Non-Invasive Treatment for Adhesive Capsulitis Not Helped by Physical
Therapy: A Case Study in Manipulative Medicine
Adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as “frozen shoulder,” is
a condition in which a person’s shoulder range of motion is
drastically limited, usually following immobilization for a variety of reasons.
It occurs more often in women than men and is more likely
to manifest itself in people with diabetes mellitus.
While there is no specific cause/etiology of adhesive capsulitis, it frequently follows
immobilization secondary to trauma, infection, or following
surgery, including radical mastectomy.
It most commonly affects people between the ages of 40-60 and typically has three stages: 1)
freezing, where the shoulder is typically injured or infected causing
an inflammatory response, and becomes immobilized, 2) frozen, in
which both active and passive shoulder range of motion is significantly reduced,
and 3) thawing, in which range of motion returns
to near normal or to a new normal.
The anatomy of the shoulder, which can accommodate
wide ranges of motion, makes it susceptible to injuries and, in turn,
may predispose to an aberrant/restrictive articulation.
When this capsule is injured or infected, the inflammatory
process that follows causes extra fibrous tissue to be laid down
around this capsule which eventually causes significant restrictions
in the glenohumeral joint.
Both active and passive range of motion are significantly reduced
because the capsule that holds the shoulder in place has become restricted.
Osteol Rheumatol Open J. 2020; 1(1): 37-39. doi: 10.17140/ORHOJ-1-111
