Blog & Columns
Useful information about health and Korean medicine.
Total 16 posts
Frozen shoulder: once you've had it, is that the end of it? It rarely returns to the same shoulder, but know about the other side
In a study that followed 223 people with frozen shoulder for an average of 4.4 years, no one had it return in the same shoulder, but 1 in 5 also had it in the other shoulder. Here's how people who've been through it once can recognize the early signs and respond.
My shoulder has stiffened. Why are you asking about my blood sugar?
In an analysis of 18 studies, people with diabetes were about 5 times more likely to have frozen shoulder, and about 3 in 10 people with frozen shoulder had diabetes. Here's why we ask about blood sugar in the exam room, four things to know if you have diabetes, and one thing to check today.
Frozen shoulder exercises: do you have to push through the pain to loosen it?
There's no evidence for the idea that you have to grit your teeth and force a frozen shoulder to loosen it. In a study that followed 77 people for two years, the group that exercised within a pain-free range improved more, and faster. Here are exercises for each stage, the rule "up to a pulling feeling, stop at a stabbing pain," and the signs to check before you start.
You Thought It Was Frozen Shoulder, but It Might Not Be
When your shoulder hurts and your arm won't go up, people often assume it's frozen shoulder, but there are at least three shoulder problems that look the same. Frozen shoulder needs the stiffness released, while a torn tendon shouldn't be stretched carelessly, so the treatments can go in opposite directions. If your arm won't go up even when someone else lifts it, it's more likely frozen shoulder; if it goes up when lifted but you can't raise it yourself, it's more likely the tendon. But these are only guesses, so we confirm with an exam and imaging.
If Shoulder Pain Wakes You Up at Night
Shoulder problems hurt more at night. During the day the pain is bearable enough that you put off seeing a doctor, and at night it wrecks your sleep. In a study that followed 269 shoulders for an average of 4.4 years, the saying "leave it alone and it will heal" didn't hold for 4 in 10, and those who had severe pain at the start took longer. Pain bad enough to wake you isn't a signal to wait but a signal to start. But if a tendon is torn, the treatment is completely different.
"I heard frozen shoulder goes away if you just leave it"
The belief that frozen shoulder heals on its own over time has persisted since the 1940s. However, a systematic review testing this natural-course theory found no evidence supporting full recovery. In a study with an average follow-up of 4.4 years, 41% still had symptoms. Meanwhile, a large randomized trial found that surgical treatment was not superior to early intensive physical therapy.
When you sit at work all day and your shoulders feel heavy every afternoon
As they sit and work, the back of the neck gets as hard as stone, and by the afternoon the whole upper body feels heavy and drooping. Many also say that the exercise they started for their health made their knees ache, and now they're afraid of exercising at all.
When your shoulder makes you give up a sport you loved
Their shoulder hurts, so lifting heavy things is hard, and their knees hurt too — so one by one, they've given up the sports they enjoyed. They also say that after one session of exercise, their knees swell for days and stairs are hard. So many cut back on how often they play, and eventually stop.
When you've been told you have a damaged shoulder tendon
If the tendon is completely torn, or you suddenly couldn't lift your arm after an injury, you may need surgery. See an orthopedic doctor and get imaging first. People come to us after those checks are done. If you bring your test results, we'll explain what we can and can't do.
When you've become afraid to move your shoulder at all
The pain is one thing, but they've stopped using the shoulder altogether for fear it will hurt. Even in the treatment room, when we ask them to raise their arm, they hesitate first.
When you're young but can't raise your arm above your shoulder
At first the shoulder was just a little stiff, but at some point the arm stopped going above shoulder height. Many come in only after they've had to bend their head down to wash their hair because the arm won't go up, and putting on or taking off clothes hurts.
When shoulder pain at night keeps you from turning over
They can more or less put up with it during the day, but at night it throbs so much that even turning over is hard. Of the people who come to us for the first time with shoulder problems, this night pain is the most common reason.