I am a 48 year old male who has had type�1 diabetes for 27 years. I am on a pump and have good control (last hemoglobin A1c: 5.2%). I have developed what I think is frozen shoulder in my right shoulder. I also have developed very similar symptoms/pain in my right hip. I have seen an orthopedist who gave me a shot of cortisone which did nothing but drive my blood sugars crazy. I am aware of some relationship between diabetes and frozen shoulder, but cannot find anything about simultaneous frozen hip. I am doing exercises and stretching and looking for answers.

A frozen joint implies there has been limited motion of the joint that has allowed fibrous tissue to adhere to the movable components in the joint. In short, it is a problem that occurs with limited movement of a joint. Many times, patients can be given exercises to break the fibrous connections, but you have to do the exercises regularly and through some discomfort. In some cases, surgery can be used to break the adhesions within the joint. Whether frozen joints are more common in people with diabetes versus other people who not have it is not well studied. I can say that frozen joints frequently occur in individuals with chronic injuries and in people without other serious disease. You are correct in that the steroids will raise the sugars for one to two weeks.

JTL

[Editor’s comment: See Your doctor advises using steroids
WWQ]