The pain of raising your hand!

Grandma Zhou: Doctor Chen, my shoulder has been hurting for 2 months. They all say I have frozen shoulder. I have been treated for 2 months in other places, but there hasn’t been much effect. Instead, the pain has gotten worse. What’s going on?

Doctor Chen: Shoulder pain is not always caused by frozen shoulder. There are more than ten reasons for shoulder pain. From a medical point of view, frozen shoulder, which is often mentioned by everyone, is actually "inflammatory changes of joint capsule contracture and fibrosis". It is a kind of aseptic inflammation and can be cured without treatment. The clinical incidence of frozen shoulder accounts for only about 5% of shoulder pain. In fact, among the elderly over 60 years old who seek medical treatment for shoulder pain, about 60% of them actually suffer from rotator cuff injuries with symptoms similar to frozen shoulder. Rotator cuff injuries are mainly manifested as pain when the shoulder is abducted and raised, and pain at night. Severe injuries may also cause weakness in raising the shoulder. If the rotator cuff injury is mistaken for "periarthritis of the shoulder", it may cause the rotator cuff tear to continue to expand, and finally form a serious or irreparable rotator cuff injury. This is why many patients with "periarthritis of the shoulder" get worse the more they exercise.

The difference between frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injury

Frozen Shoulder:

Limited range of motion of the arm and shoulder joints

The pain is all over the shoulder joint and is so large that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the pain.

Shoulder periarthritis will heal on its own and generally will not recur

Rotator Cuff Injury:

It often manifests as weakness and localized pain. The pain point can be pointed out with the finger, but the range of motion of the shoulder joint is basically normal.

Although there are occasional remissions, the symptoms will recur repeatedly

Grandma Zhou: Oh, Doctor Chen, now I understand what you said. I have rotator cuff injury.

Doctor Chen: That’s not right, Granny Zhou. I still need to perform some special examinations on your rotator cuff injury.

Special physical examination for rotator cuff injuries

Doctor Chen: Through the above special physical examination, I can basically confirm your condition, but it would be best if we could do an MRI.

Granny Zhou: What should I do, Doctor Chen?

How to treat rotator cuff injury?

The rehabilitation training after rotator cuff repair surgery is generally divided into 4 stages.

Phase 1

From the first to the sixth week after surgery, patients wore a shoulder joint protection brace and performed passive upper limb forward raising and external rotation exercises with the help of rehabilitation therapists and family members.

Phase 2

From the 7th to 12th week after surgery, gradually increase the range of motion of the shoulder joint.

Stage 3

From the 13th to the 24th week after surgery, upper limb muscle strength training was started.

Stage 4

After 24 weeks of surgery, you can resume your normal daily life. If you do not pay attention to the range of motion exercises of the shoulder joint, the patient may experience stiffness, adhesions, and limited range of motion in the shoulder joint.

Shoulder pain does not mean frozen shoulder. If you have shoulder pain, please do not be afraid and do not avoid medical treatment. It is best to find a professional shoulder specialist in time to conduct standardized, precise, minimally invasive, and personalized shoulder joint examination and treatment to avoid the joint pain becoming more and more severe and protracted. If a small rotator cuff injury is not treated promptly and properly, it may turn into a huge rotator cuff tear and an irreparable rotator cuff tear, which will eventually cause the hand to not reach the mouth, making it very difficult to eat and drink water.