What is Frozen Shoulder? Adhesive Capsulitis, AKA “Frozen Shoulder" is a condition described as stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. Some symptoms of Frozen Shoulder are gradual at first but then usually begin to get much worse within one to three years. The symptoms of Frozen Shoulder are most typically known to develop in three different stages:

• Freezing Stage When a patient is in the Freezing Stage, they are likely to experience shoulder pain and begin to notice a limited range of motion in the shoulder region.
• Frozen Stage The shoulder pain may begin to decrease during the frozen stage. Unfortunately, the shoulder will only become stiffer and complete loss of motion in the shoulder is highly likely.
• Thawing Stage After individualized chiropractic adjustments performed by Dr. Michael Joseph, the thawing stage can being. The range of motion in the shoulder will continue to increase and improve throughout each visit.

What causes Frozen Shoulder? The bones, ligaments and tendons that make up your shoulder are encased in a capsule made up of connective tissue. When this capsule thickens or tightens around the surrounding joints, it can restrict the movement. Though most Doctors are not exactly sure why this happens, it is known to happen more often to patients who have diabetes or people with immobilized shoulders after surgery or arm fractures. If you are recovering from a medical condition that happens to prevent you from moving your arm, you are at greater risk of getting Frozen Shoulder. Some common patients who experience Frozen Shoulder are patients who suffered a stroke or had a mastectomy.

How do you treat Frozen Shoulder? Dr. Michael Joseph of Neck, Back, Arm, Leg and Headache Pain Relief Clinic of Marin has many different techniques to treat patients suffering from Frozen Shoulder. These techniques depend on what stage of Frozen Shoulder you are in and the severity of the pain and stiffness you are suffering. At Neck, Back, Arm, Leg and Headache Pain Relief Clinic of Marin, we can recommend range of motion exercises to keep your shoulder joint mobile. It is important to keep the shoulder joint moving because not using your shoulder can make the pain and stiffness even worse. If you live in the San Rafael area, schedule a consultation with Dr. Michael Joseph today so we can help you on the road to recovery from Frozen Shoulder.