Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that causes the joints of the shoulder to become stiff. This stiffness often results in pain and discomfort when a person affected with this condition attempts to move the shoulder. Although adhesive capsulitis is a slow progressing condition it also generally improves on its own over time as well. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for this process to take an extensive period of time.
One thing that may increase the risk of being afflicted with this condition is when a person sustains an injury that requires the arm to be still or immobile for a long period of time. This is most common with breaks or dislocations that require immobility of the shoulder. The most common treatment for adhesive capsulitis is generally through the use of injections of corticosteroids into the joint of the shoulder. Surgical intervention may also be used however this is generally a last resort and only used in extreme cases.
There are three specific stages associated with frozen shoulder and each stage continues for several months before advancing to the next. These three stages consist of the painful stage, the frozen stage and the thawing stage.
During this stage of adhesive capsulitis a person generally feels pain when any attempt is made to move the shoulder. This is when the range of motion first shows signs of becoming limited and the range of motion that is present causes various degrees of pain.
When the frozen stage is reached the pain may decrease or diminish somewhat however the range of motion becomes even more limited making movement very difficult if not impossible.
When this stage begins it indicates that the shoulder is beginning to loosen up or thaw. This means that the pain previously felt has significantly decreased. This also means that the joints of the shoulder are beginning to loosen up and become unfrozen allowing the shoulder to begin to move freely once again.
It is not uncommon for the pain that accompanies frozen shoulder to be increased at night. This of course may present some problems sleeping for many individuals. There are various stretching exercises that may be done to help alleviate pain and increase the range of motion thus making sleep easier.
The joints of a shoulder are made up of bones, tendons and ligaments. These are surrounded by a capsule of tissue. When adhesive capsulitis develops this capsule becomes thick thus tightening around the joint. This leads to the freezing or loss of motion of the joint.
Although it is unclear exactly what causes some people to develop adhesive capsulitis while others do not there are several treatment options that may be used over the course of this condition. The first treatment that is generally used is various stretching exercise to preserve as much movement of the joint as possible. In some cases this is sufficient treatment however there are times when this is combined with other treatments as well. This is often determined by the severity of the condition as well as the specific person in question.