Firstly let’s straighten out one thing; Frozen shoulder (or adhesive capsulitis) is pretty rare. However much of what gets swiftly diagnosed by your poor overworked GP is explained as “Frozen Shoulder”, as it’s easy for the patient to semi-understand

The problems I usually see in body-builders and athletes is associated more with referred pain into the shoulder from the neck or thoracics (mid back).

However, the shoulder is a complex and intricate bugger, and as osteopaths, we usually find multiple causes, as one problem gives rise to another. For example there can be three joint causes:

Gleno – humeral joint Acromio Clavicular joint Sternoclavicular joint.

Disorders in these joints may be mechanical (out of alignment) or any type of arthritis, particularly osteo-arthritis.

True Frozen Shoulder is not 100% understood, but it is thought to be caused by loss of resilience in the joint capsule. There is a uniform resistance of movement in all angles, and gradual or spontaneous onset. There is a general tendency toward spontaneous recovery in 12-18 months, but healing can be sped up by your local friendly osteopath.

Painful Arc Syndrome Or “Supraspinatus syndrome”. This causes pain during the mid-arc range of movement, with freedom from pain at the extremes of movement. There are five known causes of painful arc syndrome, which I won’t bore the reader with, but you know the main symptoms anyway!

Recurrent Dislocation This usually rears it’s ugly head with a dislocation, but will then dislocate at any given opportunity. Some patients respond well to strengthening exercises, but having been taught to be cautious, we usually refer to an orthopaedic consult.

Tenosynovitis of long head of bicep Now this I see a lot in my fellow iron pumpers. Usually called biceps tendonitis, it’s caused by frictional irritation of the tendon in it’s groove. Pain is usually in the front of the shoulder. I usually treat this with deep friction massage and ultrasound, which gives really good results. However, if prescribed by your doctor (ahem, cough) a course of Deca-durabolin will usually do the trick.

Referred pain Much shoulder pain is referred from the neck, or thoracics and makes it’s way across the shoulder and down the arm, mimicking shoulder pain. In short, as with most musuloskeletol pain, a visit to your osteopath will speed up your recovery no end, or at least put you on the right track. I haven’t been exhaustive in this article to avoid sleep inducement to the reader, but don’t ignore shoulder pain. At best it keeps you out the gym, at worse it stops you lifting pints at the local.

Hope you enjoyed this article!!!

Cheers!
Mick.

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Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Do not read this unless you are ready to gain some serious lean muscle…
Layman’s Guides to Steroids III (new)