Ouch! says the frozen shoulder.

 

Frozen Shoulder Freezes Routine!

Let us know a little heavy word for frozen shoulder. In medical terms, it is known as adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. The name suggests that it is an inflammation of the adhesive capsule of the shoulder joint. For the unknown, the capsule of the shoulder joint comprises tendons of muscles and is attached to bones via ligaments.

Since this capsule helps in improving the range and smoothness of movements of the shoulder, inflammation of the capsule of the shoulder limits the movement of the shoulder and leads to stiffness. Loss of movement is felt in the voluntary as well as involuntary movement of the affected shoulder. There can be some amount of muscle loss around the shoulder joint.

Frozen shoulder cannot be an overnight development. Mostly, it takes over weeks and months for its gradual onset. The commonly affected age group is between 40 to 60 years old and the complaint may last for years wherein it may worsen or re-appear from time to time. Women are affected more by the frozen shoulder as compared with men.

The causes of frozen shoulder are unknown in most cases.  The types of adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder can be discussed as follows:

1.      Primary Adhesive Capsulitis:
When there is no known trigger for frozen shoulder, it is known as primary or idiopathic adhesive capsulitis. The risk factors for primary adhesive capsulitis include diabetes mellitus, lung disease, heart disease, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, disease of connective tissue, and Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition in which one or more fingers become permanently ben in a flexed position.

2.      Secondary Adhesive Capsulitis:
The factors responsible for frozen shoulder can include shoulder injury or surgery that involved a shoulder joint. When frozen shoulder develops after these factors, it is known as secondary adhesive capsulitis.

The symptoms of frozen shoulder can vary according to the stage of adhesive capsulitis. There are three stages known, but a stage called the prodromal stage can occur before stage ‘one:

 

·        Prodromal Stage: This stage can be present for three months before the freezing of the shoulder. There can be sharp pain at the end ranges of motion and achy pain during rest. Sleep disturbances can also be experienced during this stage.

·        Stage ‘One’:  It is known as the ‘freezing stage’ or painful stage. This stage can last from six weeks to nine months. The patient experiences the slow onset of pain in this stage and as the pain worsens in intensity, the shoulder loses its motion. The pain is usually dull or aching in nature and can worsen during the night or during a move.

·        Stage ‘Two’: This stage is known as ‘frozen’ or ‘adhesive’ stage. There is a slow improvement in pain in this stage but the stiffness remains as it is. The second stage can last from four to nine months. The severity of stiffness is responsible for carrying out simple arm movements difficult.

·        Stage ‘Three’: This stage is known as ‘thawing’ or ‘recovery’ stage. In this stage, the shoulder motion slowly returns towards normal motion. This stage may remain from five to twenty-six months.

 

There is inflammation in the shoulder which may make the shoulder warm on touch. Scar tissue can build-up which further restricts movement and can make the movement of the shoulder pain. Since the symptoms of a frozen shoulder such as shoulder pain and limited range of motion can be confused with the symptoms of other conditions affecting the shoulder; it is important to visit a physician and get your diagnosis and treatment. Physical examination and its findings can differentiate frozen shoulder from other conditions. The range of active motion i.e., motion by oneself, and passive i.e., motion with the help of others in all planes are restricted in frozen shoulder. In conditions like shoulder impingement syndrome or rotator cuff tendinitis, the range of active motion is restricted but the range of passive motion is normal. The physical examination can be difficult as some maneuvers cannot be performed due to limited range of motion or painful movements.

 

The important aspect of any condition is to delve into its management. While certain exercises can be performed at home but performing them without any medication aid is quite difficult and a lot more painful. There are certain pain-killers in conventional medicine. However, conventional medicines can have their own side effects.

Let us know about safer management of frozen shoulder which can be done through homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines will also help in healing minor injuries that a patient might have during exercises or physiotherapy sessions at home. Homeopathic medicines can be prescribed to target the affected area and are selected based on the side of the shoulder affected. The case-taking is done holistically to know the personal, medical, and family history, likes, dislikes, the pattern of sleep, dreams, the color and texture of tongue, and peculiar symptoms of the patient which guide the homeopathic physician towards the prescription of homeopathic remedies. The conditions that worsen and better the symptoms of the patients are also important for homeopathic medicines. Homeopathic treatment has the ability to reduce recurrency of the frozen shoulder without using any invasive techniques or pain killers that cause other harms such as gastric problems. It can take homeopathic treatment six to twenty-four months to treat the condition of the frozen shoulder but the patient may find relief even sooner or a little later according to the body type, severity of the condition, and the other diseases that are present along with frozen shoulder as homeopathy provides the support to heal the existing co-conditions as well. Some of the homeopathic medicines used for managing frozen shoulder include:

·       Arnica: Arnica can handle a frozen shoulder which develops after an injury. It also helps in healing torn ligaments and reducing blood clots, if any have occurred, and are reducing blood flow to the muscles.

·       Ruta: Ruta is a wonderful medicine to address the muscular problems of the body such as ligament tear. It can help in relieving stiffness, pain, and inflammation present in the frozen shoulder.

 

 

·       Rhus tox: There is a peculiar symptom associated with the patient who needs Rhus tox. In a painful condition such as frozen shoulder, there is an aggravation or an increase in pain during the first motion but as the motion continues such as continuous up and down motion of shoulder, the pain lessens.

 

Despite listing the above remedies, it is advised that no homeopathic medicine is taken without consulting a homeopathic doctor.

 

To know about exercises at home to help ease frozen shoulder, visit https://www.onlymyhealth.com/how-to-do-physiotherapy-for-frozen-shoulder-at-home-1611144082

 

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