Shoulder Pain Treatment

Carpal tunnel syndrome and frozen shoulder problems often seem to occur in the same patients - sometimes at the same time but sometimes many months apart.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a problem with irritation of the median nerve - one of the main nerves that runs from the forearm into the hand.

The median nerve runs on the palm of the hand side of the forearm - entering the palm of the hand at almost exactly the mid point of your wrist crease. It supplies power to the muscles of the thumb and sensation to the skin of the thumb and the first three fingers - sometimes also to a bit of the fourth or ring finger too. To get into the hand the nerve has to pass through a tunnel of bones and gristle. This tunnel is called the carpal tunnel - so the problem of nerve entrapment there is called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

The commonest reason for carpal tunnel syndrome to develop is when the median nerve is squeezed in the tunnel. This often happens during pregnancy or in diabetic patients or in those with an under active thyroid gland. Often no cause is found at all - it just seems to start from nowhere and this is called Idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.

Sometimes however, carpal tunnel syndrome can arise as a later consequence of frozen shoulder. The median nerve arises from nerve roots that run in the armpit or axilla - just below the shoulder in other words. This group of nerve roots is called the brachial plexus and a good going frozen shoulder can affect the brachial plexus and thus eventually lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Labels: carpal tunnel syndrome, cause of frozen shoulder, diabetes joint pain, nerve pain shoulder, shoulder pain

It's long been known - and I've written extensively previously about it - that diabetic patients are more prone to frozen shoulder than the rest of the (non-diabetic) population.

A new study has shown however that it may not be only the shoulder that's affected. Indeed - the study seems to indicate that diabetics have increased stiffness in nearly all their joints - even if they are not aware of it and have no pain at the time.

The study compared the mobility of selected joints in diabetic and non-diabetics.

One hundred people comprising of 50 volunteer diabetics and 50 volunteer non-diabetics participated. The range of motion of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, fingers, hip and knee joins were measured.

The study revealed that there was a significant difference between joint mobility in the diabetic and non-diabetic subjects for all the joints measured - except the knee and elbow joints which showed no measurable differences.

There was also a slight but positive correlation between duration of diabetes and frequency of finger deformities.

The researchers concluded that reduced range of motion of some joints especially of the wrist, shoulder and hand could be seen as a complication of diabetes.

Labels: arthritis, cause of frozen shoulder, diabetes joint pain