Frozen Shoulder

[Nil11]

I am 25 years old..Boy...I'm suffering from shoulder pain for last 1.5 months..Doctor prescribed as Frozen Shoulder..
Could you please inform me the reasons for it and the affects it may cause?And the solutions to get rid of it with the approximate time..

[Child_of_Venus]

Try kinesio taping, cryotherapy and exercises.
The causes are different. it can be biceps tendinitis, rupture of the supraspinatus tendon or muscle, supraspinatus tendinitis or some other inflammation and injury.

[ScalpMassager]

Immobilizing the shoulder may be the worst possible approach imo (if a doctor suggests that approach, I urge that you seek a second opinion).

I had frozen shoulder syndrome (for two years).  It followed the classic progression and was preceded by a couple of months of tendonitis in my arm.  Cause was likely due to excessive lifting (both frequency and intensity).  Heat (& keeping the neck/shoulder warm), oiled massaging and anti-inflammatories helped contend with the pain.  Pillow propping helped achieve a comfortable enough position for good sleep.  

Activity and use even though it was very uncomfortable at the time, supplied some relief an hour or two later.  Much muscle wasting occurred despite efforts to keep that arm active.  My favourite recovery routine (which may or may not be suitable, a physiotherapist would be a good one to advise you)  was the pendulum arm swing (bend over while standing, dangle the arm and swing/rotate the one way and then the other for 20 times -- once used to that, gradually heavier weights -- I got up to holding 20 lbs, do not tense the muscles but let the arm freely drag at the shoulder).

I bought a book (amazon.com, "Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff") that nicely explained the shoulder joint and supplied stretches (including the pendulum one).  Zero impact aerobics (eg. stairclimbing) may be helpful (it forces circulation into the area) - my shoulder was often cool to the touch (clearly, the circulation had become compromised from tissue cramping).

[Child_of_Venus]

Yes, pendulum arm swing is the best exercise for this condition.

[KaleemMohdBPT]

hi...ni11
forzen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis......adhesive means sticky and capsulitis meaning inflammation of the joint capsule. It is thought that a lot of the symptoms are due to the capsule becoming inflamed and sticking, making the whole joint stiff and difficult to move...
cause.--.the exact cause for frozen sho...not known..inflammatory conditions,inactivity of the shoulder,autoimmune disease,hyperthyroidism,diabetes...
but F S..easily treated by physiotherapy...by
stretching exercises that use specific techniques to move the joint in all directions
massage
thermotherapy, with warm or cold temperature packs...

[caregiver222]

I will second the advice of ScalpMassager.

Immobilization is the wrong train on the wrong track, headed in the wrong direction.

[jemma116]

Do you recall anything specific that you did 1.5 months ago that brought on the pain of your shoulder?  Did the pain come gradually or did you experience a sudden acute pain after doing something or falling?

When the doctor diagnosed that you have a frozen shoulder, he should have given you advice on the types of exercise to do or refer you to a physiotherapist who can give you the correct exercises to do and monitor how you are getting on.  Exercises in the water (hydrotherapy) can also be helpful when doing gentle exercise to get the frozen shoulder moving again and also not to lose muscle strength.

Are you able to move your shoulder at all or is it that when you move your shoulder you get pain?  

With any pain in the shoulder, you do need to do specific exercises.  Letting your arm hang down and swinging it (pendular movements) like ScalpMassager says is a good exercise to start with.  Shrug your shoulders, walk your fingers on the wall or get a towel to push up the wall as far as you can.  All exercises should be performed carefully and slowly.

There is plenty of information on the web with regard to shoulder exercises.  Do remember that you need to start of gently and slowly and build up the exercises as you are able to move your shoulder more.
You CANNOT rush your recover.  Some people may recover in a month, others may take over a year and may also need medical help.

Apply a heat pack or a cold pack for any pain.  Use the one the helps you best.  Take pain relief medication as prescribed on the packet for pain if  this bothering you.  Or you can buy (if the doctor has not prescribed) an analgesic that you can rub into the shoulder and arm to ease any pain.

If the doctor gave you no advice and just said it is a frozen shoulder, I suggest you make an appointment to see a different doctor and ask for a referral for an ultrasound scan or an MRI.  

My doctor gave me a leaflet on Rehabilitation of the Injured Shoulder and the Stage I exercises are pendular movements.  The leaflet says to do these exercises for 5 minutes 5 times a day.  Allow the arm to swing with its own weight and don't for the movements.

You will be able to find how to do these on the web.

If your shoulder is painful when lying down, try sleeping on your back with a soft pillow behind, supporting the arm and shoulder;

or

lying on the uninjured side with a soft pillow under the injured arm to support the shoulder.

There are other exercises, but these are done once you are OK with the ones that I mentioned earlier.

Just to remind you, if your doctor has not given you specific exercises to do or given any advice at all, make an appointment to see a different doctor.

Let me know how you get on.

[jemma116]

Sorry, I missed part of a word:

It should read "Allow the arm to swing with its own weight and don't force the movements."