subject: Frozen Shoulder Therapy - Different Treatments For Different Stages [print this page] Frozen Shoulder Therapy - Different Treatments For Different Stages
As a Frozen Shoulder is a 3 phase disorder, there is not a one size fits for all frozen shoulder therapy. The frozen shoulder medical term is Adhesive Capsulitis, a reference to the scars called Adhesions of the capsule membrane surrounding the rotator cuff. Such scarred and thickened tissue restricts the space within the shoulder joint mechanics, preventing the arm from moving freely, causing the typical limited range of motion.
A frozen shoulder develops in 3 phases:
1) A freezing phase, when the symptoms first occur with pain on the side of the shoulder, especially at night. The pain may spread down to the elbow, depending on gravity. At this stage the range of motion is still unaffected. During this time the usual treatment consists of anti inflammatories to relieve the pain.
2) A frozen phase, when the person affected is greatly impaired in all mundane tasks requiring rotation of the arm or over head movements such as reaching for the cupboard or steering the car wheel. This phase can last up to 1 year and the only effective treatments to some extent are ultrasounds and hot pack to soothe and break somehow the adhesions. Pain at this stage is not as strong, but disability is at its highest. Hot pack and ultrasound are not extremely effective though, they can only relieve in part and temporarily, so much that most sufferers keep taking anti inflammatories both over the counter and prescription. Massage therapy also aims at softening up the capsule scarred tissue. A more effective solution is cortisone injections, but they also have undesired side effects, like drugs. Manipulation and surgery are very effective if drastic and should be considered only as a last resort. Manipulation is the breaking of the adhesions by the surgeon moving the patient arm under general anesthesia due to the high pain threshold. No surgery proper is performed but like surgery it is no walk in the park. Both therapies require a professional rehabilitation program of stretching exercises to loosen up the adhesions and prevent a relapse.
3) A thawing phase, when the adhesions naturally but very slowly recede, allowing the sufferer a very long recovery phase lasting 1 year or more. During this phase, a frozen shoulder physical therapy is very effective. These specific stretching exercises are devised with a particular technique to recover range of motion. They are performed with no resistance and help the natural healing times speed up, restoring flexibility and strength.
A frozen shoulder therapy based on stretching exercises can cut down recovery times, restoring strength and reducing or eliminating the need for drugs. If you are the unlucky sufferer of a frozen shoulder, check out this frozen shoulder therapy website. It could save you months of misery. Click on frozen shoulder physiotherapy now.
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
