It has not yet been entirely researched why exactly a frozen shoulder occurs. This disease frequently develops in a highly dramatic way and cannot be stopped. Nevertheless a frozen shoulder quite often dissolves spontaneously.
The frozen shoulder is a disease of the joint capsule. In most cases the connective tissue of the joint capsule hardens and shrinks due to inflammations. As a consequence the mobility of the shoulder joint will be more and more restricted in a painful way in the course of time until the shoulder joint is finally almost completely adhered. Therefore the frozen shoulder can also be described as an adhering inflammation of a capsule.
The primary frozen shoulder can develop – for example – as consequence of an arthrosynovitis. Women in the age between 40 and 60 years often suffer from it, as the primary frozen shoulder can be caused by dyshormonism, a disordered blood-sugar level and lipopathy. The frozen shoulder “only” starts with a pain in the shoulder. The patient will prevent moving the concerned arm, which will – in addition to the inflammation – lead to a shrinkage of the joint capsule. The mobility of the shoulder joint is more and more restricted. The frozen shoulder progresses sporadically and can also spontaneously disappear. The development can take several years.
The secondary frozen shoulder can result from – for example – an inflammation or traumatic event (accident, fall). The immobilization respectively physical rest of the shoulder joint required for its healing may lead to shrinkage and adhering of the joint capsule.
What can you do if you suffer from a frozen shoulder?
As soon as the first symptoms of a frozen shoulder appear or upon diagnosis of this disease, therapeutic exercises which aim at maintaining the mobility are to be prescribed by all means. Do the exercises at home, for example: carry a filled bottle in the hand and swing the arm back and forth or circularly.
If the physiotherapy is no longer prescribed, it is important to continue doing these exercises at home.
Although the frozen shoulder is one of the diseases which are most difficult to be treated, considerable success is achieved by use of the AktiFlex® ShoulderTrainer.
If the frozen shoulder has not yet entirely lost its mobility, the probability to heal the disease by yourself – using the AktiFlex® ShoulderTrainer – is about 50%.
You may gradually succeed in remobilizing the shoulder joint. The rotator scale – attached to every “ShoulderTrainer“ (bracket to cure the shoulder) - helps to visualize and measure each minor success. You will be motivated to the utmost by recognizing that the shoulder mobility has improved by 0,5 cm.
If a minor basic mobility is still available, it is worth trying the “ShoulderTrainer“.