Frozen Shoulder

The shoulder joint is injured more often than any other because of its rather poor design. The top of the arm bone (humerus) sits quite shallowly in the shoulder socket, held there by a cuff of muscles.  If you overuse the joint by a repetitive movement, these supporting muscles can quite easily become strained.

When it's injured, the joint makes more fluid than usual to help protect it from further damage, making your shoulder feel stiff. Ignore this warning at your peril for if you carry on with whatever has caused the problem, the joint will gradually become stiffer until it seizes up altogether and you can hardly lift your arm. A 'frozen' shoulder is very painful  you won't be able to move it or lie on it, forcing you to stop using your arm so that the shoulder gets a change to recover.

Self-help for a frozen shoulder

Rest your arm completely for two days and take regular doses of painkillers every four hours.  Aspirin or ibuprofen will help reduce inflammation as well as relieve pain.  It is important to exercise the shoulder gently as soon as the pain has subsided to prevent stiffness setting in. A gentle swim is a good idea, or move the joint as fully as you can without straining or causing pain.  However if, after a few days, your should is still painful and shows no sign of improvement your doctor should be consulted and he may be able to help with an injection of steroids and local anaesthetic.  This will reduce the inflammation and ease the pain.

You may actually feel worse the day after the injection when the effect of the anaesthetic wears off, but it should then improve. Exercise the joint gently as soon as you can after it stops being painful to prevent stiffness setting in. Your GP may also be able to refer you for physiotherapy.

With the right care, most frozen shoulders should be back to normal within three months. If the problem keeps recurring your doctor may refer you for an x-ray or pass you on to a hospital consultant who may order an MRI scan to look at the soft tissues of the joint.