Frozen Shoulder

Frozen Shoulder

We treat numerous musculoskeletal problems including “frozen shoulder.” Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a condition that involves stiffness in the shoulder joint. This happens when the tissue around the shoulder joint loses its synovial fluid, causing discomfort and limited mobility. The tissues in your shoulder joint become thicker and tighter, causing scar tissue to develop. Once this scar tissue develops, your shoulder joint doesn’t have the space it needs to rotate in a normal fashion. This condition usually occurs to patients in their 40s to 60s. If you are experiencing significant shoulder discomfort, we recommend that you come in and see us so that we can get you started on the right treatment plan for you!

If you have a frozen shoulder, you will certainly know it. The pain limits your movement, which in turn increases the stiffness of your shoulder since you begin to move it less frequently. Soon you’ll find that you can’t move your shoulder even close to how you used to. Daily activities will be an enormous challenge, from dressing to reaching objects that are up high. To recap, symptoms of a frozen shoulder include:

• Stiffness
• Very limited mobility
• Dull or achy pain
• Difficulty doing daily activities
• Increase in these symptoms over time

You might be asking yourself: what causes frozen shoulder? There are actually a few causes, including hormonal imbalance, diabetes, or a weakened immune system. These conditions are all prone to joint inflammation. Frozen shoulder can also occur after a long period of inactivity due to an injury, illness, or surgery. In severe cases, scar tissue will form due to this lack of mobility, which of course greatly limits your range of motion. This severe case, however, takes anywhere from two to nine months to develop.

Did you know that women are more susceptible to frozen shoulder than men are? It especially affects people who have had a stroke or mastectomy. We are committed to helping patients reach the full extent of their mobility and live pain-free lives. We treat frozen shoulder with a variety of exercises that help with range-of-motion, including joint manipulation and chiropractic adjustments.

There are a couple other ways to treat frozen shoulder, including:

• home care
• medication
• surgery
• physical therapy

If you think you are suffering from frozen shoulder and can benefit from safe chiropractic treatment, contact us right away. We are happy to address any questions or concerns you may have, as well as get you on the road to recovery.

By Roger Barnick 6-5-2021