What are the different stages in frozen shoulder?

The shoulder joint is a really remarkable creation. It is fairly a complex formation of bones muscles and tendons and provides a great range of motion for the arm. The only downside to this extensive range of motion is a lack of stability that can make the shoulder joint vulnerable to injury. The shoulder is made up of three bones and the tendons of four muscles. The bones are called the Scapula, the Humerus and the Clavicle. Frozen shoulder occurs in the shoulder joint. It happens at the point where the humerus bone fits into the socket of the shoulder. The supporting ligaments and nearby capsule become inflamed causing stiffness and limited motion.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder:

The most ordinary symptoms of frozen shoulder are ache and stiffness. Pain generally takes the form of a constant dull ache and stiffness prevents the full range of motion of the shoulder and upper arm. Patients are frequently incapable to lift the arm above their head or rotate their arm inward. The normal series of frozen shoulder has been described as having three stages. They are

1. Stage one, the freezing phase the patient begins to expand mild pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. This stage can last from a few weeks to a few months.

2. Stage two, the stiffness residue but the pain begins to decline. This stage can last from a few months to nearly a year.

3. Stage three, the thawing phase the full range of progress begins to return to the shoulder joint. This stage can also last a few months.

The majorities of sufferers of frozen shoulder will be fully recovered within 4 to 6 months but some cases have lasted for up to three year, though these are extremely rare.

Treatment:

Frozen shoulder healing primarily consists of pain relief and physical therapy techniques. Pain relief generally takes the form of anti-inflammatory medication and the aim here is to decrease the pain sufficient so that physical therapy can be initiated. Two other forms of therapy should also be considered are heat and massage. Heat is very good for increasing blood flow to a particular area. Massage is one of the best ways to increase blood flow to an injured area and of course the oxygen and nutrients that go with it. The other benefit of massage is that it helps to reduce the amount of scar tissue that is associated with all muscle, tendon and joint injuries.