Frozen Shoulder

Symptoms
With a frozen shoulder, the joint becomes so tight and stiff that it is nearly impossible to carry out simple movements, such as raising the arm. People complain that the stiffness and discomfort worsen at night.

Pain due to frozen shoulder is usually dull or aching. It can be worsened with attempted motion. The pain is usually located over the outer shoulder area and sometimes the upper arm. The affected individual cannot move the shoulder normally. Motion is also limited when someone else attempts to move the shoulder for the patient.


Causes
Frozen shoulder is the result of inflammation, scarring, thickening and shrinkage of the capsule that surrounds the normal shoulder joint. Any injury to the shoulder can lead to frozen shoulder, including tendonitis, bursitis, and rotator cuff injury. Frozen shoulders occur more frequently in patients with diabetes, chronic inflammatory arthritis of the shoulder, or after chest or breast surgery. Long-term immobility of the shoulder joint can put persons at risk to develop a frozen shoulder.


Treatment
Upper body posture and shoulder blade position effect muscle tension, rotator cuff function, and pain patterns in the shoulder. Releasing trigger points and rebalancing the pectoral and shoulder and shoulder blade musculature, muscle elongating and broadening techniques, plus stretching to re-establish function is key to a full recovery from this condition.