A PAIN IN THE
Neck Shoulder
Shoulder problems are extremely common and can be very
distressing. Two of the most common problems are frozen
shoulder and calcium in the rotator cuff. Let’s take a closer
look at these two common conditions.
FROZEN SHOULDER
By Dr Terry Hammond | Orthopaedic Surgeon
rozen shoulder occurs when the lining of the shoulder joint (the capsule) becomes inflamed and thickened; this
leads to marked pain and stiffness of the shoulder. The cause of frozen shoulder is unknown and it usually occurs
completely spontaneously. However, it is not uncommon for it to occur after a minor injury or after surgery. We often
F
find it in middle-aged women with no previous problem in the shoulder. It is particularly common in diabetics and having it
in one shoulder doesn’t mean you can’t get it in the other.
Often the pain is felt more in the upper arm than the shoulder itself and severe pain may occur with sudden movements such
as reaching out to catch a falling object. Unfortunately, sleep is almost always affected.
Amazingly enough, a frozen shoulder resolves completely in almost all cases. However it does generally take a very long
time – with the pain often lasting between six and eight months, with the stiffness improving over two years. Although the
total recovery is prolonged people generally feel much better when the pain disappears.
There are a number of important points to remember:-
1. There is no known cure. Unfortunately many patients simply need to wait until the shoulder improves by itself.
2. It can be a very distressing condition, given the pain caused by frozen shoulder is often felt most severely at night.
You will probably need to see your GP to be prescribed pain-killing medications. Anti-inflammatory medications
can be particularly helpful.
3. Most importantly, you must try to avoid stretching the shoulder – it will make it worse! This means you must not
have any stretching physiotherapy and you should avoid stretching the shoulder in your day-to-day life. Try to use
the shoulder only in the comfortable range of motion.
4. Injections of steroid into the shoulder can be very beneficial – they will not generally improve the range of motion
but will often relieve some of the pain. Patients usually require two injections initially. A second course of injections
can be done again in one to two months if desired.
5. Be very careful about information you may read on the internet – most of it is out-of-date or simply wrong.
28 Pindara Magazine ISSUE 14 | 2018