Female Focus
Page 21
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Frozen shoulder
Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis is a condition characterised by severe stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint.
Anatomy The head of our upper arm fits in a small socket in the shoulder blade or scapula. A connective tissue called the capsule surrounds the joint and contains the liquid or synovia that lubricates the joint.
Causes What triggers this massive inflammation of the capsule is unknown, although sometimes we find a small trauma that seems to be the cause.
Risks
- age between 40 and 65 years of age. - recovery from a medical condition that prevents you from moving your arm (mastectomy). - also at higher risk are women and diabetics.
How does it develop If at this stage you are rubbing your shoulder don’t worry because it only effects 2% of the population. There are three stages: 1. FREEZING: progressive increase of pain in the shoulder and upper arm and loss of range of movement. (6 weeks to 9 months). 2. FROZEN: pain symptoms may improve but stiffness remains. You are unable to move your shoulder. (4-6 months). 3. RECOVERY: slow improvement of motion and strength during a period of 6 months to 2 years!
Physiotherapy Physiotherapy helps in reducing pain at the end of stage 1 and accelerates recovery of range of motion from stage 2 onwards. Don’t start your treatment earlier, it doesn’t make sense. You can have anti-inflammatory medicine from your family doctor or a few steroid injections. I have treated some 25 patients with a frozen shoulder over the last 30 years and my experience is that with specific mobilisation and stretching of the capsule the whole process of recovery can be reduced to between 9 months and one year. This means some 4 to 5 months of rehabilitation. This is the longest and most exhausting treatment I know in the field of physiotherapy but it is worth the trouble.
Cas Van Voorthuizen, Telephone 696 971 988.
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