Treating Frozen Shoulder
Treatment of a frozen shoulder focuses on pain control and attempts to make sure that you can have the maximum amount of motion in your shoulders.
The medicines that you can use
You can use over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin in order to bring down the inflammation and aching. In some situations, your doctor may advise on the use of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs that are stronger than the usual medicines.
How can physical therapy be useful in these cases?
A physiotherapist can assist with a variety of range-motion workouts and movements. These would help you get back a significant amount of mobility in your shoulders. However, you have to remain committed to these exercises and do them on a regular basis so that you can make the most of whatever mobility you still have in the affected area.
What surgical procedures are available in this regard?
In most cases, frozen shoulder resolved in a year at the most. However, if your problem persists, you should talk to your shoulder doctor, who may suggest a few procedures.
The most prominent among them are steroid injections, shoulder manipulation, joint distension, and surgery, to name a few. When it comes to steroid injections, doctors could administer corticosteroids to your shoulder. This would help in decreasing the pain and improving the mobility in your shoulder. It is helpful in the earlier stages of this condition. With regard to joint distention, the doctor may inject sterile water in your joint capsule. This could help with stretching your tissues and makes it easier for you to move the joint.
In the process of shoulder manipulation, you would be given an anaesthetic. This will make sure that you are unconscious and feel no pain. After this, the doctor will move your joint around in different directions. This is done to make sure that all the tight tissues in the area are properly loosened. It is very rare for surgery to be performed to treat a frozen shoulder. Your doctor would prescribe this only when nothing else has worked. The main aim of the process is to do away with adhesions and scarred tissues from within your shoulder joint.
For surgery doctors normally use tubular and lighted instruments that are inserted in your body through small incisions. These incisions are made in your joint. This particular process is also referred to as an Arthroscopy.
Conclusion
Apart from the above, you might also try some home remedies and making changes to your lifestyle. For instance, you need to keep on using your shoulder as much as you can while keeping in mind the thresholds for a range of motion and pain. You can also apply a cold and heat press on your shoulder to bring down the pain. Alternative medicines such as acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation could also be attempted.
