[고양신문] Frozen shoulder is a name given because it occurs frequently in people around the age of 50, and is also called frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis. Recently, despite the young age, it is often caused by various stresses and lack of exercise.
The frozen shoulder gradually stiffens due to degenerative changes in the shoulder joint and the joint capsule surrounding the joint, causing pain and joint movement to be gradually restricted. The cause of frozen shoulder is not clearly known, but the most likely causes include insufficient blood circulation, lack of exercise, inflammation due to ligament rupture, hormonal changes, and cold weather. People with diabetes may be more susceptible to the disease.
The typical symptoms of a frozen shoulder are: ▲The shoulder joint that was moving well is gradually stiffened and movement is restricted ▲Wakes up due to shoulder pain during sleep ▲Pain when lifting or leaning back ▲Pain improves and gets worse as it repeats aggravation ▲ Over time, pain may occur not only in the shoulder, but also in the back and arms. If two or more of these symptoms apply, accurate diagnosis, treatment, and treatment are required.
There is no known way to reliably prevent frozen shoulder, but it is possible to obtain some preventive effect by preventing exposure to risk factors in advance. If you avoid stress while performing appropriate stretching and disease management, and start treatment in advance when the initial symptoms appear, you will see a relatively good course.
Most of the treatment for frozen shoulder shows improvement with non-surgical treatment. The main treatment is exercise therapy, and if the pain is too severe prior to appropriate exercise therapy, it is recommended to first relieve the pain and start exercising through nerve block or injection into the joint cavity and joint capsule. Most of them improve with exercise therapy, but if the frozen shoulder has been affected for a long time or if the stiffness is severe, surgical treatment may be effective.
The most important part in the treatment of frozen shoulder is the restoration of the joint range of motion through passive joint exercise. It is best to refrain from excessive exercise in the initial stage that causes pain, and it is important not to think too hastily because pain control and rest are also part of the treatment. Even if it’s a little slow, it’s good to try to make sure you’re on the right path to healing.
Yang Hwa-yeol, director of the Joint Center at Ilsan 21st Century Hospital (orthopedic surgeon)
