Frozen

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms typically begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within one to three years.

Symptoms

The symptoms of frozen shoulder are typically divided into three stages:

1. Freezing stage: Any movement of your shoulder causes pain, and your shoulder's range of motion starts to become limited.
2. Frozen stage: Pain may begin to diminish during this stage. However, your shoulder becomes stiffer, and using it becomes more difficult.
3. Thawing stage: The range of motion in your shoulder begins to improve.

Causes

The bones, ligaments and tendons that make up your shoulder joint are encased in a capsule of connective tissue. Frozen shoulder occurs when this capsule thickens and tightens around the shoulder joint, restricting its movement.

Doctors aren't sure why this happens to some people, although it's more likely to occur in people who have diabetes or those who recently had to immobilize their shoulder for a long period, such as after surgery or an arm fracture.

Risk factors

Certain factors may increase your risk of developing frozen shoulder:

1. Age and sex: People 40 and older, particularly women, are more likely to have frozen shoulder.
2. Immobility or reduced mobility: People who've had prolonged immobility or reduced mobility of the shoulder are at higher risk of developing frozen shoulder. Immobility may be the result of many factors, including:
   1. Rotator cuff injury
   2. Broken arm
   3. Stroke
   4. Recovery from surgery

Treatment

Treatment for frozen shoulder involves range-of-motion exercises and, sometimes, corticosteroids and numbing medications injected into the joint capsule. In a small percentage of cases, arthroscopic surgery may be indicated to loosen the joint capsule so it can move more freely.

See also

• Rotator cuff injury
• Stroke
• Arthritis

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