I have noticed lately an increased number of my patients here
in the Salt Lake City area that present with severe shoulder pain and
restricted range of motion. This
condition is known as Adhesive Capsulitis or “Frozen Shoulder” and is a fairly
common malady. The causes are varied and can develop following some kind of
trauma or just randomly occur. Whatever
the cause, it is painful and can be debilitating and the treatment is challenging.
Chiropractors and other manual therapist have traditionally
treated Frozen Shoulder with a series of range of motion exercises and
stretches along with other modalities such as ultrasound, electrical
stimulation and cold laser treatment. There has not been much evidence to
support or refute the use of these treatments and there is no clear consensus
on how or when to apply different therapies.
I recently read a research paper on a case study of treatment
of Adhesive Capsulitis. This was reported in the Journal of Manual &
Manipulative Therapy in February 2012.
The researchers reviewed the treatment of a patient that presented with
a classic case of Frozen Shoulder. They
initially treated with the standard stretches and exercises and manipulation
focusing on the shoulder joint itself but after 10 visits there was only
minimal improvement in the pain and range of motion. Next they added Thoracic
spine manipulation to the treatment protocol and after only 4 visits, they
noted substantial improvement in the pain and range of motion.
I believe this case is significant in that it shows that
Chiropractic adjustment applied to the Thoracic spine can be effective in
“thawing out” a Frozen Shoulder. If you or someone you is suffering from this
type of shoulder pain, come see us at The Joint Cottonwood Heights in Utah for
evaluation and treatment to see if we can help.
~ Dr. Brad Hendricks
