How to Prevent Frozen Shoulder: Tips for Maintaining Shoulder Health

The shoulder is formed by three bones: collarbone (bone going from the bottom of the neck to the shoulder), upper arm bone and shoulder blade. These three bones are connected to a ball-shaped socket in the shoulder. Tissues connecting the bones are present around this joint. Apart from this, synovial fluid (fluid present in the shoulder joint) helps the joints to move without friction.

When there is damage to the tissues of the shoulder, then the shoulder starts getting stiff. Along with this, there is also pain. However, it is difficult to fully understand the exact cause of shoulder stiffness and its cause cannot always be identified. Recently, most people may face this type of problem due to shoulder injury or fracture. Many people also get stiffness in their shoulders due to diabetes. 10 to 20 percent of people with diabetes experience symptoms of shoulder stiffness.

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Shoulder stiffness is usually a problem that develops slowly. It has three stages. Each stage can last for several months. Its stages are as follows.

• Gradual Stiffness - In this, there is pain in moving your shoulder in any way. Due to which the function of your shoulder becomes limited.
• Increasing Stiffness - In this condition, the pain of shoulder stiffness starts increasing and your shoulder is hardly able to move. Not only this, it becomes difficult for you to do any work with the shoulder.
• Stiffness Cured - During this stage, the stiffness of your shoulder decreases and it starts improving.

This problem gives a lot of pain to some people at night. Also, due to this, people's sleep is disturbed. Difficulty in performing daily activities like getting ready, driving, cleaning your teeth, combing hair etc.

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The common risk factors for shoulder stiffness are as follows.

• The chances of it occurring increase when the age is above 40 years.
• Women are more likely to suffer from it than men. It is said that 70 percent of the people suffering from shoulder stiffness are women.
• Stroke
• Hyperthyroidism (high thyroid) 
• Hypothyroidism (low thyroid) 
• Heart disease 
• Parkinson's disease

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To check the problem of shoulder stiffness, your doctor asks you to move your shoulder in many ways. This helps him understand your pain and the exact position of shoulder movement. You may feel pain both when resting and moving the shoulder. This problem can be detected based on the symptoms and signs, but to confirm it, your doctor may suggest X-ray and MRI. 

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The treatment of shoulder stiffness mainly focuses on relieving shoulder pain. It can be treated in many ways. Which is expressed as follows.

Medicines
This problem can be relieved by taking medicines that reduce pain and swelling during shoulder stiffness. The doctor may advise you to take some medicines for this.

Therapy
You can also get relief from this problem through physical therapy. Therapists tell you many types of exercises, with the help of which you can make the movement of the shoulder normal again. By taking regular therapy, you start getting relief soon. 

Surgical And Other Procedures

Most cases of shoulder stiffness get better on their own within 12 to 18 months. In case the symptoms of this problem do not get cured, your doctor suggests the following.

Steroid Injection
In this procedure, an injection of corticosteroid (corticosteroids/ hormone that reduces pain and inflammation) is given in the shoulder to relieve your shoulder pain.

Anesthesia
In this procedure, you are made unconscious with the help of anesthesia. After which the doctor fixes your shoulder joint by moving it. When it comes to the right position, the pressure on your shoulder tissues is reduced.

Surgery (Arthroscopy)
Surgery is done in very few cases of shoulder stiffness. When you have no other option left except surgery, then the doctor advises you for surgery. In this, a pencil-sized instrument is inserted inside the shoulder and the stiff part is cut and separated. After surgery, most of the people suffering from this get cured. After surgery, it can take 6 weeks to 3 months to heal. 

Acupuncture
You can also get relief from shoulder stiffness through acupuncture procedures. In this procedure, your pain is relieved through very thin needles. In this, needles are applied to the painful area for 15 to 40 minutes.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Shoulder stiffness is reduced through transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). In this, pain is reduced by stimulating the nerves found in the spinal cord. Small electrical pads of the TENS machine are applied on the affected shoulder. After which these pads cure the pain with electrical waves.

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Place a hot compress or heating pad on your shoulder for 15 minutes several times a day, or apply an ice pack to the shoulder for 15 minutes several times a day. Use whatever works best for your pain relief. Use a shoulder sling to support the shoulder. This may reduce your discomfort.

If the pain persists or the stiffness of the shoulder does not go away, then definitely contact a doctor, otherwise there is a risk of permanent disability in the shoulder.

(Read more -Tips For Healthy Joints)

A regular exercise that maintains overall shoulder strength and flexibility, stretching, and overuse of your shoulder can prevent frozen shoulder after surgery or injury. Experts don't know the cause of frozen shoulders in some cases and it may not be possible to prevent it. But be patient and follow your doctor's advice. Frozen shoulders almost always get better with time.

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Adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, is a serious problem that can affect your daily life and quality of life. Curing, freezing, and thawing, with varying durations of symptoms and time. Physical therapy, pain relief techniques, and medical procedures like corticosteroid injections or surgery are all good ways to manage your pain. The best way to reduce the impact and speed up recovery is to get early diagnosis and treatment. Shoulder function is usually possible with proper rehabilitation and prompt medical consultation, most people can recover fully with prescribed therapeutic exercises.