| I'm often asked in the clinic "What are the symptoms | | | | make the problem worse in some cases. Treating a |
| of frozen shoulder?" While this seems like a straight | | | | rotator cuff injury when the root cause of pain is due |
| forward question with seemingly black and white | | | | to a cervical (neck) disc impingement is a waste of |
| answers, the fact of the matter is that the answers | | | | time. This may seem obvious, but I see it happen all the |
| depend on what stage of frozen shoulder syndrome | | | | time when someone attempts to self-diagnose and |
| the person may be in. The best answer to that person | | | | treat their shoulder pain. "Yes" answers to the |
| may involve describing the general symptoms, then | | | | following questions about shoulder pain may indicate a |
| describing symptoms that are not associated with | | | | condition other than frozen shoulder. |
| frozen shoulder or may be indicative of a different or | | | | - Do you have radiating pain in to the forearm or |
| even more serious medical condition. It's safe to say, | | | | hand? |
| and may seem obvious, that the symptoms of frozen | | | | - Do you have tingling or numbness of the fingers |
| shoulder are painful shoulder movement and/or | | | | along with shoulder pain? |
| stiffness. Depending on the stage of frozen shoulder | | | | - Is your shoulder pain present when resting or not |
| (adhesive capsulitis) a person is in, there may be no | | | | moving your shoulder? |
| pain but increased stiffness and conversely, severe | | | | - After using your arm/shoulder such as when brushing |
| pain with range of motion but no limiting stiffness. | | | | your hair or putting on your belt, does the shoulder pain |
| Why Does This Matter? | | | | last for more than 30 minutes? |
| Early intervention in the case of any medical condition | | | | - Is there frank weakness with gripping or holding |
| decreases the likelihood of the development of more | | | | objects? |
| serious problems and may prevent long term | | | | "No" answers to the above regarding your shoulder |
| complications. Knowing and acting on this fact means | | | | pain and stiffness do not necessarily mean you have a |
| that the treatment must be specific to the diagnosis. | | | | frozen shoulder but can prevent unnecessary |
| Treating a frozen shoulder with rotator cuff exercises | | | | treatment where further diagnosis and alternate |
| alone will do little to resolve the condition and may | | | | intervention may be indicated. |