A Chip on the (Frozen) Shoulder
"Put your shoulder in, put your shoulder out, put your shoulder in and . . . " Uh oh. Does this sound familiar? If you're a sufferer of the all-too-common "frozen shoulder", the next line of the popular children's refrain needn't apply - no shaking happening here! What is "Frozen Shoulder?" According to the Mayo Clinic, adhesive capsulitis is an inflammatory condition characterized by stiffness, rigidity, and pain in the shoulder joint. The bones, ligaments, and tendons of the shoulder joint are contained in a capsule-like sack of connective tissue - when this capsule thickens and constricts the shoulder joint, restricting its movement, frozen shoulder occurs - causing pain, loss of range of motion, and eventual immobility. The bad news? Left untreated, symptoms of frozens shoulder will worsen over time, meaning more pain, reduced range of motion, and less freedom. The good news? We're here to help! Am I at Risk? According to a recent article in Men's Health magazine, frozen shoulder is surprisingly common, affecting a whopping 3% of the population at some point in their lives. The condition tends to be slightly more common in women than men, but there are certain factors that increase your risk: Recent…