Frozen Shoulder Part 2

by Baxter

Anatomical Studies of the Shoulder by Leonardo da Vinci

For those of you out there who might have missed Nina’s original post on frozen shoulder from a while back (see Yoga and Menopause: Frozen Shoulder), I’d highly recommend it. And while Nina rightly points out a correlation between menopause and adhesive capsulitis (that’s its fancy name), it turns out that men fall victim to this conditions as well. In fact, I developed a case of it in my left shoulder over the fall and early winter months of 2015-16!

Some interesting statistics on and features of frozen shoulder: 

• It usually affects those over 40 years of age, with the peak period being between 40-70 year of age. 
• 70% of cases are women and 30 percent are men. 
• The jury is still out on what causes frozen shoulder. Although there is a connection between menopausal changes in women and the development of frozen shoulder, the other leading contenders are that it is an inflammation problem, an autoimmune problem, or simply a stiffening of the joint capsule problem (a process called fibrosis). 
• Since it does not always show up in isolation, it can be accompanied by other causes of shoulder pain, such as bursitis or rotator cuff injuries, making diagnosis and treatment tricky. 
• According to the Mayo Clinic, you are at higher risk of getting it if you have diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, thyroid conditions, or a recent trauma that immobilizes your arm such a fracture or stroke.

When I started getting pain and limited range of motion in my left shoulder and arm last fall, I was not sure what was going on. It came on gradually and I did not have any of the risk factors I had read about, but I had tweaked my shoulder 15 years ago while climbing and had some chronic stiffness that my yoga usually worked out nicely. And then there were two events in September. First, I was swinging on a low trapeze bar for about two minutes, after which I noticed that my shoulder was not so happy with me. And, second, two weeks later I took a trip to an indoor sky-diving place, where a total of four minutes in the wind tunnel with the arms in bird-wing position made my shoulder even more unhappy. I recently came across research that connects direct or indirect trauma to the shoulder joint as a common cause of secondary frozen shoulder, which could explain my case.

When I finally got into to see the orthopedic specialist in late January of this year, initially I was offered a couple of steroid injections to cover both rotator cuff injury and frozen shoulder. At that point I asked for an MRI, since my physical exam could not confirm either diagnosis (it’s good to keep in mind that history and exam don’t always tell you what is going on for sure). And the MRI showed a healthy rotator cuff and definite frozen shoulder, so I only really needed one injection! That very same day, I got into to see an amazing physical therapist, who gave me a set of exercises to begin immediately. From a Yoga for Healthy Aging perspective, I was delighted to discover that some of the exercises were dynamic movements (similar to Arms Overhead Pose), done in sets of 10 repetitions, and others were static movements, held between 2-5 minutes. When I asked about the longer holds, my physical therapist mentioned that the joint capsule, made up of thick connective tissue, requires longer holds to loosen, similar to the timing we’ve discussed for stretching fascia here on the blog.

Now, I had read the studies that the average time for recovery of range of motion was 1-2 years and that really did not fit into my plans, so I asked the physical therapist if he had ever had a patient who recovered faster. He said, yes, one person who had actually taken his advice to do the physical therapist exercises hourly during the day had seen a rapid recovery in just a few weeks! (He pointed out that most patients only do them infrequently.) That was all the incentive I needed, and I started my practice immediately that day. After all, abhyasa (yogic practice) is not all that different (see Practice)!

One of the challenges of rehabbing frozen shoulder is that you actually have to move into far enough into stretch that it is painful. This is in contrast to physical therapy for rotator cuff injuries, where you would not go to the point of pain. I found that my ability to focus on my breath while holding painful stretches for 2-5 minutes was invaluable in staying the course without over triggering my sympathetic nervous system. And although I did not do them every hour, I often got 3-4 sessions in every day for the next few months. By April, my pain-free range of motion in that left shoulder was back to normal, and my physical therapist bid me farewell, with the important reminder to keep an eye on my right shoulder, as 25% of those with frozen shoulder will get a case of it showing up in the opposite shoulder in the 2 years that follow (Nina had this happen).

