Shoulder pain and decreased mobility are common impairments for many of us. For some, a chronic history of these impairments may lead to a diagnosis of Adhesive Capsulitis, more commonly known as Frozen Shoulder. Many people have heard of this condition before, but aren’t always educated on exactly what it is and what they can do to treat the issue.
Adhesive capsulitis is a pathology where there is a chronic history of pain and joint stiffness of the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder complex that can lead to decreased shoulder range of motion, strength, and loss of ability to use that arm for activities. Some risk factors of this disease includes:
- Overuse of shoulder
- Prior shoulder injury
- Immobilizing shoulder such as with wearing a cast or splint
- Patients with diabetes and thyroid conditions
- Age: Patients that are 40-65 years of age are more prevalent
- Sex: Females are more at risk then men
Fortunately, this condition is a common one treated by health care professionals including physical therapists. A variety of treatment options available through physical therapy in the treatment of this condition include:
- Patient education to learn more about the pathology process and promoting modifications to everyday activities improve level of function
- Therapeutic exercise including range of motion exercises and stretching regimen
- Manual therapy techniques such as joint and soft tissue mobilizations
- Modalities such as electrical stimulation, laser treatment, and ultrasound to improve pain levels
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