Frozen Shoulder in Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes, Stages, Exercises, and Treatment

Diabetes and Frozen Shoulder

Diabetic patients complain about jamming of the shoulder joint at some point in their lifetime. Long-standing diabetes is touted as a leading factor for this condition. It is five times more common among diabetic patients than non-diabetic patients.

It occurs in 10-30% of diabetic patients, especially among females in the age group of 40-60 years. Other predisposing conditions like injury, surgery and debilitating conditions like stroke may also cause frozen shoulders.

Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder in Diabetes

Frozen shoulder is a common condition in people with diabetes, characterized by stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. It often progresses slowly over time and can significantly impact daily activities.

Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder in Diabetes:

• Gradual onset of shoulder pain
• Increasing stiffness in the shoulder joint
• Difficulty with shoulder movements, especially reaching overhead or behind the back
• Pain that worsens at night, affecting sleep
• Limited range of motion in the shoulder
• Pain and stiffness that may persist for months or longer

These symptoms can vary in severity from person to person and may worsen with time if not managed appropriately. If you experience these symptoms, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan

Stages of Frozen Shoulder

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) classify this condition into three stages

• Freezing Stage:

It’s a very painful stage marked with restricted movement of the shoulders. It lasts for a few weeks to months.

• Frozen Stage:

As the name suggests, the joint becomes frozen or stiff and mobility is completely lost. The pain lessens and happens only if you stretch your arm. It lasts 5-6 months, or maybe more.

• Thawing Stage:

The shoulder is recovering and regains mobility. The pain subsides but episodes can happen occasionally. Overall one can move his shoulder and perform all the activities which he/she is unable to do before. This lasts for months to many years.

Treatment For Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulders can be cured by a combination of curative and rehabilitative therapies. Once diagnosed, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, diclofenac, etc. are prescribed to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation of the joints.

Heat fomentation can also be given to get relief from the stiffness of joints. In severe cases, corticosteroids are injected into the inflamed area of the shoulder joint.

Alternatively, physiotherapy is also given to keep the joint in motion. In severe cases, surgery is performed on the joint capsule to loosen the stiff muscles and other associated tissues like ligaments, tendons, etc., to bring back mobility.

Home Remedies For Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder develops gradually which means intervention should start at the beginning of initial signs and symptoms. One should start by doing mild stretching and exercising the shoulder joint daily so that mobility doesn’t hamper. Exercises increase the blood flow thus reducing pain to some extent.

Frozen Shoulder Diabetes Exercises

• Periarthritis shoulder exercises like stretching ease the feeling of discomfort and prevent the progression of this condition in mild to moderate cases.
• Some yoga asanas like reverse prayer pose, cobra pose, bow pose can be added to your daily routine to strengthen the back and shoulder muscles.
• All the exercises should be performed under the expert guidance of a physiotherapist without overstretching the joint.

What Not To Do If You Have a Frozen Shoulder?

• DO NOT keep the affected arm rested for a long time. Controlled and limited movements of the joints should be encouraged to keep the blood supply and motion intact.
• DO NOT lift the heavyweights in a sudden motion. This may lead to severe injury in the shoulder capsule leading to periarthritis.
• DO NOT sleep on the sore side, if you are diagnosed with a frozen shoulder. This can injure the supporting structures and can worsen the pain.
• DO NOT miss your physiotherapy sessions even if you are in pain. The chances are you want to keep resting your affected arm to prevent pain but this can add up to your woes by making the arm joint more rigid and achy.
• Control your blood sugar levels as the severity of adhesive capsulitis is directly linked to the amount of blood sugar level in your system.

Let’s face it—diabetes comes with a ton of questions. Whether it’s dealing with dry mouth or unexplained weight loss, here’s everything you need to know about symptoms and how to manage them more effectively.