Treatment of Frozen Shoulder
Most frozen shoulder treatment involves controlling shoulder pain and preserving as much range of motion in the shoulder as possible.
Medications
Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), can help reduce pain and inflammation associated with frozen shoulder.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe stronger pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Therapy
- A physical therapist can teach you range-of-motion exercises to help recover as much mobility in your shoulder as possible.
- Regular ‘pendulum’ exercises of the arm to prevent the capsule from over-tightening.
- Mobilizing and strengthening exercises are the sole treatment in the painless ‘frozen’ stage.
Surgical and other procedures
Most frozen shoulders get better on their own within 12 to 18 months. For persistent symptoms, your doctor may suggest:
- Steroid injections- Injecting corticosteroids into your shoulder joint may help decrease pain and improve shoulder mobility, especially in the early stages of the process.
- Joint distension- Injecting sterile water into the joint capsule can help stretch the tissue and make it easier to move the joint.
- Shoulder manipulation- In this procedure, you receive a general anesthetic, so you’ll be unconscious and feel no pain. Then the doctor moves your shoulder joint in different directions, to help loosen the tightened tissue.
- Surgery- Surgery for frozen shoulder is rare, but if nothing else has helped, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove scar tissue and adhesions from inside your shoulder joint. Doctors usually perform this surgery with lighted, tubular instruments inserted through small incisions around your joint (arthroscopically).[2][4]
Homeopathic Treatment of Frozen Shoulder
Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis.
which includes
- The medical history of the patient,
- Physical and mental constitution,
- Family history,
- Presenting symptoms,
- Underlying pathology,
- Possible causative factors etc.
A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions.
What Homoeopathic doctors do?
A homeopathy doctor tries to treat more than just the presenting symptoms. The focus is usually on what caused the disease condition? Why ‘this patient’ is sick ‘this way’?.
The disease diagnosis is important but in homeopathy, the cause of disease not just probed to the level of bacteria and viruses. Other factors like mental, emotional and physical stress that could predispose a person to illness also looked for. No a days, even modern medicine also considers a large number of diseases as psychosomatic. The correct homeopathy remedy tries to correct this disease predisposition.
The focus is not on curing the disease but to cure the person who is sick, to restore the health. If a disease pathology not very advanced, homeopathy remedies do give a hope for cure but even in incurable cases, the quality of life can greatly improved with homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathic Medicines for Frozen Shoulder
The homeopathic remedies (medicines) given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the homeopathy treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed against each homeopathic remedy may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications also taken into account for selecting a remedy, potency and repetition of dose by Homeopathic doctor.
So, here we describe homeopathic medicine only for reference and education purpose. Do not take medicines without consulting registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or M.D. Homeopath).
Medicines:
Rhus Toxicodendron: Top Grade Medicine for Frozen Shoulder
- In general, Rhus tox is a wonderful medicine that can help to relieve long-standing cases of marked stiffness in the shoulder joint.
- The shoulder is too stiff to move.
- The stiffness of shoulder gets usually better by warmth application.
- It can also be helpful in cases where motion also massages tend to offer relief in the stiffness.
- Moreover, there is severe tearing, shooting pain at the top of the shoulder.
- Pains get worse especially during cold and wet weather.
- Pains become severe during the rest especially in night preventing the patient to fall asleep.
- Besides this, there is a constant feeling of pressure on shoulders like a heavyweight is placed upon them.
- Pains getting better by movement of the shoulder.
Sanguinaria Canadensis: For Right Sided Frozen Shoulder
- Sanguinaria Can is a great remedy which shows an affinity towards the pains occurring in the right shoulder.
- Pains are present in the top of right shoulder.
- Pains usually get worse during the night also while attempting to turn in bed.
- The patient feels great difficulty to raise the arm on account of distressing pains.
- Right shoulder is affected.
- There is nightly aggravation of the pain.
- Difficulty in raising the arm.
Ferrum Metallicum: For Left Sided Frozen Shoulder
- Ferrum met is an amazing remedy for treating a complaint of left-sided frozen shoulder.
- There is a pain in the left shoulder which is constantly present. Pain is of drawing, shooting, tearing also laming character.
- Pains are usually shooting downward and travel down the arm also patient may feel it impossible to raise the arm.
- In detail, the person requiring this remedy feels extreme heaviness in the shoulder joint.
- Slow movement of the shoulder gradually improves the condition. Warmth can be given to relieve the pains.
- All in all; Pain gets aggravated in bed; the patient has to get up and move about slowly to get some relief.
Bryonia Alba: For Pains getting Worse from Least Motion
- Bryonia is an excellent remedy in cases where the pain in the shoulder gets worse especially from least motion.
- Pains are sharp and tearing in character which usually gets worse upon touch also by pressure.
- Relief of the pains takes place after the patient has complete rest.
- Application of the warmth can also be helpful in relieving the pains in the shoulder.
- There is painful pressure on the top of the shoulder. Stiffness is present in the shoulder joints.
Causticum: For Pains in Morning
- Generally, Causticum is a good remedy in treating the cases of frozen shoulder where pains in the shoulder are worse in the morning.
- The patient may experience great discomfort and difficulty in moving the shoulder.
- There is a constant feeling of pressure and heaviness on shoulders.
- Pain which is dull, aching in character is present in the shoulder usually getting worse on motion.
Phytolacca: For Right Sided Frozen Shoulder
- Phytolacca can be given in cases of frozen shoulder where the pain is present in the right shoulder.
- Pains in the shoulder also arms feel like electric shocks.
- Pains are shooting in character also travel from one part to the other.
- Pains usually worsen during the night and in damp weather.
- Patient experiences stiffness in the shoulder that usually makes him unable to raise the arm.
Ledum Palustre: For Pains on Raising the Arm
- Ledum Pal suits well in the cases where the patient experiences severe pain in the shoulder while raising the arm.
- The pains are stitching and throbbing in nature.
- There is pain and pressure in both the shoulder joints which gets worse from motion.
Calcarea Phosphorica: For Pains getting Worse During Change of Weather
- Calcarea Phos can be given without a doubt in cases of frozen shoulder where pain gets worse from any change of weather.
- There is pain and stiffness in shoulders and shoulder-blades.
- Pains are dull, sore aching, bruised type in the shoulder and down the arm.
- Pains start from left then travel to the right and can travel downward to the arm as well.
Rhododendron: For Shoulder Pains Worse during a Thunderstorm
- Rhododendron can be of extreme help in cases where there is marked pain in shoulder also gets during a thunderstorm.
- In addition, The patient usually feels pains which get worse while lying upon it and getting relieved by turning to the other side.
- Lastly, Violent, tearing also boring type of pains occur in the shoulder which can worsen from motion.
Guaiacum Officinale: For Marked Stiffness
- Guaiacum can act wonders in cases where there is immovable stiffness of the joints taking place.
- There is a sharp stitching type of pains in the top of the shoulder.
- Pains are of drawing and lacerating nature which can travel down the arm.
Syphilinum: Where Pains get Worse especially on Raising the Arms
- Syphilinum acts well on the patients of frozen shoulder well where the pain in the shoulder worsens on raising the arm.
- The patient is able to raise the arm only up to the level of the shoulder with difficulty. [7]
