Frozen Shoulder Syndrome - Can Chiropractic Help?

​​Although many people think chiropractic is just a treatment for sore backs, Dr. Wolff wants you to know that chiropractic can help a myriad of conditions.

For example, a 53 year old woman reported complete relief from a condition known as frozen shoulder syndrome (FSS) following a course of chiropractic treatments. The adjustments concentrated on manipulating the frozen shoulder joint and the area at the base of the neck. Chiropractic worked where other treatments had failed, including physical therapy and medications.
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FSS is a painful and debilitating condition of the shoulder where arm movement is extremely limited. Even slight movements can cause a great deal of pain. Frozen shoulder syndrome affects more women than men, and can also mimic conditions such as cervical radiculitis, rotator cuff strain and bursitis or tendonitis. With FSS, there will be inflammation and scar tissue formation of the joint capsule.
​The cause of FSS is not clear. The onset of shoulder pain is usually without any obvious physical cause. The pain related to this stage gets worse over time, creating progressive limitation to the shoulder’s range of motion. The shoulder can be classified as frozen once it has reached its maximum restricted movement pattern. Constant pain may have subsided. Yet pain may be felt whenever movement is attempted past the restricted range of motion. Typically, a person experiencing FSS will be unable to reach behind his/her back and will be unable to bring the arm above the height of the shoulder.​

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​The Role of Chiropractic for FSS

Since nerves supplying the shoulder joint and surrounding tissues originate in the neck, it is always advisable to have your chiropractor assess your neck for vertebral subluxations if you are suffering from this, or any other painful shoulder condition. Restoring proper movement in the spine can help assist proper nerve function in the shoulder area.

​Dr. Wolff can also show you recommended forms of exercise and stretching to complement chiropractic adjustments. FSS may take a long time to heal, but any improvement represents a significant enhancement to the person’s quality of life. If you or anyone you know may be suffering from frozen shoulder syndrome or any other shoulder pain, please call our office at 281-587-0334.