New Addition at Legacy Physical Therapy

Legacy Physical Therapy is excited to announce the Lisa Telthorst of Life in Balance Massage will be providing massage services at our clinic. We feel that Lisa's experience and compassion will be a great addition to our therapy team.

Lisa is a licensed and certified massage therapist, a graduate of The Healing Arts Center in St. Louis. She comes to the profession of massage therapy following 30 years as a dental hygienist, which helped form a prevention-oriented and patient centered mission of practice. Lisa is comfortable working with massage clients of all ages and conditions, from relaxation and stress management needs, sports and performance practice, and assisting clients who are managing chronic illnesses or injuries, and recovery. Lisa's belief is that "massage improves everything", and she strives to guide clients to reach their optimum health and lifestyle goals.

If you are interested in scheduling a massage appointment with Lisa, please contact her directly at 314-630-6777.

Why Can't I Reach into the Cabinet or Behind my Car Seat Without Pain?...

FROZEN SHOULDER

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that commonly affects women. It is characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within a two-year period. The first signs of a problem are often shoulder pain with reaching behind you or up overhead. The initial symptoms of pain are then followed by limitations in range of motion. In this article we will outline: causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and diagnosis/treatment.

Causes

The bones, ligaments and tendons that make up your shoulder joint are encased in a capsule of connective tissue. The joint capsule of the shoulder joint has ligaments that hold the shoulder bones to each other. Frozen shoulder occurs when this capsule thickens and tightens around the shoulder joint, restricting its movement.

Risk Factors

The exact cause of is unknown, but certain factors may increase your risk of developing frozen shoulder

• Age and sex: People 40 and older are more likely to experience frozen shoulder. About 70 percent of the people who develop the condition are women.
• Immobility: People who have experienced prolonged immobility of their shoulder are at higher risk of developing frozen shoulder.
• Systemic diseases: People who have certain medical problems appear to be predisposed to develop frozen shoulder. Examples include: diabetes, overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, Parkinson's disease.

Symptoms

The main symptoms are decreased motion of the shoulder, pain, and stiffness.

Frozen shoulder without any known cause starts with pain. This pain prevents you from moving your arm. The lack of movement leads to stiffness and decreased motion. Eventually you cannot perform activities such as reaching over your head.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis is based on symptoms and an examination of the shoulder. X-rays of the shoulder may be taken to make sure there is no other problem, such as arthritis. Sometimes an MRI exam may show inflammation, but there are no specific findings that diagnose frozen shoulder.

Most frozen shoulder treatment involves controlling shoulder pain and preserving as much range of motion in the shoulder as possible. Pain is potentially treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and steroid injections. Steroid injections along with physical therapy can significantly improve motion. A physical therapist can teach exercises and use manual techniques to help maintain as much mobility in the shoulder as possible, while limiting injury to nearby tissues. It can take as long as 6 - 9 months to see improvement.

A shoulder manipulation may be recommended if therapy is not successful. In this procedure, the patient is given general anesthesia and then the doctor moves the shoulder joint in ways that help loosen the tightened tissue.

In a small number of cases, especially if the symptoms don't improve despite other measures, surgery may be an option to remove scar tissue and adhesions from inside the shoulder joint. Your health care provider will release the scar tissue by bringing the shoulder through a full range of motion. This procedure is done under anesthesia. Many times physical therapy follows after the surgical procedure to make sure that the patient maintains the gains in shoulder range of motion.