Chiropractor Eases Frozen Shoulder Syndrome

Shoulder pain is a common symptom experienced by patients after a car accident or sports injury. But what about shoulder pain with a more insidious (gradual) onset?

Shoulder pain has a number of potential causes, including tendinitis, bursitis, tendon tears, arthritis, and impingement of the rotator cuff tendons and bursa. One overlooked cause of shoulder pain in middle-aged and older adults is frozen shoulder syndrome.

It's estimated the frozen shoulder syndrome (FSS) occurs in 2-5% of the general population. However the prevalence of FSS is higher among patients with diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, thyroid disease, and stroke. Some estimates suggest that up to 40% of patients with diabetes are affected by FSS.

Medical treatment for FSS consists of stretching and injections of corticosteroids, however many patients report experiencing ongoing symptoms even after treatment.

Salem chiropractor Dr. Michels offers effective relief of shoulder-related issues, including frozen shoulder syndrome. New research suggests that chiropractic care can offer non-invasive, drug-free relief of frozen shoulder syndrome. Researchers studied 50 patients between the ages of 40-70 years who were diagnosed with FSS. Chiropractors treated the patients with chiropractic neck adjustments.

One month of treatment led to significant improvements in pain and shoulder adduction for the majority of patients. The average patient experienced a 78% improvement in pain. Overall, 98% of patients had significant improvements in shoulder adduction; 16 patients had regained normal shoulder adduction; 25 had a 75-90% improvement in shoulder adduction; and 8 had a 50-75% improvement in shoulder adduction.

Although more research is needed to confirm the findings from this case study, the results offer promising potential for patients looking for a natural, lasting way to ease frozen shoulder syndrome.

Salem chiropractor Dr. Michels uses soft tissue therapies and chiropractic adjustments to correct underlying dysfunctions in the spine, tendons, ligaments, or muscles. This will help eases shoulder pain and prevent it from recurring or becoming a chronic concern. Dr. Michels also use active rehabilitation and exercise therapy to help you regain strength and mobility in your shoulder. These treatments have proven to be successful for hundreds of former patients with shoulder pain in Salem, OR.

 

Reference

Murphy F. Chiropractic management of frozen shoulder syndrome using a novel technique: a retrospective case series of 50 patients. Journal of Chiropractic 2012; 11: 267-72.