Thats frozen shoulder, or what doctors (less dramatically) call adhesive capsulitis.
Yet hardly anyone is talking about it.
Thats what Im struck by, Dr. Edwards says.
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Heres a primer on the signs of a deep freeze ahead, and what to do about it.
With frozen shoulder, this capsule first becomes inflamed and thickened, which leads to stiffness and pain.
Together, those conditions make it superhard to move your arm.
Usually, though, frozen shoulder just happens with no identifiable cause.
Who gets frozen shoulder?
And, as mentioned, women between the ages of 40 and 60 are particularly vulnerable.
Many experts suspect that the hormonal changes ofperimenopauseare at least part of the explanation, Dr. Edwards says.
We do have estrogen receptors in our joints, she points out, and estrogen has anti-inflammatory effects.
The problem is, not much research has been done on the subject.
Some other higher-risk groups include people withdiabetesorthyroid disease, Dr. Ode says.
Its not clear why, but researchers speculate that the inflammation because of those diseases might be one reason.
Jackson first noticed something was wrong with her right shoulder in early 2017, when she was 48.
Thats why you’re free to live with it for so long, Jackson says.
You think,Well, if I just dont do the things that hurt, then Im good.
As one does, Jackson went online, where she learned about frozen shoulder.
She decided it was time to see a doctor.
Edwards and Ode say.
The last resort is surgery, which basically aims to release the tight spaces in the joint capsule.
So many patients come in already wearing a sling they bought at the drugstore, Dr. Edwards says.
But by doing that, the shoulder only gets stiffer.
We do encourage patients to keep moving the joint.
And continuing to move ended up making a difference: Before long, she says, the thaw began.
So feel free to speak up if you suspect thats whats going on.
you’re free to bring it up, Dr. Ode says.
Could this be frozen shoulder?
How can we rule this out?
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