- Certain individuals are more likely to have adhesive capsulitis than others. Women are more likely to develop a frozen shoulder than men. People in their middle ages are more at risk than others. Medical conditions such as diabetes and other endocrine disorders, heart disease, Parkinson's disease and arthritis also put individuals at an increased risk of a frozen shoulder. It is believed that adhesive capsulitis could be passed down through genetics.
- Adhesive capsulitis is caused by a lack of shoulder joint use. This is the essential cause of shoulder stiffening. Sometimes this lack of use is caused by the inability to move the shoulder in the first place. This can happen when an arm is in a cast or a sling because of a surgery on the chest or arm. Shoulder injuries and surgeries can be a cause of frozen shoulder.
- A frozen shoulder will start with discomfort in the joint. Slowly pain increases and movement becomes limited. It is important to seek medical advice early in order to limit the duration of a frozen shoulder. Adhesive capsulitis occurs in three stages. The first is the painful stage, which consists of shoulder pain and potential muscle spasms. The next stage is the frozen stage. Although this stage may contain less shoulder discomfort, the joint will begin to lose its range of motion and become very stiff. The final stage is the thawing stage. This is the road to recovery as the frozen shoulder joint gradually regains its ability to move.
- To get an accurate diagnosis for a frozen shoulder, an appointment with a doctor is a must and should be done as soon as there is a suspicion of a shoulder problem. A visit to a professional will entail a few tests to correctly identify shoulder pain as adhesive capsulitis. Other potential causes of shoulder discomfort also will be tested. At the appointment either the patient or the doctor will attempt to move the shoulder joint. An X-ray or MRI also may be done on the shoulder in question.
- A frozen shoulder can be treated in many ways, depending on a patient's preference and intensity of the shoulder pain. In some cases physical therapy will be prescribed. Other and more intense cases may require medication, such as cortisone injections or surgery. If the option is surgery, the patient would be anesthetized and the shoulder joint would be loosened up without any pain at the time. To deal with the pain of a frozen shoulder, heat or cold can be applied to the area of discomfort in addition to anti-inflammatory medicines.