My takeaways:

1. If stiffness and pain persist in your shoulder, get it checked out by a specialist to get a solid diagnosis.
2. Try to see the best physical therapist you can in your community—it can make a difference.
3. Apply your yogic practice skills and your yoga tools to your rehab. (I was doing all the yoga poses I could do, although with left arm modified, along with my physical therapy exercises, and I believe it helped!).

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How A Dallas GA Chiropractor Alleviates Shoulder Pain Naturally

By Andreas Paschar

A chiropractic approach for shoulder pain requires an examination of the joints, tendons, muscles, and nerves to determine the cause for problem function. The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body subject to wear and tear with repetitive actions, calcification, nerve impingements, and injuries to the tendons or ligaments. A Dallas GA chiropractor can advise on the best possible methods for painful symptoms.

A professional approach is needed where painful symptoms are affecting normal movement for days and inflammation develops. A practitioner will have the means of advising on suitable management methods that will address sudden injuries and long term conditions requiring rehabilitation. The therapist can assist by detecting the underlying cause for symptoms and measures that will reduce limitations.

Long term recovery does not depend on the use of painkillers as it is a temporary aid with a multitude of side effects. The root cause for problems must be determined. Non-invasive methods are recommended to facilitate the natural relief of injuries at a tissue and joint level.

The joints can swell and become inflamed that requires sufficient rest and the use of a hot or cold pack. A chiropractic plan is commonly created based on muscle or tendon requirements with the purpose of reducing scar tissue. The exercises regimes and stretches must be advised by a practitioner or it could cause additional complications.

Misalignment of the joint will best respond to the performance of adjustment techniques. When the joint moves out of its original alignment, it will impinge the surrounding nerves and soft tissue causing pain and limited movement. The gentle thrusting motion performed by a therapist can realign the joint and alleviate the abnormal amount of strain on healthy nerves.

For those impacted by chronic disorders, an ongoing pain management plan is recommended. The chiropractor can determine individualized plans to address the cause for symptoms with safe and natural approaches. The purpose of chiropractic therapy is to correct musculoskeletal dysfunction through non-invasive methods and without the prescription of harsh medication.

About the Author:

Chiropractic care alleviates shoulder, arm and finger pain naturally and safely. Visit this website for more information about an experienced Dallas GA chiropractor at http://www.YourBackInLineNow.com now.

Arthritis of the Shoulder and Yoga

by Baxter

If you have been following our blog for any amount of time, you’ve become familiar with the wide variety of joints and areas of our boney spine that can be affected by osteoarthritis. From your hands to your toes, any movable joint is subject to this condition of wear and tear on the end surfaces of the bones and their slick, cushiony covering, the cartilage. The older we get, the more likely we are to develop osteoarthritis somewhere in our bodies, including the shoulder area. Seems the magic age is sometime after 50, but if you have sustained a traumatic injury to your shoulder or have the rarer form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you could develop the tell-tail symptoms of arthritis-pain, swelling and reduced movement at the shoulder.

I’ve worked with many students and patients over the years with arthritis, and I will mention that the shoulder area is less commonly affected than say the knees, hips or spine. But it does show up now and again. Turns out there are actually two joints in the lateral shoulder area that can develop arthritis.

The first one is where a finger-like projection of the shoulder blade or scapula meets the far end of your collarbone or clavicle at what is technically referred to as the acromioclavicular joint (the AC joint). You can actually feel to the top connection of this joint if you trace your collarbone from your breastbone toward your shoulder area. You’ll note a sudden drop off as you move laterally. That’s where the two bones meet. Arthritis in this joint usually refers pain to the front of the shoulder area.

