A frozen shoulder (known by its medical term adhesive capsulitis) isn’t typically cause for concern. Still, it can dramatically hamper mobility, making everyday tasks more painful and challenging than they ought to otherwise be. Moreover, if left untreated, it can become permanent and even degenerate into other more serious issues. Fortunately, you can overcome this health problem and get your life back to normal, provided you treat the underlying cause and try different physiotherapies.
Seek Professional Diagnosis And Treatment
First and foremost, you should seek a professional diagnosis from trained physicians who will be able to offer you the right treatments to get you back on track. It may be tempting to rely on Dr. Google instead of making an actual doctor’s appointment, but the truth is that you can not get the proper care until you receive a diagnosis from a medical professional. Once they have diagnosed you and it is, in fact, a frozen shoulder, they will typically begin by administering a shoulder steroid injection as part of a broader set of treatments. When administered by a physician, usually ultrasound-guided, the injection delivers anti-inflammatory medication directly into the shoulder joint. This can help break up scar tissue formations that restrict movement. By reducing inflammation and pain, the steroid injection allows for improved range of motion and function.
Engage In Various Physical Therapy Activities
Your pain and mobility issues should improve after receiving a steroid injection, but you can speed up the recovery process by engaging in a number of physical activities that increase your shoulder’s range of motion and get it moving again. You have a variety of techniques in your arsenal that can help to increase mobility and manage this often alarmingly painful condition. Stretches and other range-of-motion exercises are commonly prescribed alongside medication to gradually and gently improve any movement that you might have lost due to joint inflammation and general stiffness. Specific stretches and strengthening exercises target the shoulder muscles and supporting tissues. As pain and stiffness subside through regular physical therapy, activities are progressively challenged to fully restore function.
Consider Alternative Options That Complement Existing Treatments
Although you should always stick with traditional medicine when prescribed by a doctor, it doesn’t hurt to consider other options to use alongside them. One possibility is acupuncture. There is some body of evidence that suggests that it is possible to reduce pain and swelling through the insertion of thin needles at a specific point in your body. Chiropractic care can also help restore proper alignment and range of motion through gentle spinal and joint manipulation and help to “reset” your joints into appropriate placement. While you should never only use these options, they can be extremely valuable complementary therapies that help to expedite recovery.
Changing Your Habits Can Help You Avoid This Problem In The Future
Frozen shoulder isn’t typically considered a genetic issue, meaning you are most likely to experience the condition from lifestyle habits. The most notable cause is poor ergonomics and relative stain issues, such as working at a poorly designed desk all day and generally having poor posture. By understanding where you might be going wrong, you can take positive steps to change, thereby improving your situation and reducing the chances of experiencing it or other conditions again.
While a frozen shoulder can severely hamper your quality of life, with the correct treatments and lifestyle changes, you can quickly heal it and return to your usual life. The main action is visiting your doctor for an official diagnosis and course of action, followed by the treatment itself and other complementary measures.
