What are the treatments for frozen shoulder?

What are the treatments for frozen shoulder?

Treatment usually involves pain relief methods until the initial phase passes. If the problem persists, therapy and surgery may be needed to regain motion if it doesn’t return on its own.

Some simple treatments include:

• Hot and cold compresses. These help reduce pain and swelling.
• Medicines that reduce pain and swelling. These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), and acetaminophen (Tylenol®). Other painkiller/anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed by your doctor. More severe pain and swelling may be managed by steroid injections. A corticosteroid, such as cortisone, is injected directly into the shoulder joint.
• Physical therapy. Stretching and range of motion exercises taught by a physical therapist.
• Home exercise program. Continue exercise program at home.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Use of a small battery-operated device that reduces pain by blocking nerve impulses.

If these simple treatments have not relieved pain and shoulder stiffness after about a year trial, other procedures may be tried. These include:

• Manipulation under anesthesia: During this surgery, you will be put to sleep and your doctor will force movement of your shoulder. This will cause the joint capsule to stretch or tear to loosen the tightness. This will lead to an increase in the range of motion.
• Shoulder arthroscopy: Your doctor will cut through the tight parts of your joint capsule (capsular release). Small pencil-sized instruments are inserted through small cuts around your shoulder.

These two procedures are often used together to get better results.