What is frozen shoulder?

  ”Frozen shoulder is one of the more common diseases among the general public, and any pain and limitation of movement in the shoulder joint area is blamed on “frozen shoulder”. Since there are many diseases that cause shoulder pain and restricted movement, some diseases can be treated well with conservative treatment, while others require surgery, the term “frozen shoulder” is too general and confusing in the process of diagnosis and treatment, so this term has been abandoned in the specialty of shoulder surgery. This term has been abandoned in the specialty of shoulder surgery.  The true meaning of “frozen shoulder” is known as “frozen shoulder” in medical terms. Frozen shoulder is a self-limiting disease of unknown etiology that occurs between the ages of 40 and 50. The cause is not well understood, but some studies have shown that it is associated with autoimmune diseases and infections, and a history of diabetes is also a risk factor. Its pathology is characterized by severe adhesions of the joint capsule within the shoulder joint. The symptoms are progressive limitation of shoulder movement without cause, especially limitation of external rotation, and pain in the shoulder joint, which can affect sleep in severe cases.  The pain and limitation of motion peak 3-6 months after the onset of the disease, after which the symptoms gradually resolve. Sometimes the onset of symptoms in one shoulder joint may be followed by an attack in the other shoulder joint some time later. The diagnosis of frozen shoulder is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that all diseases that may cause shoulder pain and limited movement, such as rotator cuff injury, post-traumatic adhesions, and osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, need to be excluded before a conclusion can be made.  Due to its self-limiting course, the treatment of most frozen shoulders does not require surgery, but strict and active functional exercises must be performed under the guidance of a physician. The goal is to maintain a certain degree of shoulder mobility during the period of restricted shoulder movement, so that normal shoulder movement can be maintained even after the joint adhesions recover on their own. For a small number of patients who cannot relieve themselves, surgical treatment is required. With the development of arthroscopic surgery in recent years, we can perform arthroscopic release of the joint capsule, and supplement it with pushing and releasing under anesthesia, which can obtain satisfactory results.  Functional exercises for the treatment of frozen shoulder include 4 simple movements: anterior flexion supination, external rotation, internal retraction and internal rotation.