Frozen Shoulder
Did you know that office workers who sit a lot have more problems with getting a frozen shoulder than people who have a physical job. The connection is probably due to the reduced shoulder movement- this might be a case of: use it or lose it?
Frozen shoulder is also more prevalent in people who have diabetes type 2 or pre-diabetes. We believe the connection could be related to the high insulin level in diabetics and pre-diabetics and the chronic inflammation that accompanies this.
A frozen shoulder is often also called “capsulitis”. The main joint affected is the humeroscapular joint. That is the main joint of your arm combining the upper arm bone and the shoulder blade.
Capsulitis is characterised by painful, gradual loss of active and passive shoulder motion resulting from fibrosis and contracture of the joint capsule.
A frozen shoulder usually goes through three main stages.
The first stage is the beginning of the gradual decline of movement and range of motion in the shoulder joint. It starts to be painful and you notice that you are having more difficulty washing or brushing your hair or moves like pulling your wallet from your back pocket or even reaching for something in the top shelf. The pain often starts as a sudden jolt and gradually getting worse, at some stage you will feel it at rest, especially at night.
In the second stage your shoulder is totally frozen. The pain can be less severe but the movement is totally restricted, even simple circulating moves of the shoulder are not possible anymore.
| Try this quick self-assessment test: While standing, rest your elbow against the side of your body and bend your lower arm forward, now try and move your hand outward away from your body but keep your elbow in contact with your body at the same time. Is this movement difficult or impossible? Your shoulder problems are probably due to a frozen shoulder.
During the third stage the shoulder comes slowly back to life. Gradually the stiffness and restrictions melt and the pain reduces. In most cases he person will regain full shoulder movement again.
Why a shoulder suddenly freezes is not known, but there are theories on that. It probably has to do with several factors such as an overall inflammation in the body, high insulin levels, not enough movement for the muscles and ligaments, they don’t get stretched and pulled often enough basically. Not enough nutrients (minerals, vitamins) from our modern, industrialised way of eating.
On a good note: A frozen shoulder is often a self-limiting condition, meaning it will at some point resolve itself without permanent damage. It can however take 12-18 months or sometimes longer to resolve.
To help you recover or reduce your risk, try to change your diet to a whole foods based way of eating with animal foods and plants from natural sources, un-processed. Avoid sugar and grains. Add anti-inflammatory spices to your meals such as turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, curry, chilli and so on.
Do gentle stretching exercises and movements for the shoulder. Apply heat or ice to help you do your exercises better. Try not to use the computer and mouse too much.
Swimming or under water exercises might help. Have regular massage appointments to get the muscles stretched, pulled, trigger points removed and all the tissue flooded with blood.
Let us know if you have found some other options that have helped you if you had a frozen shoulder in the past.