If you feel with your hands you can notice that there is a joint at the point where the arm and the shoulder meet. The main bone of the arm is known as the humerus. The head of the humerus is joined with the shoulder blade or the acromion bone of the shoulder with the rotator cuff covering the head of the humerus bone…

There is a narrow gap between the rotator cuff and the acromion bone. Rotator cuff impingement may happen when the acromion bone rubs or impinges on the rotator cuff.

When the rotator cuff impingement happens it leads to a tear of the rotator cuff and the condition is named as the rotator cuff syndrome. The typical signs of rotator cuff impingement are pain while lifting the arm or moving the shoulder, pain in the shoulder while sleeping on the affected side, and pain while lifting objects.

Sports persons and middle aged are more prone to this condition. People engaged in vocation that involves the frequent use of the shoulders and lifting of the arms overhead also may cause rotator cuff impingement.

The treatment for rotator cuff impingement involves both surgical and non-surgical procedures. For minor cases ice-packs and sprays to give relief from pain are applied. Adequate rest and taking anti inflammatory injections or pills take care of the problem in the majority of the cases.

When non-surgical treatment doesn’t help it is suspected to be a severe case. Severe conditions of rotator cuff impingement are diagnosed with the help of MRI. Surgery is performed to correct the condition.

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Frozen shoulder pain can be caused by any number of conditions, including scar tissue, inflammation, shortening or thickening of the tendons in the shoulder capsule, tendonitis, or bursitis. An injury to the rotator cuff can also cause the symptoms of frozen shoulder because many injuries require a period of immobility which can cause stiffness…

Patients with chronic-inflammatory arthritis in the shoulder, diabetes, or have had some type of chest surgery are more prone to having a bout of frozen shoulder.

Frozen shoulder pain is often mimicked by other similar conditions such as arthritis in the shoulder which might cause pain, swelling, and stiffness, and rotator cuff injuries. The difference between frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries is that with frozen shoulder the patient’s range of motion is totally restricted, whereas with a rotator cuff injury, it is generally not restricted in all directions, only specific ones.

Treatment of frozen shoulder pain must be swift and aggressive. This is because, if left untreated, the condition may result in permanent paralysis of the shoulder joint. Treatment usually includes an injection of cortisone right into the capsule of the shoulder, anti-inflammatories taken orally, and physical therapy.

Most physical therapy for frozen shoulder pain includes deep-heat ultrasound treatments, stretching exercises, and strengthening exercises. The speed with which the frozen shoulder is treated will make all of the difference in how long the recovery period needs to be. Typically, recovery can take between several weeks and several months.

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Frozen shoulder is a condition that is caused by inflammation in the shoulder capsule, or joint. The capsule houses the ligaments and tendons that are used to attach the shoulder blade bone to the arm bone. Inflammation in this joint makes it difficult to move the arm…

While there is no known certain cause for frozen shoulder, there are other medical conditions that are thought to contribute to a persons chances of contracting it. These conditions include diabetes, hyperthyroidism, a history of open heart surgery and a history of shoulder injury.

Frozen shoulder has three phases. In the first phase the patient will have severe pain in the shoulder and arm which will cause them to not want to move it. This lack of movement leads to the second phase which is stiffness. As the inflammation subsides, the third phase sets in and range of motion gradually returns.

Frozen shoulder treatment is dependent on the severity of the condition and the phase that it is diagnosed in. For the most part, effective frozen shoulder treatment will come in the form of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), physical therapy, and steroid injections.

Physical therapy for frozen shoulder treatment is painful and must be done daily for it to be effective. Nerve blocks or steroid injections can help to ease the pain associated with physical therapy.

There are two extreme forms of frozen shoulder treatment that are both considered to be last resort treatments. They are both procedures that must be performed under anesthesia. The first one is a shoulder manipulation.

The patient’s arm is forcibly rotated to release any scar tissue. There is some danger of shoulder dislocation or muscle tearing with this option. The second one is a surgical procedure during which the tight ligaments are cut to relieve some of the stiffness in the shoulder. Scar tissue may also be removed at this point.

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Symptoms of frozen shoulder are pain, stiffness or loss of motion in the shoulder. This is caused by a thickening in the shoulder cavity around the shoulder joint. Many times frozen shoulder therapy can take care of the problem. Diabetics seem to be very susceptible to this problem…

Many times, if an injury occurs and the shoulder is immobilized for a length of time, frozen shoulder will be an end result. Pain is usually located in the outer shoulder area and/or upper arm. It is characterized by a dull pain or aching when the shoulder is moved. Pain is sometimes present when the shoulder is immobilized. Restricted motion or stiffness can occur.

There are three stages of frozen shoulder.

