What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition where a shoulder becomes painful and stiff. Shoulder and arm movements become restricted, sometimes completely 'frozen'. A frozen shoulder occurs when there is thickening and swelling of the flexible tissue, or capsule, that surrounds your shoulder joint. This swelling is thought to be due to scar-like tissue forming in the shoulder capsule. Without treatment, symptoms usually go but this can take up to 2 years or more. Various treatments may ease the pain and improve the movement of the shoulder, but as it is one if the most painful of all orthopedic conditions, anti-inflammatory drug use is widespread and has its own negative side-effects.

Affecting between three to five percent of the population in the UK, and 10-20% of people with diabetes - perhaps begins to indicate it is related to problems with sugar metabolism !. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2003 Survey of Injuries and Illnesses, in Texas, while back injuries are the most frequently reported on-the-job injury, shoulder injuries (including frozen shoulder) kept people out of work the longest - 30 days compared to12 days for back injuries. 

What are the symptoms of frozen shoulder?
The typical symptoms are pain, stiffness, and limitation in the range of movement of a shoulder. The symptoms typically have three phases:

Phase one - the 'freezing', painful phase. This typically lasts 2-9 months. The first symptom is usually pain. Stiffness and limitation in movement then also gradually build up. The pain is typically worse at night and when you lie on the affected side.

Phase two - the 'frozen', stiff (or adhesive) phase. This typically lasts 4-12 months. Pain gradually eases but stiffness and limitation in movement remain and can get worse. All movements of the shoulder are affected. However, the movement most severely affected is usually rotation of the arm outwards. The muscles around the shoulder may waste a bit as they are not used.

Phase three - the 'thawing', recovery phase. This typically lasts between one and three years. The pain and stiffness gradually go and movement gradually returns to normal, or near normal.
What can help?

Arthritis, tendonitis, and torn rotator cuff can all contribute to it, but frozen shoulder essentially stems from inflammation in the joint which produces a sticking together of the normally loose parts of the joint capsule. Depending on the degree of severity, basic daily activiites, such as dressing and driving, become difficult or impossible.

There is great variation in the severity and length of symptoms. Untreated, on average the symptoms last 2-3 years in total before going. In some cases, it is much less than this. In a minority of cases, symptoms last for several years.

SCENAR therapy has proven effective in rapidly reducing – or completely eliminating – shoulder pain!

SCENAR treatment for shoulder pain utilises the intelligent and targeted electrical impulses of the device to stimulate C-fiber nerves directly over the shoulder joint. Successive signals are only transmitted after the device has recorded and analyzed the body's response to the previous signal – as expressed in the measurable electrical properties of the skin – and the following impulse is designed to enable maximum stimulation of the immune system healing functions within the shoulder.

This non-invasive biofeedback electrotherapy approach to shoulder pain management has proven effective for countless patients, with many reporting therapeutic benefits immediately.

Please note that the information provided in this website is for general use and not in any way intended to help you diagnose a medical condition. You should first seek a diagnosis from a doctor, and, if you decide to try Scenar therapy, work with your doctor in assessing the progress of the condition and the dosage of any drugs you may be taking.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING