Frozen shoulder disease can spread over many years

Often, a "frozen shoulder" heals by itself, but the symptoms can last for years
The shoulder starts to ache and feels slowly numb - this can be evidence of a "frozen shoulder". The disease usually occurs only from the age of 50 on. Although a so-called "shoulder stiffness" often heals by itself, however, the recovery takes a long time and the disease is due to the lack of mobility and pain in the shoulder very uncomfortable. It often takes several months for the pain to pass. Much more time can pass before the shoulder can be completely moved again and its normal mobility regained. Sometimes this process takes several years, according to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care on its Patient Information Portal. Therapeutically, a relief of pain can be achieved, but the healing of the shoulder can not be accelerated so the IQWiG.

Bonding in the joints can cause the shoulder can no longer move and causes severe pain, said the experts of the IQWiG. The disease starts very slowly and is often not noticed at first. At the beginning sufferers only have slight pain. These will slowly become stronger over the next few months. Diseased people then have more and more problems moving their arms up or down. Sleep is disturbed and many everyday tasks are increasingly difficult for those affected. The stiffening of the arm can become so bad over time that the shoulder seems to be "frozen". It can then hardly move, this process is therefore referred to in English-speaking countries as a "frozen shoulder".

The discomfort of a frozen shoulder can last for years. (Image: Sebastian Kaulitzki / fotolia.com)

The three phases of "shoulder stiffness"
According to IQWiG, a typical frozen shoulder disease occurs in three phases. At first the shoulder starts to hurt easily. The pain increases with time and usually occurs at night. The reason for this is that the side position during the night increased shoulder and arm burden. For those affected, it is very uncomfortable to move the arm up or back. This process can extend over two to nine months. In the second phase, the shoulder then begins to "freeze". The movements become more and more painful and the mobility of the shoulder continues to decrease. The motionlessness or protection of the shoulder often causes the shoulder muscles to break down a bit. According to the IQWiG, this phase can last for four to twelve months. Finally, the third and last phase of the disease follows. The stiffness of the shoulder slowly decreases and the mobility returns slowly. However, it can take until the shoulder is fully mobile, again, take one to three years, the experts report. Also, a so-called "shoulder stiffness" could be different. In some cases there are only a few shoulder restraints after one to one and a half years. For other sufferers, recovery and complete healing take much longer.

Two to five percent of people suffer from a "frozen shoulder"
According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care two to five percent of the population at some point in their lives by the problem "frozen shoulder" affected. Women develop the disease a little more often than men. People with diabetes have a significantly increased risk of developing a frozen shoulder at some point in their lives. According to IQWiG, there is no exact explanation for this, but about ten to twenty percent of diabetics get "adhesive capsulitis" or "periarthritis", as the disease is referred to in professional circles. Normally a shoulder stiffens only once in a lifetime. In some cases, however, the second shoulder also falls ill within the next five years after the first illness and stiffens.

Treatment options for "frozen shoulder"
When stiffening the shoulder, a scar-like bond forms in the joint capsule. This causes the capsule tissue to thicken. Inflammation can play an important role here. The most important thing to completely cure such a disease is the time. However, there are several ways to at least alleviate the pain and improve mobility. Both heat and cold treatments can help llaut IQWiG to make the disease more bearable. Pain relievers that have an anti-inflammatory effect, such as ibuprofen are also sometimes helpful. Also, cortisone or distension arthrography (injections to stretch the joint) can be used to fight the symptoms and make life easier for the person. A "frozen shoulder" is rarely operated because the symptoms heal themselves with enough time. To improve the mobility, often physiotherapy and special stretching exercises are prescribed.

In the treatment of a frozen shoulder, naturopathy focuses on manual therapy, such as massages, chiropractic, rolfing and osteopathy, to relieve the symptoms. In addition, heat therapy in naturopathy is a classic in the treatment of joint pain. The heat can help to reduce the sensation of pain. In addition, the heat helps to stimulate the self-healing powers. A so-called "cryo-therapy" has a similar effect, so also the regular visit of "cold chambers" can help to reduce pain in the shoulder.