What Is A Frozen Shoulder?

What is a frozen shoulder? Frozen shoulder is a medical condition that is also referred to as “adhesive capsulitis.” As the medical term suggests, frozen shoulder involves sticking in the shoulder joint, causing stiffness and pain. It is well known for its ability to suddenly appear, and then disappear just as fast, although it can also develop gradually and recede gradually. Left to its own devices, frozen shoulder will, most often, improve on its own with little medical intervention.

When asked to answer the question, “What is a frozen shoulder?” many people often refer to it as a form of arthritis. This is not true. While the stiffness and joint pain may mimic arthritis, they are two very different conditions…

Inflammation in the shoulder joint causes the tissues in the joint to stick together. There is a bursa sac, or capsule, that surrounds the shoulder joint. When the tissues in the shoulder joint become enflamed, the bursa sac fills up with this sticky fluid. The fluid in the sac will make it very difficult for the patient to lift their arm above their head.

This problem can be compounded if the bursa sac begins to stick to the arm bone. If this happens, proper rotation of the arm will become very difficult. When you combine this with the overall stickiness in the enflamed joint, and the sensation is that of the shoulder being frozen, as the patient is unable to achieve any degree of functional movement.

So, the answer to the question, “What is a frozen shoulder?” is a very simple one. It is exactly what it sounds like it is. The patient finds their in a frozen state.

While the condition is temporary, it may take many weeks, or even months, for it to correct itself. Generally, if the condition came on gradually, it will most likely go away gradually. Likewise, if it appeared suddenly, it may just simply be gone one day.

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