Frozen Shoulder/ Adhesive Capsulitis
Frozen shoulder – is a condition characterized by pain & stiffness in the shoulder joint. It is also called as adhesive capsulitis.
Frozen shoulder typically develops slowly, and in three stages. Each stage generally last for 3 months
- Freezing stage: Any movement of the shoulder causes pain and the range of motion starts to became limited
- Frozen stage: Pain may begin to diminish during this stage but the joint becomes totally stiff with limited range. Activities of daily living becomes difficult like combing dressing.
- Thawing: The range of motion in your shoulder begins to improve. The pain usually worsens at night and sometimes disrupting sleep.
Cause and Treatment
Cause of frozen shoulder is unknown but more likely to occur in people who have diabetes or those who recently had to immobilize their shoulders for a long period, following an injury or after surgery.
People age 40 and older, particular women are more likely to have frozen shoulder.
It’s a self – limiting problems but requires pain management. A short course of NSAID’s followed by physiotherapy should get good relief. In some cases where the pain is worse and the patient is not able to do the physio, a cortisone shot in the joint gives a good relief & improve shoulder mobility.
Surgery for frozen shoulder is rare but if nothing else has helped then your surgeon may recommend surgery to remove adhesions. It is usually done arthroscopically.