Common complaints are:
- unable to find a position in bed at night;
- difficulty driving the car with the affected arm;
- difficulty reaching out to shake hands with someone;
- pain that does not go away even with rest.
How does a frozen shoulder develop?
The cause is excessive inflammation of the shoulder capsule. By the capsule we mean the set of ligaments that hold the head of the arm in the shoulder socket. When the shoulder joint moves, there is a stretch on the capsule. If the capsule is inflamed and painful, the stretch will hurt. The capsule contracts and that causes stiffness of the shoulder.
One of the causes of this excessive inflammation is the stretching of these ligaments: due to a fall, due to an acute overextension of the shoulder or after someone has been in an unnatural position for a long time, for example after an operation under general anesthesia. However, in the vast majority of cases there is no identifiable cause.
Treatment
A frozen shoulder can be easily treated with an injection of an anti-inflammatory (corticosteroid). The injection inhibits excessive inflammation and relieves pain. We combine this with stretches and chiropractic manipulations to restore the freedom of movement of the hairstyle.
Recent research has shown that an injection with corticosteroids gives a much better result than treatment with anti-inflammatory pills such as diclofenac or ibuprofen. Injection treatment is safe and effective, solves the problem of excessive inflammation and provides rapid pain relief.
In most cases, this combination treatment must be repeated several times.
Recognizable symptoms
- Stiffness and pain in the shoulder
- Pain that radiates to the upper arm
- Not being able to find a position in bed at night
- Difficulty driving the car with the affected arm
- Difficulty reaching out to shake hands with someone
- Pain that does not go away even when resting
Scientific references (6)
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- Van der Windt DA, Koes BW, Devilee W, Boeke AJ, de Jong BA, Bouter LM. Effectiveness of corticosteroid injections versus physiotherapy for treatment of painful stiff shoulder in primary care: randomized trial. BMJ 1998;317:1292-6.
- Human JMA, Wolf AN de. Shoulder complaints in general practice: a simple strategy. Ned Tijdschr Geneesk 1998;142:1832-3.
- De Jong BA, Dahmen R, Hogeweg JA, Marti RK. Intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide injection in patients with capsulitis of the shoulder: a comparative study of two dose regimens. Clin Rehabil 1998;12:211-5.
- Dekker JH, Wagenaar RC, Lankhorst GJ, de Jong BA. The painful hemiplegic shoulder: effects of intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 1997;76:43-8.
- Human JMA, Wolf AN de. What is the most adequate therapy for a so-called frozen shoulder? Respons 1991;2:1-4.
- Ranalletta M, Rossi LA, Bongiovanni SL, Tanoira I, Elizondo CM, Maignon GD. Corticosteroid Injections Accelerate Pain Relief and Recovery of Function Compared With Oral NSAIDs in Patients With Adhesive Capsulitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2016 Feb;44(2):474-81. doi:10.1177/0363546515616238. Epub 2015 Dec 9. PubMed PMID: 26657263.
