Are you bewildered by your shoulder pain? Is it becoming increasingly difficult to perform simple everyday activities? Chances are, maybe, you are suffering from frozen shoulder.

As a person grows old, he can experience a number of physical problems and a frozen shoulder is one of them. Health care nursing home can help seniors deal with frozen shoulder and other illnesses.

What is a Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder (FS), also called adhesive capsulitis, is a common medical condition that causes pain, stiffness, and loss of normal range of motion in the shoulder. The connective tissue surrounding the shoulder joint becomes inflamed causing extreme pain.

It can affect about 3 to 5 percent of the population and women are more likely to experience frozen shoulder than males. It is also common among people suffering from hypothyroidism and diabetes to experience frozen shoulder because the condition involves abnormalities of the endocrine system which works to regulate inflammation in the body.

How Does a Frozen Shoulder Happen?

Frozen shoulder can begin with an injury or inflammation of the soft tissue. This is often caused by overuse injuries such as tendinitis or bursitis of the rotator cuff. The pain worsens with movement and limits a person’s range of motion.

When the shoulder freezes, the connective tissue surrounding the joint thickens and contracts, in turn, losing its capacity to stretch. A frozen shoulder may take anywhere from two to nine weeks to develop. Although with proper medical care, the pain may go away slowly, the range of motion and stiffness remains.

Causes of Frozen Shoulder

While the actual cause of a frozen shoulder is unknown, it may be related to overuse injury. It can also happen in the elderly when the movement is decreased. For instance, a person who may suffer from a stroke or have been operated around the shoulder joint can develop frozen shoulder.

Frozen Shoulder Symptoms

The main symptoms of frozen shoulder are pain and stiffness which makes it difficult to move the shoulder. A person will typically go through three phases of frozen shoulder.

Freezing Stage

  • You experience pain anytime you move the shoulder
  • This can last anywhere between 6 to 9 months
  • It gets worse with time
  • You have limited movement in your shoulder

Frozen Stage

  • While the pain gets better, the stiffness gets worse
  • This stage can last from 4 to 12 months
  • It can become hard to get through activities of everyday life

Thawing Stage

  • The range of motion is back to normal
  • It can take anywhere between 6 to 12 months

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

The health care nursing home makes sure the seniors can lead a comfortable and healthy life. While over the counter drugs can help relieve the pain, if the seniors are experiencing unbearable pain, the doctor can prescribe them a stronger medication.

Inspiration Hospice, help patients and family receive care and services when they need them the most.

With earlier referral to a home health program, patients may receive care that results in better management of symptoms, leading to stabilization of their condition and prolonged survival.

For more information, call (385) 955-4720 today!