Dr. M Rajaram

Causes, symptoms and treatment of Frozen shoulder

Hello friends! I am doctor Shekhar Srivastav a senior orthopedic consultant at Sant Parmanand hospital in Delhi. Today we will discuss a very common topic that is frozen shoulder. It is commonly seen in general population, more commonly seen in middle aged persons. Though it is seen in almost all classes of people, but it is more commonly seen in people who have diabetes, thyroid problems or if they have any heart problem.
Sometimes it is also seen after trivial trauma. It usually happens because of the capsule which surrounds the shoulder joint, it becomes stiff and inelastic.

Gradually the patient starts having pain and it also reduces the movement of the shoulder joints. Initially the patient gets pain while moving the shoulder but then gradually he can also feel the pain during the rest period. Sometimes it even disturbs the sleep. The treatment includes usually exercises and medication. Now many a times we see patients going to quacks for treatment where they forcibly move the joint and this can lead to complications such as fractures or damage to muscles and ligaments inside the joints. So this should be totally avoided. The proper treatment would be to consult an orthopedic surgeon who will give you some medication and will also send you for some supervised physiotherapy.

Exercises to stretch the stiff capsules are very essential for treatment. It usually takes two to three months to get resolved. Sometimes the stiffness is too much and it may persist for months together. If it doesn't improve with medications and exercises in that case we go for surgery. The surgery in this case is not an open surgery but it’s a key hole surgery where we make small cuts like the size of a tip of a pen. So we make few cuts behind and infront of the shoulder and through these cuts we release the capsule all around the shoulder. So the patient gets his motion and pain also decreases. But this is reserved for only those patients who don’t improve with medications and exercises. The mainstay of the treatment remains medications and exercises.

So in frozen shoulders what I would like to suggest is you should take proper treatment, you shouldn't go to quacks which may cause more damage to your shoulder joint, but instead you should consult an orthopedic surgeon. For that you can visit Lybrate to find out the appropriate orthopedic surgeon for you. Thank You.

Sciatica is probably one of those things which is vaguely familiar but a person is not fully aware of it. The sciatic nerve is one which is part of the spine and then spreads out over the legs. When this nerve gets pinched, it leads to sciatica, or pain of the sciatic nerve, which is tremendous! But, then, what exactly is a person to do in order to reduce the pain caused on account of sciatica?

The best answer for this is not medication, though it does have its uses, but rather, exercises which help the situation improve and reduce the risk of the person going mad due to the pain! One of the simplest exercises that a person can start with is known quite commonly as the knee to shoulder exercise. All that one needs to do is to lie down on the back and then, raise one knee and pull it across the body, with hands wrapped around it, so that it touches the opposite shoulder. This position of the knee touching the shoulder is to be held for about half a minute. About 3 repetitions need to be done and the same with the other side.

While it is important in the effort to relieve pain due to sciatica, it is equally important not to push oneself beyond natural limits, especially initially as this can cause injury. After all, more pain is the last thing which a person with sciatica is likely to want!

Since it is important to keep in mind the fact that consistency is one of the key secrets to reducing the sciatic pain, it is worth keeping in mind the standing hamstring stretch. What this exercise can boast of is the fact that it is one which can be done nearly anywhere. Also, it is pretty simple, too!

To do the standing hamstring stretch, one leg needs to be kept on an elevated surface which is not as high as the level of the hip. It is important to keep in mind that the leg is to be kept straight. The torso needs to then be bent towards the elevated leg. This process should be done slowly and again, maintained for about half a minute.

The sitting pose is useful to remember, as well. Sitting on the floor, one leg’s ankle should rest on the other’s knee. Like the standing hamstring stretch, the upper torso is to be bent towards the extended leg. With all these exercises, relief is not far away!