Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a terribly debilitating condition affecting mainly 45–65 year olds. It is truly one of the most painful joint conditions, but it is poorly understood and often little appreciated by the sufferer’s peers. My heart goes out to the poor individuals who get a frozen shoulder. But all is not lost! It can get better sooner than you are told by others and you do NOT need to wait 3 years for it to improve nor accept that you need to be operated on.
What is a frozen shoulder?
A frozen shoulder is categorised by a restriction in passive and active movement, in other words you can move your own arm to a certain degree and the operator can also only move your arm in the same restricted range. One also develops a ‘capsular’ pattern, meaning that the arm and the shoulder blade move together. This is like hitching your shoulder.
The sufferer also experiences excruciating night pain, a painful catching spasm down the arm and restriction in the range of possible movement.
A definition by Codman, which has not been bettered since 1934, states:
This is a condition which comes on slowly with pain over the deltoid insertion, inability to sleep, painful incomplete elevation and external rotation, the restriction of movement being both active and passive, with a normal radiograph, the pain being very trying and yet all patients are able to continue their daily habits and routines.
Please feel free to contact me in Harley Street or Highgate to discuss your frozen shoulder.