Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
com/health/frozen-shoulder/DS00416
Frozen Shoulder
(Adhesive Capsulitis)
Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Medical Editor: Dennis Lee, MD
Frozen shoulder is the result of scarring, thickening, and shrinkage of the joint capsule.
Koopman, William, et al., eds. Clinical Primer of Rheumatology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.
Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, W B Saunders Co, edited by Shaun Ruddy, et al., 2000.
Adhesive Capsulitis
affected more often than the dominant one. Frozen shoulder is not normally
associated with calcium deposits, rotator cuff injuries, arthritis or malignancies. The
x-rays of the shoulder are completely normal.
Medical problems associated with increased risk of frozen shoulder include diabetes,
thyroid disease, Parkinson's disease, and cardiac disease. Frozen shoulder affects
about 10 to 20 percent of people with diabetes, therefore a work-up for diabetes or
other disorders may be recommended if a frozen shoulder occurs.
Another risk facter for development of frozen shoulder is prolonged immobilization.
After an injury to the shoulder, early motion is usually recommended (assuming that
the shoulder is stable) in hopes of avoiding the development of a frozen shoulder.
Diagnosis
This condition is diagnosed by a doctor based on the history of the patient's
symptoms and physical examination. X-rays or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
studies are sometimes used to rule out other causes of shoulder stiffness and pain,
such as rotator cuff tear.
Symptoms
The hallmark of frozen shoulder is pain with restricted motion of the shoulder. The
pain is usually dull or aching. It usually becomes worse with motion, and it limits the
patient's use of the affected shoulder and arm. Motion is also limited when someone
else attempts to move the shoulder for the patient, as when a doctor performs a
physical exam. Some physicians have described the normal course of a frozen
shoulder as having three stages. Each stage has been reported to last roughly 4
months, but the time frame for each patient can be highly variable.
Stage 1: During the "freezing" stage the patient gradually develops a painful
shoulder. As the pain worsens, the shoulder loses motion.
Stage 2: The pain slowly subsides during the "frozen" stage, but the limited
range of motion remains.
Stage 3: During the "thawing" stage the shoulder motion slowly returns
toward normal.
Conservative Treatment
Surgical Treatment
The vast majority of individuals will get better if given sufficient time, so surgery is not
often required. Surgical intervention is considered only after an appropriate course of
physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications has failed.
Surgical intervention is aimed at stretching or releasing the contracted joint capsule
of the shoulder. This usually consists of manipulation under anesthesia and/or
shoulder arthroscopy:
With shoulder arthroscopy, the surgeon makes several small incisions around
the shoulder. A small camera (scope) and instruments are inserted through
the incisions. The joint capsule is viewed with the scope, and the tight portions
of the joint capsule are released
Often, manipulation and arthroscopy are used in combination to obtain a full range of
motion for the shoulder joint. Most patients have very good results with these
procedures. It is critically important to begin physical therapy immediately after
surgery to maintain the motion that was achieved intraoperatively.
Figure 4. a. This woman was unable to raise her right arm due to adhesive capsulitis. After many months of working with a physical
therapist and taking anti-inflammatory medications, she still has a poor range of motion. b. A general anesthetic is administered and
patient is asleep. The arm is then gently taken through a range of motion, which breaks up the adhesions and loosens the shoulder
With manipulation she is able to achieve full forward flexion. c. The shoulder is manipulated in another plane (cross-body adduction)
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