Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, sounds like it is something out of science fiction. However, frozen shoulder is actually a fairly common condition. It is characterized by stiffness in the shoulder joint and severe pain, which typically gets worse at night. Frozen shoulder can be classified as primary and secondary, with primary frozen shoulder often being associated with other diseases or illnesses, and secondary frozen shoulder occurring after shoulder injuries or surgery where the shoulder has needed to be immobilized for an extended period of time.
What does frozen shoulder look like?
Frozen shoulder often progresses in 3 phases, freezing, frozen and thawing. The freezing stage can have a gradual onset, and last from 3-9 months. The freezing stage is also the most painful stage. Once the freezing has occurred, the shoulder is “frozen”, where pain starts to recede but range of motion, and even any movement in the shoulder is lost. The frozen stage can last for 4-12 months. In the thawing stage, movement gradually returns to the shoulder. The thawing phase can take anywhere from 5 to 26 months to complete.
According to a study published in the Singapore Medical Journal, Frozen shoulder “is estimated to affect 2%-5% of the general population” and most commonly affects people in their 40th-60th year. More women than men are seen to suffer from Frozen Shoulder.
Treating frozen shoulder
Frozen shoulder can often be managed by physiotherapy. At FLXME, our physiotherapist will work with you to help regain range of motion and prevent long term limitations. Physiotherapy also helps to provide pain relief during the “freezing” stage of Frozen Shoulder. Our physiotherapist will work with you to provide exercise to help reduce pain and return motion to the shoulder, and hands-on work to help relieve pressure on the joints and stretching the shoulder to help return motion.
Physiotherapy can often be a very effective treatment plan to help deal with Frozen Shoulder. If you find yourself experiencing Frozen Shoulder, we would love to help and try and provide some relief!
To find out more about how Flxme can help you improve your frozen shoulder, click this link.
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