Frozen shoulder reduces normal movement in the joint and, in some cases, it can prevent movement in the shoulder altogether. The first indication of a frozen shoulder is that the joint becomes very tight and stiff which makes it nearly impossible to carry out simple movements, such as raising the arm.
Frozen shoulder , which the medical profession refer to as adhesive capsulitis, or occasionally, bursitis or tendonitis, affects about 3% of the general population, the greater proportion being women and most are 40 to 60 years old. It is extremely uncommon amongst young people, but there is a higher occurrence for those people with diabetes. The medical term of adhesive capsulitis describes the actual condition, adhesive meaning sticky, and capsulitis meaning inflammation of the joint capsule.
A frozen shoulder results is a thickening and swelling of the flexible tissue that surrounds the joint (the capsule). The joint becomes inflamed and causes scar tissue to form inside the shoulder capsule. This leaves less room for the humerus (arm bone) to move, hence restricting the movement of the joint. Often a shoulder will hurt when it begins to freeze and because pain discourages movement, further development of adhesions that restrict movement will occur unless the joint continues to move full range in all directions.
Frozen shoulder is not the same as arthritis, and no other joints are usually affected. It could be due to the formation of scar tissue, which inhibits movement or it could be as a result of producing less synovial fluid in the joint, which may cause a lot of painful friction.
A properly planned program of frozen shoulder exercises is essential in recovering from a frozen shoulder