| There are quite a few shoulder problems that can | | | | further narrowing of the space between the arm head |
| occur in any individual life time. Apart from injuries | | | | and the shoulder socket, leading to an ever increasing |
| arising from accidents or traumas such as shoulder | | | | wear, tear and inflammation that painfully show itself |
| dislocations or rotator cuff tears, the most common | | | | with a pinching, catching feeling. Thus the name |
| problems faced by people affected by a shoulder | | | | Impingement Syndrome. |
| condition are describable in two groups. On one hand | | | | Impingement, Bursitis and Tendonitis are different |
| there is the Impingement Syndrome with Shoulder | | | | aspects of the same problem and can take months to |
| Bursitis and Tendonitis, on the other the Frozen | | | | cure. Movements, though painful, are possible. |
| Shoulder, also known as Adhesive Capsulitis. | | | | On the other hand a Frozen Shoulder is caused by a |
| Let's start with the first group. When we move an arm, | | | | thickening and scarring of a membrane protecting the |
| the rotator cuff tendons keep it into place by attaching | | | | rotator cuff, like a capsule. These scars are called |
| themselves to the humeral head on one side and the | | | | adhesions, thus the medical term Adhesive Capsulitis. |
| shoulder blade on the other. During the movement they | | | | These are different from the Bursitis/Tendonitis |
| slide effortlessly against a sack called bursa that | | | | inflammations, and can completely jam the rotator cuff |
| prevents them from rubbing against the bones causing | | | | like a stick or a stone thrown into a mechanism, limiting |
| wear and tear. Normally this happens without a | | | | the range of motion, especially overhead. Typically a |
| problem, but due to over use in high demanding jobs or | | | | frozen shoulder develops in 3 phases: a freezing |
| sports, or because the person affected has a narrow | | | | phase lasting 1 to 3 months, when the pain is greatest, |
| space between the humeral head and the shoulder | | | | similarly to bursitis/tendonitis, but the range of motion is |
| socket, inflammation can take place. | | | | still possible. A frozen phase, lasting up to 6 months, |
| Inflammation of the bursa is called Bursitis, and | | | | when the pain subsides but the arm is severely limited |
| because of the proximity to the rotator cuff tendons, | | | | in all mundane movements such as combing air or |
| this in turn can lead to Tendonitis. Basically the Bursitis | | | | reaching for a cupboard. Finally a thawing phase, |
| and Tendonitis indicate the same kind of inflammation | | | | lasting up to 1 year, when the adhesions gradually |
| in two bordering areas. Once they take hold, they lead | | | | break down and motion is gradually restored. |
| to a self exacerbating spiral of inflammation and | | | | |