• Freezing stage – The pain comes on slowly. As the pain increases, motion is lost.
• Frozen stage – There is some improvement to the pain, but the stiffness remains.
• Thawing stage – The motion returns slowly.

X-Rays or MRI’s are generally used to diagnose the problem. Sometimes frozen shoulder will get better on its own. Anti-inflammatories can be used to lessen the pain if frozen shoulder therapy is indicated. Frozen shoulder therapy usually includes range of motion exercises that stretch the affected area. Heat can also be used as therapy along with nerve blocks to block the pain during therapy.

When there is no improvement, surgery may be indicated. Surgery can be as simple as putting the patient under anesthesia and forcing the shoulder to move. In more intense cases, incisions may be required to help to stretch the shoulder. Physical therapy is part of the treatment after surgery. Recovery is usually six weeks to three months long.

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Rotator cuff shoulder injuries occur when the tissues, fibers, muscles, and bursa in the shoulder become damaged, torn or enflamed. There are several terms associated with rotator cuff shoulder injuries: ..

Bursitis – Inflammation or irritation of the bursa, the fluid filled sac that surrounds the tendons and muscles that make up the rotator cuff.

Tendonitis – Inflammation or irritation of the tendons in the rotator cuff.

Impingement – A condition in which a tendon becomes pinched and rubs against the bone in the shoulder blade, causing irritation and possible tearing.

Calcific Tendonitis – A buildup of calcium among the tendons. Otherwise known as bone spurs, calcific tendonitis can cause irritation and possible tearing of the tendons.

Torn Rotator Cuff – A tear to one of the tendons in the shoulder. This can be a very small tear, or a very large one that completely disconnects the tendon from the arm bone.

Causes of rotator cuff shoulder injuries include:

Age – The normal wear caused by everyday life can eventually weaken the muscles and tendons in the shoulder, easily allowing them to tear or become irritated.

Repetitive Motion – Any motion or activity that repeatedly causes you to lift your arms over your head will severely stress the rotator cuff.

Impingement can occur due to both repetitive motion and age. After the impingement has been present for a period of time, the rotator cuff begins to build up scar tissue and the tendons become weak and frayed and, as such, can easily be injured.

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The tendons and muscles in the shoulder are generally called the cuff. Their main purpose is to keep the arm in its joint, but they also help with rotation in the shoulder and the tendons connect the muscles to the bones. When the tendons are abused and injured or become damaged for any reason, sometimes the only option is rotator cuff surgery to make repairs…

Arthroscopy is the most common form of rotator cuff surgery. During this operation, a camera is inserted into very small incisions, allowing the surgeon to visibly assess the damage to the shoulder joint without making large incisions. These small incisions also allow the surgeon to do minor repairs such as removing bone spurs and damaged or scar tissue. They are a great benefit to the patient as the healing time for this type of surgery is minimal compared to conventional operations.

Muscle or tendon tears can be much more involved. Some surgeons will choose to try to repair them through the small incisions, but most will opt to make one larger incision. The surgeon will then use sutures to reattach the tendon to the bone, sometimes using anchors to ensure that the rotator cuff surgery is successful.

Signs of rotator cuff damage include weakness in the affected arm and/or pain when raising the arm over the head.

As with all surgeries, there is some risk involved with rotator cuff surgery. The most common complications are bleeding or infection at the incision site and nerve damage in the shoulder. Other, less common, risk factors include failure of the surgery to successfully repair the damage in the shoulder or relieve the symptoms, weakness in the shoulder or arm that was operated on, and stiffness of the shoulder.

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In the first stage, the ligaments that attach the shoulder bones to each other become inflamed, causing pain so severe that the patient often feels they cannot move their shoulder. The second stage is the one that the “frozen” refers to as the stiffness caused by the inflammation leads to a form of paralysis in the shoulder. Finally, the patient experiences some relief, sometimes referred to as thawing. This stage is usually gradual and leads to restored mobility in the shoulder joint…

Frozen shoulder can be indicated by many things, the most common of which are illnesses such as diabetes, thyroid disease, prior injuries to the shoulder muscle, or prior cardiac surgeries. It is important to note that this condition is not caused by these other conditions, only possibly related to them.

Treatments vary, depending on the severity of the patients’ pain. Mild pain may only require some physical therapy. More severe pain may require more extreme treatments such as pain blockers, steroid injections or medications. The worst case scenarios may require the physician to surgically manipulate the tendons to release the tension in the shoulder, thereby restoring the patient’s full range of motion.

Even with treatment, it may take up to one year for a patients shoulder to fully heal. Surgical patients may heal much faster, but only if they follow the prescribed physical therapy closely after their operation. Physical therapy may be combined with pain blockers after surgery to allow the patient to participate in the physical therapy more comfortably.

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