56 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is an inflammation of the lining of the shoulder joint. It can be caused by a major or minor injury, or it possibly can result from the shoulder being immobilized for an extended period of time after surgery. “The lining gets thicker and thicker. It should be like an old, worn T-shirt, but it turns into a really thick sweater that limits your motion,” explained Michael Hoenig, M.D., who is with Carolina Orthopaedic & Neurosurgical Associates in the South Carolina Upstate. Dr. Hoenig said there are three distinct phases of frozen shoulder. During the freezing stage, the joint is irritated and inflamed, and range of motion becomes limited, followed by the frozen stage, where the shoulder is stiffer and more difficult to move. Finally, the thawing stage arrives, the pain starts to gradually diminish and the shoulder begins to become useful again. That, however, can take from a couple of months to a few years, Dr. Hoenig said, adding that, for most people, the condition eventually will subside. By Brian Sherman FROZEN STIFF: A PAINFUL CONDITION WITH AN OMINOUS NAME Orthopedic specialists can’t say for certain what causes a painful and lingering condition with the ominous appellation of frozen shoulder, but they agree that the nagging problem can take up to a year or more to go away and that there’s a decent chance it eventually will return.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1