Frozen shoulder is a painful condition that makes it hard to move your shoulder. Even small movements like reaching for something or lifting your arm can become uncomfortable.
A new study has found that people with diabetes are more likely to get frozen shoulder than people without diabetes.
The medical name for frozen shoulder is adhesive capsulitis. It happens when the tissue around your shoulder joint gets thick and tight.
This limits movement and can cause pain. Doctors don’t always know exactly why it happens, but it often shows up after someone has hurt their shoulder or had surgery. People with certain health problems, like diabetes, seem to get it more often.
The new research was done by Brett Paul Dyer and his team at Keele University in the United Kingdom. They wanted to understand if there is a clear link between diabetes and frozen shoulder. To do this, they looked at eight earlier studies that focused on this issue.
Six of those studies involved over 5,000 people. The results showed that people with diabetes were almost four times more likely to develop frozen shoulder. Two other studies followed people over time and found similar results. This makes the link between diabetes and frozen shoulder stronger.
But the researchers also said that many of the studies they looked at had some weaknesses. Most had a high chance of bias, which means the results might not be 100% reliable. Only one study had moderate quality, which means we need better studies in the future to confirm these results.
Still, this finding is important. It shows that frozen shoulder is one of the many health problems that can happen to people with diabetes. Diabetes doesn’t just affect blood sugar. It can also cause damage to nerves, blood vessels, and joints. Frozen shoulder is one example of how diabetes can affect the body in ways people might not expect.
This is why doctors should ask their patients with diabetes if they are having any shoulder pain during regular checkups. If frozen shoulder is caught early, it’s easier to treat. Early treatment can help reduce pain and improve shoulder movement.
Treatments for frozen shoulder may include physical therapy, gentle stretching, or in some cases, medicine or injections to reduce swelling and pain. The earlier it is treated, the better the chances of recovery.
This study is also a reminder of how important it is to take care of diabetes properly. Along with managing blood sugar, people with diabetes should also watch out for other health problems like joint stiffness and muscle pain. Regular exercise, staying active, and talking to your doctor about any new symptoms can help prevent more serious issues.
Even though more research is needed to fully understand how diabetes causes frozen shoulder, this study adds to what we already know. It shows the need for greater awareness among both doctors and patients.
The study was published in the medical journal BMJ Open and highlights the importance of looking at the full picture when it comes to living with diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
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