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| Frozen Shoulder |
Frozen shoulder is a disease that affects the joint in your shoulder. It usually begins with pain and stiffness that gradually worsens until finally disappearing. It could take anywhere from a year to three years to complete.
The ball-and-socket joint in your shoulder is made up of three bones. They are the humerus (upper arm), scapula (shoulder blade), and collarbone (collarbone) (clavicle). Your shoulder joint is also surrounded by tissue that holds everything together. The shoulder capsule is what it's called.
The capsule thickens and tightens with frozen shoulder, making it difficult to move. Scar tissue forms in the joint, and synovial fluid, which keeps the joint lubricated, is depleted. These things make it much more difficult to move around.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of a frozen shoulder are discomfort and stiffness, which make movement difficult or impossible.
You will most likely experience a dull or achy pain in one shoulder if you have frozen shoulder. The shoulder muscles that wrap over the top of your arm may also be in pain. It's possible that you're experiencing the similar sensation in your upper arm. It's possible that your pain will worsen at night, making it difficult to sleep.
With a frozen shoulder, you'll usually go through three stages. Each has its own set of symptoms as well as a timetable.
Stage of freezing:
- Every time you move your shoulder, it develops a pain (sometimes severe).
- It gradually worsens over time and may be particularly painful at night.
- This can last anywhere between six and nine months.
- You have a limited range of motion in your shoulder.
Frozen stage:
- Your pain may improve, but your stiffness will worsen.
- Moving your shoulder becomes more difficult, making regular activities more challenging.
- This stage might span anywhere from 4 to 12 months.
Stage of thawing:
- Your range of motion gradually returns to normal.
- This could take anything between six months and two years.
Causes
It's unclear why certain people get it, although certain populations are more vulnerable.
Women are more prone than men to develop frozen shoulder, and people between the ages of 40 and 60 are more likely to develop it. If you're recovering from a medical condition like a stroke or surgery like a mastectomy that prevents you from using your arm, your risk may increase.
You may also be at a higher risk if you have certain medical issues. If you have diabetes, you may be more susceptible to frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder affects approximately 10% to 20% of patients with diabetes. Frozen shoulder has also been connected to other medical issues such as heart disease, thyroid disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will perform a physical examination to identify frozen shoulder. They'll examine it to see how painful it is and how far it moves. They'll let you move your shoulder on your own during the "active" section of the exam. They'll move it for you and note the differences during the "passive" portion.
Your doctor may decide that you require an anesthetic injection in your shoulder. This is a pain reliever that will make it easier for them to assess your active and passive ranges of motion.
A physical exam is usually enough to diagnose frozen shoulder, but your doctor may prescribe imaging tests like X-rays, ultrasounds, or MRIs to rule out other issues like arthritis or a torn rotator cuff, which can cause pain and limit how far your shoulder moves.
Treatment
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, are over-the-counter medications that can help reduce shoulder pain and inflammation. Your doctor may recommend a stronger drug if they don't work.
Going to a physical therapist for strengthening and stretching exercises to increase your range of motion may also be part of your treatment plan.
If your symptoms are severe or do not improve with time, your doctor may suggest additional therapies, such as:
- An injection of corticosteroids into your shoulder joint to relieve pain and enhance range of motion.
- Distension of the joints. This implies that your doctor will extend your shoulder capsule by injecting sterile water into it. This will make it easier for you to move your shoulder.
- Physical therapy is a type of treatment that involves the use of The results are mixed, and it may be more effective in some stages of frozen shoulder than others.
- Surgery. This is only used in the most extreme cases to treat frozen shoulder. However, if alternative therapies have failed, your doctor may recommend surgery. It would almost certainly be an arthroscopic operation. That means it's done with little, illuminated tools put through tiny wounds in your shoulder.
- Shoulder manipulation can help loosen up your shoulder tissue, but it's no longer recommended because arthroscopic surgery has taken its place. Under general anesthesia, surgeons would firmly move the shoulder. There was a higher risk of problems with this approach, including fractures.
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