What Is a "Frozen" Shoulder and What Can Be Done About It?

QUESTION: I am confused by the term "frozen" shoulder. Can it be a serious
problem, or is there help available? The patient in question is an older man,
but he is far too young to put up with this problem, that is affecting his
daily existence. Please give us some help.
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ANSWER: You've heard the phrase "use it or lose it"? That is what a frozen
shoulder is most often all about. Any joint can stiffen or freeze up if it is
not used for long periods of time. A frozen shoulder sometimes occurs after a
persistent shoulder problem, either arthritis, tendinitis, or trauma to the
joint. It has also been known to occur after a heart attack when the patient
has been bedridden for a time. Essentially, any long period of immobility of
the shoulder joint can lead to calcification in the soft tissues that form
part of the joint, a narrowing of the joint space, and/or osteoporosis of the
bones.
In some cases, the patient will slowly recover function in the frozen
shoulder without treatment as the stiffness diminishes with time. This is
most probably due to the gradually increasing use of the shoulder as pain
diminishes and the needs of daily living require some motion of the joint. In
other cases, corticosteroid drugs will reduce the inflammation so that an
exercise program can be started. To prevent a frozen shoulder, most
physicians will prescribe exercises as part of the treatment for shoulder
injury. Exercise also forms an important part of any rehabilitation treatment
that seeks to return both strength an mobility to this joint.