What Are The First Signs of Frozen Shoulder?
There are many orthopedic conditions and injuries millions of people experience. New York Sports Medicine Institute helps treat many different orthopedic injuries. One of the main injuries our orthopedic in Hackensack, NJ treats is frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder can be one of the most uncomfortable injuries to manage with. Frozen shoulder is described as a condition that contains pain and stiffness in one’s shoulder. One of the most common symptoms of frozen shoulder is the inability of movement in the shoulder. There are several reasons why someone can experience frozen shoulder. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the causes and first signs of frozen shoulder.
Causes of Frozen Shoulder
The capsule in the shoulder thickens during frozen shoulder which causes the inability to move it. The buildup of scar tissue created in the shoulder reduces a liquid known as synovial fluid which lubricates the shoulder. These symptoms can worsen over time. Developing frozen shoulders can occur if you are recovering from another injury that requires little to no movement in the shoulder for recovery. Some of these recovery procedures include strokes and mastectomy. Frozen shoulder is more of a common risk in people who are diabetic, have overactive thyroids, have underactive thyroids, parkinsons, tuberculosis, and women of the age 40 or older. Other people that are in risk of frozen shoulder are those who have prolonged immobility or reduced mobility. Some examples of how immobility may be a factor are rotator cuff injury, stroke, broken arm, and currently recovering from surgery.
First Common Signs of Frozen Shoulder
There are some common signs that should be considered when possibly developing frozen shoulder. When your shoulder begins to lose mobility, it will begin to obtain pain to the area. This will limit the shoulders range of motion. This can also affect some people’s sleep due to the pain worsening at night for some.
Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder
Once the first signs of frozen shoulder occur, other symptoms will develop over the course of the condition. These symptoms will usually occur if you do not receive the proper treatment for it. These symptoms are classified into three different phases. The three phases of symptoms for frozen shoulder include:
- Freezing Phase: The limitation of your shoulders range of motion and pain occurring when the shoulder mobilized.
- Frozen Phase: The pain in your shoulder should begin to decrease, however, your shoulder becomes more stiff which makes mobility very difficult. This phase can last from up to four to twelve months.
- Thawing Phase: The range of motion in your shoulder begins to improve. The thawing phase can occur within six months to two years.
There are some other symptoms you may experience from frozen shoulder. One example is feeling an achy dull feeling in the shoulder. Another symptom you may experience is a pain feeling wrapped around your shoulder. You may also feel this in your upper arm. And as mentioned before, you can possibly feel the pain in your shoulder worsen at night.
Diagnosis and Treatment
A doctor will give you a physical examination to diagnose if you have frozen shoulder. Your physician will have you move your shoulder on your own and help move it as well. The physician may decide to inject anesthetic to the shoulder to numb it and have a better idea of the range of motion. You may have to take an MRI or X-Ray if the physical exam is not enough to diagnose. Usually for treatment, over-the-counter medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen can help relieve inflammation in the shoulder. If these do not work, you may get prescribed to stronger medication. Treatment for frozen shoulder may also involve physical therapy. Stretching exercises may be able to help with the range of motion in your shoulder. For rare occasions, shoulder surgery may be necessary to treat frozen shoulder.
Contact Our Orthopedic in Hackensack, NJ
Frozen shoulder can be a very unsettling and uncomfortable condition to deal with. If you are experiencing frozen shoulder, you should see our orthopedic in Hackensack, NJ. New York Sports Medicine Institute can help treat frozen shoulder. If you are interested in learning more about the services New York Sports Medicine Institute provides for frozen shoulder, check out our website here.