What is the difference between frozen shoulder and cervical spondylosis

Both frozen shoulder and cervical spondylosis can affect our health and normal activities, but because these are two different problems, we should also pay attention to scientific methods in treatment. For the treatment of frozen shoulder and cervical spondylosis, we can understand it from physical signs or directly from X-rays.

(1) From the physical signs, the neck and shoulder pain caused by cervical spondylosis generally has no local tenderness, neck pain and movement disorders, but the shoulder function is still good, especially the ability to do shoulder abduction and placement movements. Frozen shoulder often has clear tenderness points in the tendons, joint capsules, etc. in the shoulder, and the functional movement of the shoulder joint is obviously restricted, while the movement of the neck is not obstructed. Tests such as brachial plexus traction are usually positive in cervical spondylosis, but negative in patients with frozen shoulder.

(2) According to the medical history, cervical spondylosis usually presents with discomfort in the cervical area, and there may be a history of neck trauma and recurrent stiff neck. Scapulohumeral periarthritis usually presents with shoulder pain, and the cause may be shoulder trauma, cold, or unknown causes.

(3) From the perspective of clinical symptoms, the pain and discomfort in the neck and shoulders caused by cervical spondylosis, if it is of the nerve root origin, often has a radiating sensation like electric shock, accompanied by numbness of the fingers, cold limbs and other abnormal changes in the skin sensation in the area innervated by the nerve roots. The pain of frozen shoulder is basically confined to the shoulder, and the pain is dull or knife-like, usually more obvious at night.

(4) From the X-ray film, patients with cervical spondylosis may have changes in physiological curvature, bone hyperplasia and smaller intervertebral foramen on the cervical X-ray film. Patients with frozen shoulder generally have no obvious changes except for possible manifestations of senile degenerative changes in the cervical spine. It should be pointed out that because both are geriatric diseases, they can exist at the same time. In addition, cervical spondylosis or cervical disc herniation. Due to the stimulation or compression of the cervical spinal nerve roots, shoulder and arm pain and muscle spasms occur, resulting in limited shoulder joint movement, adhesion of the soft tissue around the shoulder, and also periarthritis of the shoulder. Some people call it "neck and shoulder syndrome." Therefore, in diagnosis, doctors should pay more attention to the differentiation between the two so as to distinguish cervical spondylosis and periarthritis of the shoulder well.