Causes
Sometimes, frozen shoulders have no obvious cause. Other times, an inflammation takes hold and affects parts of the shoulder capsule causing the joint to become thickened and scarred thus reducing the volume of the shoulder joint leading to limited mobility.
However, there are several risk factors that individuals should take note of, such as:
- Age older than 40 years
- Endocrine Disorders such as Diabetes, Cardiac Disease, Thyroid problems, Parkinson's Disease, or if you have undergone surgery
- Gender - women are more at risk than men
- Prolonged immobilisation of the shoulder after injury or pain that limits shoulder movement
Symptoms
The key sign of a Frozen Shoulder is pain and a limited range of motion in the shoulder it self. Frozen Shoulder can be categorized into three stages:
- Stage 1 - Freezing — This is the painful stage and shoulder movement is limited; this stage normally lasts from 6 to 12 weeks
- Stage 2 - Frozen — The pain eases in this stage, but the stiffness remains; this stage generally lasts from 4 to 6 months
- Stage 3 - Thawing — In the final stage, the movement in the arm gradually improves; this stage can last more than 1 year
Treatment
We at Gleneagles Hospitals aim to make our treatment as comprehensive and simple yet as effective as possible in order to control the pain and restore movement and strength. Our treatments include:
- Manipulation under anaesthesia to release the tightening and increase the range of movement
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling
- Physiotherapy to help to restore movement
- Steroid injections to reduce inflammation and facilitate movement
- Surgery to release the tight joint capsule