What is Frozen Shoulder?
A frozen shoulder is also known as adhesive capsulitis and is a common condition that affects the ability to move the shoulder. It causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder, reducing movement. Frozen shoulder is found to be more common in women than in men and is more common in both sexes between the ages of 40 and 60. It is also found to be more common in people who have heart disease and / or diabetes.
What causes Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder occurs when there is thickening and swelling of the flexible tissue (capsule) surrounding your shoulder joint. This thickening and swelling causes a reduction of space for your upper arm bone in the joint which makes any movement stiff and painful.
It is also possible to develop frozen shoulder after an injury to your arm or shoulder or after an operation, which would be due to keeping your arm still for a long period of time causing your shoulder capsule to tighten.
How can we help?
The physiotherapists here at Davenport House Clinic will be able to diagnose your frozen shoulder condition and treat you using treatments such as massage, thermotherapy with warm or cold temperature packs, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
TENs is where small electrical pads (electrodes) are applied to skin over your shoulder, which distribute small pulses of electricity from the TENS machine. The physiotherapist can control the strength of the pulses and how long your treatment lasts, dependant on how severe your condition is.
