Shoulder Conditions

Most everyday activities involve use of our arms and shoulders and in order to facilitate normal use, the shoulder joint is designed to be very flexible.

It is therefore very important that the muscles supporting the shoulder remain strong and flexible enough to prevent it from becoming inflamed and painful.

Shoulder problem causes:

• Injury (eg sport)
• Bad posture (eg falling asleep in front of the TV on the couch)
• Repetitive strain injury (RSI)
• Digestive problems - 70% of people with shoulder problems have digestive problems
• Misalignment elsewhere in the body, eventually seizing up the shoulder
• Organ imbalance

Myosteopractic include effective techniques to release shoulder tension caused by the above. Myosteopractic’s diverse range of techniques and whole body approach make for greater effectiveness, together with the appropriate exercise to speed up recovery.

Frozen Shoulder (also known as Adhesive Capsulitis)

What is it?

Adhesive Capsulitis can be an extremely painful condition in which the shoulder is completely or partially immobile. The condition often starts out of the blue, but may be triggered by a mild injury to the shoulder. The shoulder joint normally has a large range of movement. This is achieved by the presence of a shallow 'ball and socket' joint with extensive muscular support to maintain integrity. All joints in the body are surrounded by a synovial capsule. This structure produces and contains synovial fluid which aids lubrication and nutrition in the joint. To enable a large range of movement in the shoulder, the capsule must be lax with plenty of slack in it. When the arm is hanging by one's side the capsule bunches up into pleats under the joint. In frozen shoulder these pleats become inflamed and stick together causing pain and restricting the range of movement. Adhesions (bands of abnormal tissue or scar tissue) form between the pleats and lead to a persistent stiffness in the shoulder.

Signs and symptoms

Adhesive Capsulitis is often diagnosed clinically (ie without sending the patient for tests). It is often diagnosed when a patient is in the likely age range (40-70 years of age), complains of pain in the shoulder and is accompanied by the characteristic “stiffness feel” of the joint.

The condition usually goes through three phases: starting with pain, then stiffness and finally a stage of resolution as the pain eases and most of the movement returns. This process may take a long time, sometimes as long as two or more years.

• Stage One: Pain increases with movement and is often worse at night. There is a progressive loss of motion with increasing pain. This stage lasts approximately 2 to 9 months.
   
• Stage Two: Pain begins to diminish, however, the range of motion is now much more limited, as much as 50 percent less than in the other arm. This stage may last 4 to 12 months.
   
• Stage Three: The condition may begin to resolve. Most patients experience a gradual restoration of motion over the next 12 to 42 months

A sudden onset of frozen Shoulder may respond, in the early stages, to high doses of anti inflammatory medication (cortisone), either orally or injected into the joint. This frequently postpones the problem.

Myosteopractic employs highly functional bodywork techniques in this area. These will often focus on maintaining and improving the health and range of movement of the surrounding areas (the rest of the shoulder girdle, the neck and mid back).

Depending at what stage the shoulder is in, careful management is important. This can be achieved through skeletal, soft tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments) and myofascia releases, gentle stretches and exercises for the neck, rehabilitation exercises for the shoulder girdle and relaxation. This not only takes some pressure off the shoulder but will also improve the well-being and quality of the life of the person during recovery.