Shoulder Joint

The second joint affected is where your arm bone, the humerus, meets the side of the scapula at something called the glenoid fossa (a shallow, cup-like area that is concave to fit the round end of the arm bone), forming the glenohumeral joint. Arthritis pain in this joint is usually referred to the back of the shoulder area. And like other forms of arthritis, a diagnosis is usually reached after a history and physical exam by your doc, possibly including X-rays to look for narrowing of the joint space or the development of bone spurs around the joint and, on rarer occasions, blood tests to rule out RA or drawing fluid from the joint to look for crystals or infection. Once diagnosed, usually with osteoarthritis, you’re likely to have rest, ice, anti-inflammatory meds and physical rherapy prescribed to help decrease swelling and pain, and increase your range of motion in the shoulder joints. On more rare occasions when these treatments are ineffective, injections or surgery may be recommended. Like the hip and knee joint, the surgeon may replace part of the joint with an artificial joint.

Humerous and Scapula

Where does yoga fit in? Well, since shoulder arthritis can result from chronic wear and tear action on the joints, it is possible that a yoga practice heavy on weight-bearing asana, such as Downward-Facing Dog pose, Push-Up pose, and arm balances, such as Crow or Heron, as well as vigorous repetitive practices that don’t vary much in their routine, could lead to this kind of shoulder problem. However, on average, yoga is more likely to be helpful as a tool for healing than the underlying cause of the problem. And if you suffer from shoulder arthritis, this is yet another setting in which working one-on-one with an experienced teacher could save you time in getting on the right course of practice to improving your symptoms.

Just as we discussed in arthritis of the hip, even with the abnormal changes to the joint that accompany arthritis, it is still essential to keep mobility in the affected joints. In the situation where symptoms are already present, you will want to proceed slowly and mindfully as you begin to experiment with yoga postures that are exclusively non-weight bearing (at least at first). Many of the standing poses, such as Triangle, Extended Side Angle (being cautious not to bear too much weight with the bottom arm for both of those), Warrior 1, 2 and 3 would all be reasonable choices.

Poses that involve more pressure around the shoulder joint, in which there are additional rotational forces, such as Prayer position behind the back, or Eagle arms, may not be appropriate, as they could more likely aggravate the joint than help it. However, working with a teacher, you may gradually be able to add in more complex arm movements if your symptoms stay quiet. Versions of poses you would be likely to encounter in class, such as the ubiquitous Downward-Facing Dog, may be added later if you are progressing, with wall versions, such as Half Downward-Facing Dog at the Wall (see here).  And since it is not unusual for the muscles around the affected joint to be atrophied from lack of use when the joint is initially inflamed, holding the arm positions, like Warrior 2 arms, for 30-60 seconds can add strengthening of the muscles to the goal of maintaining mobility in the joint.

In addition, the pain-diminishing effects of pranayama and meditation practices could be very helpful along with your physical poses, and could be substituted for asana during times when your shoulder symptoms flare up and resting your body makes more sense for a while.  And, as always, we welcome your comments and experiences with the topics we share with you. So if you have some yoga insights on arthritis of the shoulders, we are all ears (and shoulders, of course!).  

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How To Prevent Neck And Shoulder Pain Edmonton

By Nancy Peterson

When physical misery takes place, it means your nervous system triggered a sensation that is not pleasant. You may experience it at a sudden or slow pace based on factors like environmental, cognitive, biological, emotional, etc. You will feel the frequency and severity of your physical suffering. You may suffer one from the two types which are chronic and acute.

In the United States, headache is the very common medical issue followed by back physical suffering. Workers frequently miss work because of back physical discomfort. Occupational issue in the US include neck and shoulder pain Edmonton. Serious injuries could possibly be caused by these which will eventually require medical treatment. The very common causes are muscle sprains, arthritic joints, ligament strains, swollen joints and spasms.

There are things that can cause spasms, sprains and strains such as overly strenuous physical activities, sudden awkward movements such as lifting or twisting too quickly, excessive or improper lifting, using muscles, ligaments, or joints for activities for which they are not conditioned or of which they are not capable, poor physical condition and poor posture.

As individuals grow older, their spine degenerates. Such can lead to physical suffering specifically at the back and lead to more severe conditions just like spinal stenosis or spinal arthritis. Narrow spinal cord as well as nerve roots occur when one is suffering from spinal stenosis. It would be best for them to consult their doctor located in Edmonton, Alberta if they are going through a serious one.

