The pain and stiffness caused by a frozen shoulder can last for a couple of years. This drastically limits the use of your shoulder and arm, making it a priority to find treatment.
Doctors have different methods for reducing frozen shoulder pain and improving range of motion. Usually, doctors will try to treat the pain with conservative methods like medications and physical therapy. While these treatments may have some effect, the pain and stiffness in the shoulder can still take several months or years to resolve.
If you have a frozen shoulder that has advanced beyond the beginning stages and your conservative treatments aren’t helping, it’s time to think about frozen shoulder surgery.
Why do you need frozen shoulder surgery?
The main objective of frozen shoulder surgery is to release the tightened shoulder capsule. Making a small incision in the shoulder capsule should improve your range of motion and help reduce pain.
Surgeons have a few options for approaching this procedure. Usually, they’ll use minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery. This procedure is beneficial because it uses very tiny incisions and instruments to enter the shoulder and access the capsule. The surgeon can see what they’re doing on a screen transmitting a video feed from a tiny camera inserted into your shoulder.
After minimally invasive shoulder arthroscopy, most patients recover within weeks. Many who suffer from the frozen shoulder will agree that this is a better alternative to suffering for years.
Some people are not good candidates for minimally invasive shoulder arthroscopy. This may be because the capsule stiffness is too severe or the surgeon cannot achieve clear visibility in the patient’s shoulder. In these cases, surgeons can perform open capsular release. This procedure is similar to that of shoulder arthroscopy, but instead of using a tube with a camera, the surgeon makes larger incisions to gain a field of visibility.
Open capsular release requires more time for recovery but is still a better option than suffering for years from frozen shoulder pain.
Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for frozen shoulder surgery
Is long-lasting stiffness and pain in your shoulder limiting the use of your arm? Our orthopedic surgeons at the Florida Spine and Joint Institute can help. We can perform minimally invasive shoulder arthroscopy or open capsular release to help you regain the use of your shoulder. Contact us today to talk to our team about frozen shoulder surgery or to schedule an initial appointment.
