Frozen Shoulder

By Heather Allen, MS, PT

Journeying into Healing, LLC

. http://www.journeyingintohealing.com/

More Pain Management & Rehabilitation Articles

Frozen Shoulder

The diagnosis of frozen shoulder is something most of us have heard of at least in passing, while others have had a more personal experience. If you are familiar with the term and have heard the stories, you know that it can be a very painful condition that in some circumstances requires surgery to correct.

True frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a medical condition whereby the capsule (or balloon like structure) that surrounds the shoulder joint becomes tight and restricted, limiting mobility and causing moderate to significant pain. In its truest form it has a typical onset in middle age, primarily menopausal women, but also in a number of men as well. It will usually resolve on its own without intervention in about a year from onset. Treatment can involve medications including injections, physical therapy, and in some cases manipulation under anesthesia. During manipulation the shoulder is forcefully stretched through its normal range of motion to break up the adhesions that are causing the restriction and pain.

Sounds pretty uncomfortable, right? What if I were to tell you that another condition can exist in your shoulder that mimics adhesive capsulitis and can be treated more effectively with significantly less pain? It's true, sometimes what looks like frozen shoulder is just a case of mistaken identity. It's possible for muscular tightness to exist around the joint limiting mobility and causing pain while the capsule itself is of normal and sound structure. In these cases, there has been a progressive tightening of key muscles around the shoulder resulting in a similar loss of range of motion and pain. It presents almost identical to true adhesive capsulitis, but without involvement of the capsule.

So, how does one avoid having unnecessary medications or procedures when your pain is muscular and not capsular in nature? As a patient you must make sure you get a thorough, hands-on exam from your physician. Request physical therapy as your first option and be sure to find a physical therapist with a strong manual therapy background. They will know what to look for to determine if your pain is muscular versus capsular in nature. Myofascial release is one of the most effective and minimally painful treatment techniques available in the treatment of this condition. Be sure to follow through on your visits and your shoulder will be pain free and back to normal in no time.