(Adhesive capsulitis, Periarthritis)

Frozen shoulder, medically referred to as adhesive capsulitis, is a disorder in which the shoulder capsule, the connective tissue surrounding the gleno-humeral joint of the shoulder, becomes inflamed and stiff, and grows together with abnormal bands of tissue, called adhesions, greatly restricting motion and causing chronic pain.

Movement of the shoulder is severely restricted. Pain is usually constant, worse at night, when the weather is colder. This condition can last from five months to three years or more and is thought in some cases to be caused by injury or trauma to the area. It is believed that it may have an autoimmune component, with the body attacking healthy tissue in the shoulder. The condition may also cause chronic inflammation. Adhesions grow between the joints and tissue, greatly restricting motion and causing a number of painful complications. There is also a lack of fluid in the joint, further restricting movement.

Frozen shoulder is characterized by pain and loss of motion or stiffness in the shoulder. It is also known as 50 shoulder in alternative medicine in Asia because its victims are usually people around the age of 50. It affects more women than man. The recovery is very slow.

ETIOLOGY of Frozen Shoulder

• Exact cause is unknown.
• There may be autoimmune etiology.
• History of trauma to joint may be present.
• Hyperthyroidism (excessive production of thyroid hormones).
• Diabetes.
• Heart/ circulatory diseases.
• A fracture or other arm injury.
• Shoulder injury/ surgery.
• Cervical disk disease.
• Degenerative arthritis.

CLINICAL FEATURES of Frozen Shoulder

Symptoms

• Onset: insidious.
• Pain in shoulder, upper arm.
• Severe aching pain.
• Restricted shoulder movement.
• Difficulty in routine activities, e.g. combing hairs, wearing shirts.

Signs

• Uniform impairment of all shoulder movements.
• Restricted flexion, extension, abduction, circumdiction.

INVESTIGATIONS

• X-Ray shoulder joint shows no abnormality.

DIAGNOSIS of Frozen Shoulder

• Clinicaly.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT of Frozen Shoulder

• Rest to joint during acute stage.
• Provide sling.
• Mild passive shoulder exercises.

Homeopathy Treatment for 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 are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc. A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. The medicines given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed against each medicine may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications are also taken into account for selecting a remedy. To study any of the following remedies in more detail, please visit our Materia Medica section. None of these medicines should be taken without professional advice.

Homeopathic Medicines for Frozen Shoulder

Calcarea phos.

Rheumatic pains in shoulder and arm, also with swelling of the diseased part and febrile heat. Ulcerative pain especially in roots of fingernails of the right hand, and in middle finger. Gouty nodosities. Soreness, torpor, and paralysis of the (left) arm.
Paralysis of the joints of the hand and of the fingers, especially in the thumbs, sometimes from a chill.
For persons anaemic and dark-complexioned, dark hair and eyes; thin spare subjects, instead of fat. Spine weak, disposed to curvatures, especially to the left; unable to support the body; neck weak, unable to support the head.

Ferrum met.

Shootings and tearings in the joint of the shoulder, and in the arm, or pullings or paralytic weakness, and heaviness. Cracking in the shoulder joint. Nightly tearing and stinging in the arms. Uneasiness in the arms. Swelling and desquamative of the skin of the hands. Cramps and numbness in the fingers.
Persons of sanguine temperament; pettish, quarrelsome, disputative, easily excited, least contradiction angers; >. from mental exertion. Irritability: slight noises like the crackling of paper drive him to despair. Women who are weak, delicate, chlorotic, yet have a fiery red face. Extreme paleness of the face, lips and mucous membranes which become red and flushed on the least pain, emotion or exertion. Worse in winter.

Ferrum phos.

Violent drawing, tearing pain right shoulder and upper arm, worse violent motion of the arm, better gentle motion, so that patient hardly kept it still at all, somewhat sensitive, deadness in the right hand. Acute rheumatism of right deltoid, unable to wear cloak. In right shoulder-joint acute rheumatism, red, swollen, very sensitive. Swelling of the elbow from a sprain. Rheumatism in the wrist. Wrists ache with the loss of power to grasp. Palms of hands hot, with children. Nodule on the dorsum of the left little finger. Contracted fingers from acute rheumatism.
Ferrum is used in the first stage of inflammation.

Rhus. tox

One of the best homeopathy medicines for acute stage of frozen shoulder. Swelling, stiffness, and paralysed sensations in joints, from sprains, over-lifting, or over-stretching. Lameness, stiffness, and pain on first moving after rest, or on getting up in the morning, better by constant motion. Trembling or sensation of trembling in limbs. The limbs on which he lies, especially arms, go to sleep. Rheumatic tension, drawing, tearing in limbs, during rest. Excessively cold hands and feet all day.
Adapted to persons of rheumatic diathesis; bad effects of getting wet, especially after being over-heated. Ailments: from spraining or straining a single part, muscle or tendon; over lifting, particularly damp ground; too much summer bathing in lake or river. affects the fibrous tissue, especially; the right side more than the left. Pains: as if sprained; as if a muscle or tendon was torn from its attachment; as if bones were scraped with a knife; worse after midnight and in wet, rainy weather; affected parts sore to touch. Lameness, stiffness and pain on first moving after rest, or on getting up in the morning >. by walking or continued motion. Great restlessness, anxiety, apprehension; cannot remain in bed, must change position often to obtain relief from pain.

Ruta g.

Wrenching pain in the shoulder joint, especially when permitting arms to hang down or when resting on them. Shocks in arms as if in bones. Dull tearings in bones of the arm and joints of the elbow. Pain as from contusion in joint of the elbow. Pain in forearms as well as in bones and joints of hands as if they had been beaten. Pressive and spasmodic drawing and tearing in forearms, hands, and fingers. Paralytic stiffness of wrist. Wrenching pain or shootings in wrists. Sensation as from a sprain and stiffness in the wrist. Bones of wrist and back of hand painful as if bruised when at rest and when moving. Pain in the wrist (as from a sprain) on lifting a weight. Numbness and tingling in hands after exertion. Spasmodic contraction of fingers. Swollen veins on hands, after eating. Warts, with sore pains, flat, smooth, on palms of hands.

Sanguinaria can.

Excellent medicine for frozen shoulder with rheumatic pain in right arm and shoulder (with frozen shoulder), worse at night in bed, cannot raise the arm, motion (turning in bed) much worse it. Pain in top of the right shoulder. Pain in right deltoid. R. arm hung helpless. Coldness in body and right arm. Burning of palms. Stiffness of finger-joints.