‘Frozen shoulder’ can be painful

A common problem we see in our chiropractic practice is a shoulder that is painful and not moving the way it should.

Often, this is what is called a “frozen shoulder” or “adhesive capsulitis.” Generally, this is a shoulder that is painful many times at night and has decreased motion. Causes are most often idiopathic which means that we do not know why it occurs.

Other common presentations are a minor shoulder injury that does not get moved right away by the patient after the injury; the patient holds the arm at their side and protects the arm and it becomes stiff and painful.

Many times after rotator cuff repair or other shoulder surgeries — during the early post-operative period when we are not allowing the patient to actively move their shoulder — this stiffness and pain can be present post-operatively.

Frozen shoulder seems to have a high association with patients who have diabetes. Other causes are hyperthyroidism, open-heart surgery and cervical disk disease of the neck.

The symptoms again are reduced motion, pain and stiffness, with pain being the most common. The pain that really brings patients in is the pain at night because they cannot sleep. Many times this pain is pronounced with overhead activity.

In these instances, patients cannot get to their back pocket very easily with their hand, and with their elbow at their side they cannot turn the arm out away from their body.

Treatments at our clinic include Active Release Therapy, Low level laser therapy and rehabilitation exercises. These non-surgical treatments often see progress that takes as long as six to nine months for complete recovery.

So if you suspect that you have frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis, you can be seen directly by calling 604-990-6676 and have this evaluated. Should you have early onset of stiffness and pain with your shoulder it is recommended to try to impose early treatment and seek medical attention.