Frozen Shoulder Treatment

• Dull, aching pain, often worse at night or when lying on the affected side
• Gradually reducing range of motion, difficulty reaching overhead, behind your back, or across your body
• Stiffness that limits everyday tasks, like getting dressed or reaching for something on a shelf
• Pain that eases but stiffness that remains, as the condition moves into its later stage
• One shoulder typically affected, though it can occasionally develop in both over time

If shoulder stiffness has been building for weeks without improvement, especially alongside reduced range of motion, it's worth getting evaluated rather than assuming it will loosen up on its own.

Common Causes and Risk Factors

Frozen shoulder happens when the connective tissue capsule around the shoulder joint thickens and tightens, restricting movement. In Ayurveda, this is closely linked to aggravated Vata dosha causing dryness and stiffness in the joint's supporting tissue. Common causes and risk factors include:

• Prolonged shoulder immobility, often following an injury, surgery, or illness that limits arm movement
• Diabetes, people with diabetes are notably more prone to developing frozen shoulder
• Age and gender, most common in people between 40 and 60, and more frequent in women
• Thyroid disorders, which are associated with a higher risk
• Previous shoulder injury or surgery, particularly if movement wasn't restored quickly afterward
• Vata-aggravating habits: cold exposure, irregular routine, and prolonged inactivity of the joint

Prevention of Frozen Shoulder

While frozen shoulder isn't always avoidable, especially with certain risk factors like diabetes, you can reduce your risk significantly:

1. Keep your shoulder moving after any injury or surgery, prolonged immobility is one of the biggest risk factors
2. Manage underlying conditions, particularly diabetes and thyroid issues, since both raise your risk
3. Don't ignore early shoulder stiffness, addressing it in the early "freezing" stage leads to much faster recovery
4. Stay generally active, regular shoulder movement helps maintain joint flexibility
5. Protect the shoulder from cold exposure, a known aggravator of Vata-related stiffness

About Dr. Rajeev Keloth Nambiar

Most patients seeking frozen shoulder treatment in Pune arrive frustrated after months of limited movement, often having been told to simply "wait it out." Dr. Rajeev Keloth Nambiar (BAMS, MD), at Dr. Nambiar's Advanced Ayurveda, treats frozen shoulder as a Vata-driven stiffening of the joint capsule, using Panchakarma therapies, herbal formulations, and targeted treatments to reduce inflammation, restore flexibility, and shorten the recovery timeline considerably compared to leaving it untreated.

With over 26 years treating joint and musculoskeletal conditions, Dr. Nambiar has helped many patients regain shoulder mobility and return to everyday movement without the year-plus wait frozen shoulder can otherwise take to resolve on its own.