Frozen shoulder: adhesive capsulitis.

Frozen shoulder: adhesive capsulitis Among the numerous causes of pain felt in the shoulder are referred symptoms arising from disorders of the neck, lungs, heart, diaphragm, and even median nerve compression at the wrist. Even when the shoulder itself is at fault the possible causes are many: examination must include the glenohumeral joint, the sternoclavicular and acromioclavicular joints, and scapular rotation on the chest wall to distinguish the various conditions. These include arthritis of synovial joints, in- flammation of bursae, inflammation and sometimes calcific deposits in the supraspinatus tendon, other rotator cuff lesions, and bicipital tendonitis. Particularly disabling is the development of a painful stiff shoulder, also known as a frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis.