Frozen shoulder is a common shoulder condition that can cause pain and stiffness of the shoulder joint. When frozen shoulder develops without an injury or surgery that may have led to the condition, it is commonly associated with an endocrine abnormality.
I ask all patients that I see with newly diagnosed frozen shoulder to see their primary doctor to be screened for diabetes and thyroid disorders--the most frequently seen endocrine abnormalities associated with frozen shoulder. Exactly what causes a frozen shoulder, and why diabetes and thyroid disease are associated with frozen shoulder is unknown. But we do know that about 50% of frozen shoulders are seen in patients who have one of these problems. Frozen shoulder may be the first signal of diabetes or thyroid disease, therefore I like to have patients checked for these conditions.
Related: Frozen Shoulder Treatment | What is diabetes? | What is thyroid disease?
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