Physios Say More Women Face 1 Mobility Issue Than Men – This May Be Why
Frozen shoulder (or, to use its technical term, adhesive capsulitis) leads to a stiffness that can limit your arm movement, according to Harvard Health.
The condition creates a 'dull, aching pain' that can become more intense over time, and which stings more when you lift your limb, the experts write.
We aren't quite sure what causes 'frozen shoulder', but it's more common in people with diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and thyroid disease – and it affects 2-5% of people.
Harvard noted that frozen shoulder affects more women than men, a phenomenon physical therapist Dr Caryn McAllister said she's seen in her 30 years of practice.
But why might that be the case, and what should you do if you notice it?
Some research 'suggests a direct relationship between loss of hormones and prevalence of adhesive capsulitis,' Dr McAllister told HuffPost UK.
A 2023 preliminary study found that menopausal women not receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which aims to replace hormones like oestrogen that dip in menopause, were more likely to develop frozen shoulder.
In 2022, The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) spoke to the study's first author (Dr Jocelyn Wittstein) ahead of the paper's publication, Dr McAllister (who is a member of NAMS) said.
She 'explained that oestrogen plays a large role in stimulating bone growth, decreasing inflammation, and increasing connective tissue integrity'.
Dr McAllister added: 'Women go through many changes due to hormonal decreases and should be aware that it's not just hot flashes, weight gain, moodiness and a loss of a period.'
The results are just preliminary, and the study authors themselves said the link needs to be studied further.
Phillipa Warrell, a physiotherapist at Harley Street Physiotherapy, said: 'While menopause and hormonal changes may be contributing factors, there really needs to be more research in this area.'
So, it's not that oestrogen loss is definitely causing your frozen shoulder – just that it might be an interesting avenue to explore further.
For her part, Dr McAllister called the 2023 paper a 'landmark' study as 'women haven't really been studied much in science historically'.
Warrell said 'frozen shoulder is a common shoulder condition, and we see many patients referred to our clinic'.
That includes men and women, and though oestrogen might contribute to the condition, we still aren't sure exactly what causes it.
The NHS said that while frozen shoulder usually eventually goes away, you should see a GP if you have shoulder pain and stiffness that does not go away or if the pain is so bad it makes it hard to move your arm and shoulder.
'Physiotherapy can help you get movement back,' the health service added.
As for Dr McAllister, her advice is to 'find yourself a healthcare team that keeps up with current research [and offers] science-backed treatment approaches'.
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