Frozen shoulder is a common diagnosis but what is it…
Shoulder pain is something a lot of my patients suffer from. At Doroski Chiropractic Neurolgy in Woodbridge Va we see all sorts of different types of shoulder pain. Some are local to the joint and some are a referral from someplace else. The referred pain is one of the harder things for patients to understand. They come in for shoulder pain and leave with a cervical diagnosis. But in the end the pain generally improves. One of the most common types of shoulder pain we see is frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis.
Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms typically begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within one or two years. One of the biggest causes of this disorder is a lack of use. The lack of use could come from the arm being immobilized due to another injury or also just as common is just not moving it as much. One way people know they have it is one morning they notice they can no longer comb the back of their hair, scratch their own back or reach in to the back seat.
What causes the shoulder to feel frozen is the bones, ligaments and tendons that make up your shoulder joint are encased in a capsule of connective tissue. Frozen shoulder occurs when this capsule thickens and tightens around the shoulder joint, restricting its movement.
Most times it can be diagnosed by the patient’s own description but there are a few tests that are don to make sure it is frozen shoulder. The most common tests mainly check the shoulder ROM.
1 Hands up. Raise both your hands straight up in the air, like a football referee calling a touchdown.
2 Opposite shoulder. Reach across your chest to touch your opposite shoulder.
3 Back scratch. Starting with the back of your hand against the small of your back, reach upward to touch your opposite shoulder blade.
Your doctor may also ask you to relax your muscles while he or she moves your arm for you. This test can help distinguish between frozen shoulder and a rotator cuff injury.
Frozen shoulder can usually be diagnosed from signs and symptoms alone. But your doctor may suggest imaging tests — such as X-rays or an MRI — to rule out other structural problems.
Once it is diagnosed there are many none invasive treatments that can be done to improve the shoulder ROM and decrease the pain. At Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA we have a very high success rate in treating this disorder. Call today for an appointment!
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Doroski Chiropractic Neurology
3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588