The band of muscles and tendons that stabilizes the shoulder and controls its movements is called the rotator cuff. The capsule is surrounded by ligaments that connect bones to bones, tendons that fasten muscles to bones, and fluid-filled sacs called bursae that cushion tendons and bones during motion. A flexible capsule filled with a lubricant called synovial fluid protects the joint and helps keep it moving smoothly. The glenohumeral joint helps move the shoulder forward and backward and allows the arm to rotate and extend outward from the body. (See the illustration, 'Anatomy of a frozen shoulder.')

It pivots mainly on a ball-and-socket arrangement called the glenohumeral joint, which joins the top of the humerus (upper arm bone) to a scooped-out part of the scapula (shoulder blade) called the glenoid cavity. The shoulder has a wider and more varied range of motion than any other part of the body.

Fortunately, the shoulder can usually be unfrozen, though full recovery takes time - and lots of self-help. Sometimes freezing occurs because the shoulder has been immobilized for a long time by injury, surgery, or illness. We don't fully understand what causes a frozen shoulder, but an inflammatory process is probably involved. It affects mainly people ages 40 to 60 - women more often than men. The resulting disability can be serious, and the condition tends to get worse with time if it's not treated. But what is a frozen shoulder, exactly?įrozen shoulder (also called adhesive capsulitis) is a common disorder that causes pain, stiffness, and loss of normal range of motion in the shoulder. Simple activities like fastening a bra or taking a book off an overhead shelf can be impossible when you have a frozen shoulder.

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