If you wish to prevent or lessen your physical discomfort, you should eat a proper diet, condition your body, manage your weight, and increase your strength by way of muscle flexibility and exercise. Strength, endurance and flexibility can be increased by swimming and walking. Your physical suffering will become less if you include physical activities that are low-impact.

There are some effective ways for individuals to prevent physical ache and promote body health like sleeping on their side with bent knees. They should first their doctor about how firm their mattress should be. Second is by maintaining a healthy body weight. The reason behind this is that excess weight can tax the muscles of the body especially at the back.

Rather than changing direction using your waist, make sure that you use your legs. Additionally, carry heavy things close to your body. Lifting heavy objects with your legs is advisable at the same time. Regardless if you are sitting or walking, always maintain proper posture.

Treating physical suffering is not impossible especially with the aid of relievers. There are over the counter medicines you can take advantage of. If not, ice or cold compress application would be necessary for the affected part. You have to do this a number of times on a daily basis until the uneasiness you feel subsides. If you wish to loosen your tight muscles, you can do warm bath or compresses that are hot. Remember that you need to keep moving because light activities can truly help you treat your physical sufferings. Just bear these tips in mind so that the occurrence of this will be limited.

About the Author:

To find a cure for your neck and shoulder pain Edmonton health centre is the best place to turn to. Get the treatment you need directly from this source http://citycentrehealth.com.

What To Do When You Have Shoulder Joint Pain

Our skin and joints lose moisture as we age. When skin ages and it loses its moisture content, it dries out and it loses its elasticity. Our joints float on a gel bed, and as we grow older, this gel dries out, just like our skin. This causes the friction between the bones of the joint to increase, and you now have bone rubbing on bone. This is very serious, and can cause major shoulder joint pain, and pain in many other joints in the body.

BioCell Collagen produced by the Jusuru Company is a multidimensional nutraceutical product, which gives back the moisture to the skin and fluidity to your joints. This is an extremely unique product, as it is the only one that is made from a single ingredient. Your joints rotate against each other, and without a lubricant, they begin to wear against each other causing pain. This pain does not go away the joints and tendons become inflamed causing even more pain.

Several dozen clinical trials have been held over the past few years on this product, and in the main, they have shown an amazing success rate for the BioCell Collagen product. People on the studies reported that they were experiencing much less pain, plus more mobility and a pleasant side effect was improved younger looking skin.

Making the product involves a process, which is covered by a number of patents. While they were doing their testing of the product, they discovered that it also increases the strength of the cell walls, which can lead to strength in other areas as well. This won the Jusuru Company the 2011 Frost & Sullivan award in 2011 for their processes.

The website and company has attracted a number of prestigious doctors to its roster of believers. There are human doctors and as it turns out an adjusted formula can be beneficial to pets, there are also vets involved. The ranges of specialties in which these doctors figure include obesity, cancer research and orthopedics.

The website also lists a number of very convincing testimonials from people who have used the product. Even the doctors recommend the product to their patients, and speak of their patient success stories. These testimonials include weight loss gurus and makeup artists to the stars.

Jusuru product testimonials

Can this new product really help to ease that pain in our shoulders. From the evidence of the clinical studies the answer seems to be yes. Because we lose hydrolyzed collagen over time, in order to improve the suppleness of our joints, it is necessary to replace that lost collagen. The BioCell Collagen is the exact same, natural sourced collagen your body needs. It is also a very easily absorbed into the body because you take the supplement in liquid form

To summarize, these product called BioCell Collagen by Jusuru sees to have the support of the medical community, and more important, we have proof in the clinical studies that it works. Over time your shoulder joint pain will be reduced, you will have smoother, softer, more elastic skin, and you feel good into the bargain.

About the Author:By Dr. Grazyna Pajunen

In order to see descriptions of biocell collagen with resveratrol and super fruits, go to the website here. More details are available by clicking on the links at http://BeautyAndHealthFromWithin.com now.