Have you been diagnosed with frozen shoulder / adhesive capsulitis? What are your frozen shoulder treatment options?
- Pain with any shoulder movement?
- Pain gets worse at night?
- Very limited shoulder movement?
- Moving your shoulder has become more difficult over time?
- Trouble getting through your daily activities?
Three Stages of a Frozen Shoulder
Freezing Stage – Your shoulder has become painful and your pain is getting worse as your ability to move and use your shoulder decreases. This can happen slowly over several weeks or months, or rapidly, even overnight.
Frozen Stage – You can hardly move your shoulder at all. Your pain may have gotten better in this stage but movement causes the pain to roar back into your restricted shoulder. Daily activities may be excruciating. This can last for weeks or years, or may spontaneously resolve.
Thawing Stage – Your range of motion starts to come back. This may take years if left untreated. Pain is diminishing as your shoulder regains normal motion.
What Causes Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder can be caused by trauma or repetitive stress injury. However, many times what causes the shoulder to lock is unknown. People between the ages of 40-60 are prone to this condition. Also, women and patients previously diagnosed with diabetes tend to experience more cases of frozen shoulder than the rest of the population. Therefore, it is important for you to see a health care provider such as a chiropractor who can take a history and perform a detailed examination of the shoulder to determine if the diagnosis of frozen shoulder is warranted. Furthermore, other tests such as x-rays, MRI, or ultrasound may be ordered. This is to rule out other causes of a painful and restricted shoulder. Conditions such as tendonitis, rotator cuff injury, or shoulder bursitis can be causing your pain and mimic frozen shoulder.
Treatment Without Surgery
People suffering with frozen shoulder respond incredibly well to gentle chiropractic care, which includes interventions such as stretching, guided exercises, and of course the chiropractic adjustment!
Typically, following a detailed history taking and physical examination, including review of any past imaging or special tests, a treatment plan is detailed between the doctor and yourself. To address frozen shoulder this typically begins with passive care such as heat and adjustments to relax the tissues, and progresses to active care including exercise, active stretching, lifestyle modification (ergonomic changes at work and home, smoking cessation, stress management, etc.) and education.
These treatments are very well tolerated by most people. There are a few side effects (most common is local soreness following exercise, stretching, or the adjustment) and typically frozen shoulder improves or is eliminated in one to six visits depending on the severity.
If you are suffering from frozen shoulder and searching for a chiropractor, you can see our Google reviews, and call or text the number below:
Call or Text (203) 443-1901 to schedule!
About the Author
Dr. Erik Reich is a chiropractor in Meriden, CT. He practices at Omni Physical & Aquatic Therapy Center, Inc. located at 303 South Broad Street. Where he treats all types of patients from high school athletes, seniors, victims of trauma such as auto accidents, and desk jockeys. Spending time with his wife and son, and their Boston terrier, is something Dr. Reich also enjoys.