Frozen Shoulder
What is Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen Shoulder, or Adhesive Capsulitis, is a condition that causes restriction of motion in the shoulder joint. Frozen Shoulder causes the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint to contract and form scar tissue.
Common Causes of Frozen Shoulder
- Age & Gender – Frozen shoulder most commonly affects patients between the ages of 40 to 60 years old, and it is twice as common in women as in men.
- Endocrine Disorders – Patients with diabetes are at particular risk for developing a frozen shoulder. Other endocrine abnormalities, such as thyroid problems, can also lead to this condition.
- Shoulder Trauma or Surgery – Patients who sustain a shoulder injury, or undergo surgery on the shoulder can develop a frozen shoulder joint. When injury or surgery is followed by prolonged joint immobilization, the risk of developing a frozen shoulder is highest.
What happens with a frozen shoulder?
No one really understands why some people develop a frozen shoulder.
For some reason, the shoulder joint becomes stiff and scarred. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. The ball is the top of the arm bone (the Humeral Head), and the socket is part of the shoulder blade (the Glenoid). Surrounding this ball-and-socket joint is a capsule of tissue that envelops the joint.
Normally, the shoulder joint allows more motion than any other joint in the body. When a patient develops a frozen shoulder, the capsule surrounds the joint contracts. The patients form bands of scar tissue called adhesions. The contraction of the capsule and the formation of the adhesions cause the frozen shoulder to become stiff and cause movement to become painful.
Symptoms
A Frozen Shoulder causes a typical set of symptoms that can be identified by your doctor. The most important finding is restricted movement. Other shoulder conditions can cause difficulty with movement of the shoulder, such as a rotator cuff tear; therefore it is important to have an examiner familiar with this condition for a proper diagnosis. Symptoms include:
- Shoulder pain; usually a dull, aching pain
- Limited movement of the shoulder
- Difficulty with activities such as brushing hair, putting on shirts/bras
- Pain when trying to sleep on the affected shoulder
What are the stages of a frozen shoulder?
- Painful/Freezing Stage – This is the most painful stage of a frozen shoulder. Motion is restricted, but the shoulder is not as stiff as the frozen stage. This painful stage typically lasts 6-12 weeks.
- Frozen Stage – During this stage, the pain usually eases up, but the stiffness worsens. The frozen stage can last 4-6 months.
- Thawing Stage – this stage is gradual, and motion steadily improves over a lengthy period of time. The thawing stage can last more than a year.
