The primary causes of the frozen shoulder include:

The tendons, ligaments, and bones forming your shoulder are clasped in the capsule of connective tissue. Frozen shoulder results from the thickening and tightening of this capsule, restricting the movements.

The actual cause is still unknown. But it is commonly found in people with diabetes or if the shoulder had been immobilized for a longer duration due to illness, injury, or surgery.

The significant risk factors of frozen shoulders include:

• Age and Sex: It generally tends to affect people 40 years of age and older, and it is more common in women.
• Immobility or reduced mobility: Individuals who had immobilized their shoulders for a longer duration are at much higher risk of developing this disorder. The stiffness may result from:
  • Broken arm
  • Rotator cuff injury
  • Recovery from surgery
  • Stroke

People with specific disease mentioned below tend to be at higher risk of developing frozen shoulder:

• Overactive Thyroid
• Underactive Thyroid
• Diabetes
• Tuberculosis
• Cardiovascular disease
• Parkinson's disease

If you have any of these diseases and notice any of the risk factors of frozen shoulder, consulting a doctor would help. You can consult with Dr Aditya Sai, one of the best doctors for frozen shoulders in Mumbai.

The pain and stiffness of the shoulder can remain up to three years if the frozen shoulder is not treated. The following techniques can speed up the overall recovery:

• Physical Therapy: It is the most common treatment procedure for a frozen shoulder. Physical therapy tends to stretch your shoulder joint, helps in regaining the immobility. Obtaining actual progress from physical therapy can take somewhere between a few weeks to 9 months. Exercise should be made a part of the daily routine, but make sure the activity is not rigorous.
• Medications: Your doctor may prescribe inflammatory medicines to reduce joint inflammation and pain. Steroid injection might also help.
• Home Care: An ice pack must be placed on your shoulder for 15 minutes, several times a day, to get relief from the pain. You can perform little exercises at home. You can follow your physical therapist's guidance on the type of exercise to be done and the duration of the exercise. Surgery also tends to improve the condition, so it can be kept as a second option.
• Surgery: If your condition doesn't show any improvement with physical therapy, you might opt for surgery. Surgery generally manipulates the shoulder to break any adhesions and give a full range of motion. Arthroscopic surgery is another option that uses a camera called an arthroscope. A small cut is made in the shoulder area during this surgery, and the scar tissues are removed. The shoulder regains its lost motion after this surgery. If your frozen shoulder results from an injury, the surgery must be performed within a few weeks to obtain maximum benefit.

The stitches of this surgery are generally removed after ten days and usually requires some postoperative physical therapy. It generally shows a high success rate, and the patients typically regain their full range of motion within three months. Some pain or stiffness might remain even after the surgery. Surgeries generally accompany risk, so you must consult your doctor before opting for it. If you are looking for the best doctor for frozen shoulders in Mumbai, you might consult Dr Aditya Sai.