Chiropractic Treatments for Frozen Shoulder

What is Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder occurs as a result of inflammation, scarring and stiffening of the shoulder joint capsule. Any injury to the shoulder can lead to frozen shoulder, including tendonitis, bursitis, rotator cuff injury and shoulder sprains. There is an increase risk of developing frozen shoulder if you suffer from diabetes, chronic inflammatory arthritis of the shoulder, or after chest or breast surgery. Long-term immobility of the shoulder joint can also put people at increased risk to develop a frozen shoulder.

A frozen shoulder is defined as a shoulder joint with significant loss of its range of motion in all directions. This movement is limited when the doctor attempts to move the joint fully while the patient relaxes and not only when the patient attempts motion.

Frozen shoulder is also referred to as adhesive capsulitis.

Other conditions can mimic frozen shoulder

Inflammation of the shoulder joint or the muscles around the shoulder girdle can cause swelling, pain, or stiffness, this can limit the range of motion and mimic the range of motion limitation of a frozen shoulder. This can then progress to frozen shoulder if the joint capsule develops scarring.

Injury to one of the tendons around the shoulder can reduce shoulder-joint range of motion, but usually not in all directions.

What is the treatment?

After establishing what is causing your shoulder pain or stiffness, if appropriate physical treatment to improve the movement of your shoulder can progress.

In addition specific advice for your complaint will be given to help speed up your progress.

If we are unable to treat you we will organise a referral to either to your GP or a specialist with the details from our assessments.

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