Adhesive capsulitis of shoulder

Movement of the shoulder is severely restricted, with progressive loss of both active and passive range of motion.[3] The condition is sometimes caused by injury, leading to lack of use due to pain, but also often arises spontaneously with no obvious preceding trigger factor (idiopathic frozen shoulder). Rheumatic disease progression and recent shoulder surgery can also cause a pattern of pain and limitation similar to frozen shoulder. Intermittent periods of use may cause inflammation.

In frozen shoulder, there is a lack of synovial fluid, which normally helps the shoulder joint, a ball and socket joint, move by lubricating the gap between the humerus (upper arm bone) and the socket in the shoulder blade. The shoulder capsule thickens, swells, and tightens due to bands of scar tissue (adhesions) that have formed inside the capsule. As a result, there is less room in the joint for the humerus, making movement of the shoulder stiff and painful. This restricted space between the capsule and ball of the humerus distinguishes adhesive capsulitis from a less complicated, painful, stiff shoulder.[4]

One sign of a frozen shoulder is that the joint becomes so tight and stiff that it is nearly impossible to carry out simple movements, such as raising the arm. The movement that is most severely inhibited is external rotation of the shoulder.

People often complain that the stiffness and pain worsen at night. Pain due to frozen shoulder is usually dull or aching. It can be worsened with attempted motion, or if bumped. A physical therapist, osteopath or chiropractor, physician, athletic trainer, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner may suspect the patient has a frozen shoulder if a physical examination reveals limited shoulder movement. Frozen shoulder can be diagnosed if limits to the active range of motion (range of motion from active use of muscles) are the same or almost the same as the limits to the passive range of motion (range of motion from a person manipulating the arm and shoulder). An arthrogram or an MRI scan may confirm the diagnosis, though in practice this is rarely required.

The normal course of a frozen shoulder has been described as having three stages:[5](Note: According to a clinical practice guideline for sports physical therapy there are four stages.)[1] The first stage preceding the stage one listed below. This preceding stage can be present up to 3 months and during this stage patients describe sharp pain at end ranges of motion, achy pain at rest, and sleep disturbances. Early loss of external rotation with an intact rotator cuff is a hallmark sign in this stage.[1]

• Stage one: The "freezing" or painful stage, which may last from six weeks to nine months, and in which the patient has a slow onset of pain. As the pain worsens, the shoulder loses motion.[6]
• Stage two: The "frozen" or adhesive stage is marked by a slow improvement in pain but the stiffness remains. This stage generally lasts from four to nine months.
• Stage three: The "thawing" or recovery, when shoulder motion slowly returns toward normal. This generally lasts from 5 to 26 months.[7]

To prevent the problem, a common recommendation is to keep the shoulder joint fully moving to prevent a frozen shoulder. Often a shoulder will hurt when it begins to freeze. Because pain discourages movement, further development of adhesions that restrict movement will occur unless the joint continues to move full range in all directions (adduction, abduction, flexion, rotation, and extension). Physical therapy and occupational therapy can help with continued movement.

However, a 2004 study showed that "supervised neglect" (which is supportive therapy and exercises within pain limits) [11] has a higher rate of recovery versus intense physical therapy and passive stretching.[11] The above paragraph shouldn't be taken as advice to ignore - limiting your motions to avoid the pain caused by shoulder motions is exactly why serious cases of this problem can develop.

Management of this disorder focuses on restoring joint movement and reducing shoulder pain, involving medications, physical therapy, and/or surgical intervention. Treatment may continue for months; there is no strong evidence to favor any particular approach.[12]

Medications frequently used include NSAIDs; corticosteroids are used in some cases either through local injection or systemically. Oral steroids may provide short-lived benefits in range of movement and pain.[13] However, if a person has Diabetes Mellitus, then using corticosteroids can do more harm than good. Steroid injections could influence the blood sugar level, and current evidence suggested that physical therapy could be a better alternative.[14] The benefits of steroid injections may also be short-lived.[15] It is unclear whether ultrasound guided injections can improve pain or function over intramuscular injections.[16] Manual therapists like osteopaths, chiropractors and physical therapists (physiotherapists) may include massage therapy and daily extensive stretching.[12]

The incidence of adhesive capsulitis is approximately 3 percent in the general population, but some researchers cast doubt on this often cited figure because of how often the disease is misdiagnosed; this would make the disease much rarer than previously thought.[24] Occurrence is rare in children and people under 40 but peaks between 40 and 70 years of age.[12] At least in its idiopathic form, the condition is much more common in women than in men (70% of patients are women aged 40–60). Frozen shoulder is more frequent in diabetic patients and is more severe and more protracted than in the non-diabetic population.[25]

People with diabetes, stroke, lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or heart disease are at a higher risk for frozen shoulder. Injury or surgery to the shoulder or arm may cause blood flow damage or the capsule to tighten from reduced use during recovery.[4] Adhesive capsulitis has been indicated as a possible adverse effect of some forms of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Cases have also been reported after breast and lung surgery.[26]

• Calcific tendinitis
• Milwaukee shoulder syndrome

This article contains text from the public domain document "Frozen Shoulder", American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.