Can shoulders also be “frozen”?

1. What is frozen shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is also known as frozen shoulder or periarthritis of shoulder. It is clinically called adhesive capsulitis of shoulder. It mainly refers to the adhesion and stiffness of the shoulder capsule, which leads to pain around the shoulder joint and limited movement of the shoulder joint in all directions.

2. What are the causes of frozen shoulder?

Degeneration of the soft tissue of the shoulder and a weakened ability to withstand external forces are the basic factors. Long-term excessive or poor shoulder posture is the main cause of chronic injury. Improper treatment of shoulder trauma or prolonged immobilization can also lead to adhesive capsulitis. In addition, diabetic patients are at greater risk of frozen shoulder. Thyroid disease, stroke and autoimmune diseases are also prone to frozen shoulder.

3. What are the clinical characteristics of frozen shoulder?

1. This disease is a self-limiting disease and can usually heal itself in 6-24 months, but the shoulder joint function cannot fully return to normal levels.

1. Frozen shoulder usually occurs in three stages:

Stage 1: The "gradual freezing" stage. In this stage, diffuse inflammation and pain of the joint capsule will occur in the shoulder, and patients often complain of night pain. The main features are pain around the shoulder joint and limited movement in all directions. The shoulder joint is stiff, and the arm cannot be raised. Pain occurs when the shoulder is turned, which seriously affects daily life and work. In particular, actions such as combing hair, dressing, washing face, and putting hands on waist are difficult to complete. At first, the shoulder has paroxysmal pain, which gradually intensifies and becomes continuous. Climate change or fatigue often aggravates the pain, and the pain can spread to the neck and upper limbs (especially the elbows). When the shoulder is accidentally hit or pulled, it often causes tearing pain.

Stage 2: The “freeze” stage. During this stage, the pain slowly begins to ease, but movement is still limited.

Phase 3: The “thawing” phase. The shoulder slowly regains movement, but some extreme range of motion restrictions may still exist.

4. How to treat frozen shoulder?

Although frozen shoulder is a self-healing disease, many patients believe that frozen shoulder does not need treatment and will get better slowly. Active functional exercise and drug treatment are helpful for the recovery of the disease. The purpose of treatment is mainly to relieve pain, restore function, and avoid muscle atrophy.

Early physical therapy, acupuncture, and moderate massage can improve symptoms. When the pain point is localized, prednisolone acetate can be used for local blockade. Drug treatment includes the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, patches, etc. to relieve shoulder pain and inflammation and improve mobility.

For patients whose symptoms persist and gradually worsen, and who do not see significant improvement after non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment may be considered. Currently, the most common surgical treatment is arthroscopic capsule release, which is a minimally invasive surgical method that can completely release the frozen shoulder joint through a few small incisions. The operation is safe and has a low chance of recurrence. After the operation, the patient's shoulder pain is significantly relieved and the shoulder joint function can be significantly improved.