What is Frozen Shoulder?
Adhesive capsulitis is most commonly referred to as “frozen shoulder” because the symptoms make it seem like the shoulder is stuck and can’t move. It is thought to be due to a sudden change in the proteins of the shoulder joint that makes it more adhesive or sticky. This change causes the shoulder capsule to be “shrink wrapped” around the bones limiting motion and causing severe pain. .
There historically have been three well defined phases of frozen shoulder. The first is the freezing phase where the initial pain onset begins and can last 10-36 weeks. The next stage is the frozen phase, where there is severe stiffness of the joint and can last 4-12 months and finally the thawing phase where the shoulder returns to its original state which can last 5-24 months. There is an implication that you will go through each stage sequentially, however, there has been evidence that shows without treatment a patient can stay in any phase for a prolonged or indefinite period of time if they don’t get care.
What Causes Frozen Shoulder?
The exact reason for frozen shoulder is actually unknown but we do know what can influence the development of frozen shoulder:
● Systemic conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease
● An injury in the shoulder including fractures, dislocations and rotator cuff injuries
● External factors including stroke, trauma, and symptoms in the opposite shoulder
● It is a condition that is more common in females between the ages of 40 - 60 years old
You don’t have to live with Frozen Shoulder
Research states the natural course of frozen shoulder is about 6 months to 2 years long. That means, that typically speaking the disease will come and go completely on it’s own within a maximum of 2 years. However, we have seen some cases in the office go on for as long as 8 years before being treated. Once the shoulder regains the movement through treatments and exercises, the symptoms can resolve. Sometimes the process is longer for certain individuals, but everyone has a potential benefit from manual therapy with frozen shoulder. You don’t have to live your whole life with a frozen shoulder!
If you resonate with any of these points, give Baseline a call or go online and book an appointment with one of our practitioners.
With an integrated team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Registered Massage Therapists, Acupunturists and Kinesiologists, we have you covered for your shoulder-related problems.
Our initial goal with frozen shoulder is to determine in which stage your shoulder is in and provide the most appropriate care at that time. Typically speaking we will want to improve the range of motion of the shoulder with exercises and manual therapy over time. Once these curated exercises improve the range of motion, we are going to focus on stabilizing the shoulder and finally strengthening the shoulder from future injuries.
A combination of different treatments can include:
● Soft tissue manipulation to address muscle tightness and trigger points
● Stretching and exercise to manage between treatments
● Chiropractic adjustments to help with stiff joints in the shoulder
● Acupuncture and massage therapy to decrease stress in the shoulder area
● Ergonomic changes to your work setting to decrease stress on your shoulder
If your condition does require further testing or treatment, we can refer you to one of the trusted specialists that we have in our network.