Frozen shoulder is the colloquial term for adhesive capsulitis.

What is Frozen Shoulder?
As the name implies, it is a condition affecting the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint, which is quite loose in order to accomodate the wide range of movement that your arms require. At rest, the necessary laxity manifests as an exta fold or pouch below the joint under the arm. The sides of this fold can become stuck together, no longer offering any reserve flexibility to the joint movement. This can exist as a stand-alone condition, but is often seen in conjunction with related issues such as injury, infection, immobility, diabetes, arterial disease or arthritic conditions.

Symptoms
The symptoms usually start with pain in and around the shoulder which may resolve, leaving stiffness on movement, especially preventing the arm being lifted above the head. This in itself does not easily distinguish it from a number of other conditions affecting the joint, ligaments or muscles nearby, and many more people are ‘diagnosed’ with Frozen Shoulder than actually have it. However, a trained manual therapist such as an osteopath should be able to distinguish between them by careful attention to case history and examination.

Recovery
It is not adviseable to treat prior to a clear diagnosis as the approach needs to be relevant to the individual condition, but in most cases there is significant improvement with appropriate treatment and exercise. The condition often self-resolves over a two year period, but suitable treatment can reduce recovery time to a fraction of that.

If you have been diagnosed with or you are in pain because of Frozen Shoulder ask your local osteopath if they can help. We are osteopaths in Ealing (telephone 020 8566 0767) and Uxbridge (01895 20050) – telephone either clinic to speak directly to myself, Jessica or Mathieu about your issue and the options available (I promise no obligation – click here to read more about what to expect on your first visit).

We frequently see patients who are convinced that they have a ‘trapped nerve’, but although the turn of phrase is highly descriptive, it is somewhat misleading.

On the face of it, it seems to make sense: it describes a feeling of sudden pain brought on by movement. It sometimes refers to low back or buttock pain, but perhaps more commonly to neck pain when turning the head.

The sensation occurs when a particular joint motion becomes impaired or difficult; under these circumstances, the body uses pain signals to inhibit movement and ensure that it is reduced to a more manageable speed or range. The nerves are working perfectly in the sense that they are telling you that there is a problem, but they are not the problem itself.

Osteopathy is a good choice of investigation and treatment for anything that feels like a trapped nerve because it strives to uncover the underlying cause that is producing the sensation. Treatment can then be specific and effective, rather than vague and hopeful.

There are exceptions, but often the catching sensation resolves as normal movement and activity are restored to the area in question. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment will also usually produce a more complete resolution than just waiting for it to recover; otherwise, the body simply gets used to the compromise and adapts to it, which may seem like recovery, but often results in recurring epsodes of similar discomfort. Over time, the accomodation can become more ingrained, and athough it is never too late to make a change for the better, the sooner the underlying problem is treated, the more complete the recovery is likely to be.

Can an osteopath help you? Bridge to Health are osteopaths in Ealing (020 8566 0767) and Uxbridge (01895 20050) – do telephone either clinic to speak directly to a fully qualified and registered osteopath. (click here to read more about what to expect on your first visit)