Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
What is it?
The shoulder capsule thickens and becomes stiff and tight in a frozen shoulder. Adhesions, which are thick bands of tissue, form. In many cases, the joint has less synovial fluid.
This condition is distinguished by severe pain and the inability to move your shoulder on your own or with the assistance of another person.
A frozen shoulder is frequently mistaken for a rotator cuff injury. They are, however, very different and require different treatments. A frozen shoulder is characterised by severe shoulder pain, loss of shoulder function, and stiffness.
What is the cause?
Not moving a shoulder while recovering from a shoulder injury, broken arm, or stroke is one of the most common causes of a frozen shoulder.
If you’ve had an injury that makes moving your shoulder difficult, talk to one of our physiotherapists about exercises that can help you maintain your ability to move your shoulder joint.
Signs & Symptoms
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Stiffness that worsens at first, but gradually begins to improve over time
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Dull, aching pain that increases as the disease progresses, and may worsen when you move your arm.
What can we do about it?
Frozen shoulder treatment varies according to the stage.
During the freezing stage, your primary treatment will be pain relief, which may include medication or corticosteroid injections. You should also take precautions at this stage to avoid worsening the situation.
Gentle and very specific periarthritis shoulder exercises are the best treatment plan in the frozen stage. Because overdoing it can aggravate your frozen shoulder, it’s critical that you work with a physiotherapist during this stage.
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Certain massage treatments (also performed by your physio) may be beneficial as a treatment option for a frozen shoulder in the frozen stage.
Your best treatment options during the thawing stage are shoulder mobilisation and strengthening exercises. Again, it’s critical to work with a physiotherapist to ensure that you’re progressing safely towards recovery.
Working with a physiotherapist for a frozen shoulder has been shown to significantly accelerate recovery.
In conjunction with physiotherapy, a hydrodilatation injection can be utilised to stretch the shoulder capsule with fluid, allowing for the physiotherapy treatments to be more effective.