
It is the stage where your shoulder begins to move normally.
It can take from six to two years.
Causes and Risk Factors
Some causes are still not clear, but there are some risk factors that we should learn about.
- Women develop the frozen shoulder condition more than men.
- People aged 40 to 60 are more expected to suffer from frozen shoulders.
- You can suffer from shoulder stiffness if you have had a stroke and in the recovery phase.
- People with diabetes are also at risk of evolving frozen shoulders.
- Having surgery can lead to a frozen shoulder, such as a fracture or an injury.
- Pain management specialists often suggest the patient to not move their shoulders for some time after surgery as it can result in shoulder muscle stiffness.
Diagnose the Frozen Shoulder Condition
When a person experiences limited shoulder motion, the doctor suggests having a physical examination. History medical reports can also reveal the stiffness in your shoulder. There are some other ways, including blood testing, X-ray examination, etc.
Your doctor may inject your shoulder to ensure the shrunken shoulder capsule of your frozen shoulder. Such a process is known as arthrography.
MRI scan is another option where your doctor may test tissues of your shoulders.
Doctors often ask the patient to move the shoulder, and, here they notice the difference in your shoulder movement.
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Treatment of Frozen Shoulder
The very first technique to relieve the pain and stiffness of your shoulder involves the medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen and aspirin). These medicines reduce the inflammation in your shoulder and help to move without pain.
Physical therapy is one of the best ways to treat the frozen shoulder. This kind of therapy results in stretching and strengthening your shoulder and allows you to move your shoulder in more directions.
Experts from Citi Hospital Lahore say that hot fomentation is an instant relief from shoulder pain.
If you still suffer from a frozen shoulder condition, the following procedure may help you.
- Surgery
- Shoulder manipulation
- Physical therapy
- Joint distension
- Corticosteroid injection
Outlook
You should also follow the homeopathic treatment as it is also effective and reduces the stiffness of your shoulder. There are some other treatments that you may get, such as thiosinaminum, Ruta graveolens. Ferrum metallicum, sanguinaria Canadensis, etc.