Your shoulder joint is encased in a capsule of connective tissue. Sometimes the capsule thickens and becomes tight around the shoulder joint, a condition known as frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis. Your range of motion becomes more limited as the condition progresses. There are a number of accepted treatments for frozen shoulder, but apple cider vinegar is not one of them.
About Frozen Shoulder
The cause of adhesive capsulitis is unknown, but it is more likely to occur if your shoulder has been immobilized after surgery or an injury. The first symptom of frozen shoulder is pain any time you move your shoulder. Your shoulder’s range of motion becomes limited and the shoulder becomes stiffer over time. Some medical conditions, such as diabetes, thyroid problems, heart disease, tuberculosis and Parkinson’s disease, seem to increase the risk of frozen shoulder. Vinegar does not cause a frozen shoulder.
About Cider Vinegar
Vinegar is a fermented product that occurs as the result of yeast and acetobacter activity in a sugar solution such as apple juice. Yeasts convert the apple juice sugars to alcohol, and then a bacterium called acetobacter changes the alcohol into acetic acid. The process is similar to the changes grape juice undergoes to become wine. The primary elements of vinegar are acetic acid and water, although acetic acid and vinegar are not the same thing. Vinegar contains vitamins and mineral salts not present in plain acetic acid.
Treatment
Treatment for a frozen shoulder usually includes stretching exercises. Sometimes corticosteroids are injected into the joint. If the joint does not respond to these treatments, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery for a frozen shoulder – called a shoulder manipulation – requires a general anesthetic. While you are unconscious, the surgeon forcibly puts your shoulder through a full range of motion to break the adhesions in the shoulder capsule. After surgery, you will need intensive physical therapy to prevent the shoulder from becoming frozen again.
Vinegar as a Treatment
Although vinegar has gained a reputation as an alternative therapy for arthritis, a frozen shoulder is not an arthritic condition. Nathan Wei, a rheumatologist and author of “The Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit,” notes that cider vinegar can be applied externally to painful joints, although he does not specifically mention frozen shoulder. Wei also says the Arthritis Foundation does not endorse this treatment, and you should not use cider vinegar as a substitute for what your doctor recommends.
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