What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is a common type of periarthritis. The periarthritis usually refers to frozen shoulder. Because it is about 50 years old, it is also called "50 shoulders", and it is more common among middle-aged and elderly people.

Frozen shoulder

Frozen Shoulder Introduction

Frozen shoulder is a common type of periarthritis. The periarthritis usually refers to frozen shoulder. Because it is about 50 years old, it is also called "50 shoulders", and it is more common among middle-aged and elderly people.

Causes of Frozen Shoulder

The exact etiology is not clear at present, some people think it is an autoimmune disease, and some people think it is related to systemic metabolic disorders. Patients with shoulder trauma, stroke, hemiplegia, and other inactive shoulders often freeze shoulders for a long time. The disease is a multiple bursal lesion involving the glenohumeral joint capsule, subacromial or deltoid muscle, biceps brachii tendon bursal, and more. Early lesions were bursal congestion, edema, and exudation. Late synovial cavity adhesions and fibrosis. Initial pain affects shoulder movement, and the development of fibrosis and scars between the affected tissues further limits shoulder movement.

Frozen shoulder clinical manifestations

Generally, it can be divided into three phases: acute phase, chronic phase and recovery (remission) phase. Frozen shoulders are acute, pain is severe, and shoulder muscles are protected from spasms, resulting in limited shoulder movement. The acute phase usually lasts 2 to 3 weeks and then enters the chronic phase. However, most patients have no obvious acute phase, but have slow onset. Chronic pain is lighter than the acute phase, but the contracture is aggravated, and the shoulder joint is frozen, which makes it difficult to dress, comb, and even wipe the toilet paper. After months to 1 year, it gradually enters the recovery period, and inflammation and adhesion When the lesions are gradually absorbed, the pain gradually subsides, and the activity function gradually recovers. The course of the disease usually lasts 1 to 2 years.

Frozen shoulder treatment

Analgesia is mainly analgesic. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics, such as indomethacin, futalin, and fenbutide, has good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The elderly should pay attention to the dosage not to be too large and not suitable for long-term use, so as not to damage liver and kidney function. Muscle relaxants such as Fenalu, Chishu, and Clozaxazone can not only relieve muscle spasms, but also have analgesic effects. Hormones can be used to seal intra-articular or local tender points, and use triangle towels to lift the affected limbs to brake. Certain analgesic effect. After entering the chronic phase, you can do appropriate shoulder function exercises to prevent joint contractures from worsening. Take a bent position to sag the affected arm to do back-and-forth, left-right swing or circle movements. After the range of motion is improved, use both hands to climb the wall to pull Pull your shoulders up gradually. Physical therapy, acupuncture, massage manipulation, intra-articular injection (hormonal + lidocaine) and pressure expansion (glenohumeral) joint capsule, all have certain effects. After the pain is basically relieved, shoulder function training should be strengthened to actively restore shoulder movement. For a few people with severely limited shoulder movements, they can first loosen adhesions under anesthesia, and then perform shoulder functional exercises. Although the frozen shoulder has a tendency to heal itself, functional exercise should still be actively performed during the illness, otherwise the shoulder will still have a movement disorder of the shoulder joint although it is not painful.