There are several things that can cause pain and restricted movement of the shoulder.
First, get a doctor to confirm that what you have is a frozen shoulder and not another problem. Then try to follow a structured plan of treatment with regular pain relief, ideally with the help of a therapist such as an osteopath.
Symptoms
In frozen shoulder, you're unable to move your shoulder joint as normal. It's stiff (in severe cases, completely rigid) and can be intensely painful.
One of the most common tests is to get the person to try to lift their arm to the horizontal level. This is impossible in frozen shoulder, and the arm can only be lifted a small way, if at all.
The shoulder joint becomes like this because of inflammation and thickening of the lining of the fibrous tissues, or capsule, that surrounds the joint.
Causes
The exact cause or trigger isn't clear, but some people relate the problem to an injury, which was often quite minor.
Sometimes, it seems to follow other illness, such as bronchitis, angina or a stroke. There may also be a link to diabetes.
Frozen shoulder is rare in young people.
Treatments
There are a variety of different treatments, which can help increase mobility and reduce the pain. These include:
- Exercise - this must be based on the advice and supervision of an expert, such as a physiotherapist
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen
- Regular painkillers
- Ice packs and heat treatments - to help with the pain and encourage blood flow
- Steroid injections (severe cases)
- Manipulation by a physiotherapist or osteopath - although this can initially increase the pain
Recovery is usually slow and may take two or three years. There's also an increased risk that the problem may recur, although this is far from inevitable.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Trisha Macnair in January 2008
