Frozen shoulder is a strange one. Nothing dramatic happens. No fall, no obvious injury. The shoulder just gets tighter and tighter until one day you realize you can't reach the top shelf, and reaching behind your back is out of the question.
Fastening a seatbelt hurts. Washing your hair gets awkward. Putting on a coat becomes a whole production. If this sounds like your shoulder, there's care close by that can help.
Why Frozen Shoulder Happens
The capsule around your shoulder joint thickens and tightens. Scar-like tissue forms and the whole joint locks down. Doctors call it adhesive capsulitis.
It shows up more in people over forty, more in women, and more in folks with diabetes or after a period of not moving the arm much. Sometimes there's no clear reason at all.
When Frozen Shoulder Tends To Show Up
One common trigger is a stretch of not using the arm. A shoulder that gets babied after a minor injury, a surgery somewhere else on that arm, or even a long spell in a sling can stiffen up. The joint doesn't like being still.
Diabetes is the big one. People with diabetes get frozen shoulder more often, and it can run tougher and longer for them. Thyroid problems raise the odds too. If you've had it in one shoulder, the other one is more likely to follow down the road.
Frozen Shoulder Moves In Phases
Frozen shoulder isn't one flat problem. It changes over time.
First comes the painful phase. The shoulder aches and slowly loses motion. Then the frozen phase, where pain eases up but stiffness is at its worst. Last is the thawing phase, when motion slowly comes back.
The whole thing can stretch across many months. That's the hard part. It's slow.
Matching Care To The Phase
Where you are in those phases changes what we do. Push too hard in the painful stage and it flares up. So we match the care to the phase.
- Gentle range-of-motion work to keep what mobility you have
- Hands-on techniques to loosen the tight capsule
- Stretching that gets more aggressive as the pain settles
- Strengthening once the joint starts opening up
- Home exercises, because daily consistency is what moves it forward
Some people get an injection to calm the pain enough to move better in therapy. That can speed things along in the rough early stretch.
Getting The Right Diagnosis First
A stiff, painful shoulder isn't always frozen shoulder. A rotator cuff problem, arthritis in the joint, or a tear can look similar from the outside. The treatment for each is different, so pinning down what you actually have matters.
We check how your shoulder moves, both on your own and when we move it for you. Frozen shoulder has a telltale pattern, where the motion is limited no matter who's moving the arm. When the picture isn't clear, imaging helps rule out the other causes.
If your shoulder's been stiffening up and you're around Sahuarita, get in touch with Modern Medicine of Northwest Tucson, AZ by phone or the online booking form, and we'll start working your range back.
