Midtown Manhattan 36 W 44th St Ste 1416 New York, NY 10036

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

If you want to know how to treat a frozen shoulder, you have to find an experienced sports and pain doctor. Only a qualified specialist can deliver effective treatment for your frozen shoulder. The Sports Injury and Pain Institute of NYC provide advanced treatments for a frozen shoulder that continues to ease your pain including steroid injections and physical therapy. Make an appointment with the top-rated sports injury specialist Dr. Melepura of NYC. He is among the best pain relief doctors in the region.

Frozen Shoulder Treatment in NYCAdhesive capsulitis is a condition that involves pain and stiffness in your shoulder joint. When you begin experiencing pain with restricted movement, your doctor calls it adhesive capsulitis, also known as a frozen shoulder. You may not be able to trace it to a specific shoulder injury, but your sports doctor knows how to provide frozen shoulder treatment.

A frozen shoulder is typically considered a primary diagnosis; however, it can also be a secondary diagnosis. That is, you may have something else going on that leads to your frozen shoulder symptoms. Before treatment for a frozen shoulder can begin, the primary issue needs to be resolved.

When Your Shoulder Hurts

A frozen shoulder is often not diagnosed until the pain and the inability to move your arm at the shoulder becomes unbearable. At this point, you’re more than likely in the first of three stages of a frozen shoulder:

  1. Freezing stage. You begin to notice frequent pain in your shoulder. Range of motion becomes inhibited, meaning you notice you can’t reach as high or in certain directions without pain.
  2. Frozen stage. At this stage, you may feel some relief from the pain. The downside is that movement becomes even more restricted, and your shoulder may feel terribly stiff.
  3. Thawing stage. Finally, things seem to improve. There’s no pain, and you’re able to move your arm normally again.

Each of these stages can last weeks or months. During the early stages, you may find your frozen shoulder to be more painful at night, which can mean you’re getting less sleep than usual. A lack of sleep impacts your ability to cope with the pain during the day, so sleep deprivation fuels a vicious cycle.

Rather than putting up with these symptoms for so long, it’s better to visit your New York doctor. Don’t wait for your symptoms to get worse. As soon as symptoms develop, see your NYC pain specialist. Then your frozen shoulder treatment can begin sooner rather than later.

What’s Going on and Who’s at Risk?

What’s actually happening in your shoulder joint is that the bones, ligaments, and tendons have become stuck together and encapsulated in connective tissue — which is why it’s called adhesive capsulitis. A few of the situations where a frozen shoulder is more likely to occur include:

  • Anything that keeps you from moving your arm and shoulder as you normally would, such as a rotator cuff injury, a broken arm, a stroke that leaves you immobilized, or surgery that requires you to be bedridden for an extended period of time.
  • Having certain diseases, such as diabetes, hyper- or hypothyroidism, Parkinson’s, or cardiovascular disease puts you at greater risk.
  • If you’re over 40 and female, you’re more likely to experience frozen shoulder.

The good news is that a frozen shoulder doesn’t tend to recur. It can, however, show up on the opposite shoulder. What’s unusual about the frozen shoulder is that it can happen spontaneously to anyone. If it’s a primary diagnosis, it’s not due to participating in sports or in long-term activities that demanded a lot from your shoulder.

Dr. Melepura is a miracle worker. My Dad was suffering from frozen shoulder pain for over 9 months now and was having trouble sleeping. Dr. M literally saved his shoulder as he is now able to sleep and have full use of his arm. Not only is this the most professional office I have seen in a while but scheduling was super easy and there are no hidden costs anywhere. Dr. Melepura was forth coming with so much great information and even provided my dad with follow up communication to see how he is doing. My only regret is not having my Dad come here sooner!!

Dmitry Shestakovsky

Diagnosing Adhesive Capsulitis

When your doctor examines you, he performs several range-of-motion tests. Then he asks you to move your arm in certain ways. He may even ask you to let your arm hang limply while he manipulates it. This is called a passive range-of-motion test.

Usually, these tests are enough to come to a diagnosis. Your doctor then talks to you about how to treat a frozen shoulder. If your Manhattan doctor suspects that your frozen shoulder is a secondary diagnosis, he may have you get a few tests just to be sure. More than likely, these will include an x-ray or MRI.

Adhesive Capsulitis Treatment

Frozen shoulder resolves on its own in some cases — although that can take weeks, sometimes even years. So treatment for a frozen shoulder focuses on reducing your pain and increasing the range of motion in that shoulder. Over-the-counter medications may be all that’s necessary to ease your pain, but if you’re feeling excruciating pain, your doctor may prescribe something stronger, along with anti-inflammatory drugs.

Physical therapy is the most important frozen shoulder treatment, as it helps your range of motion and gets your shoulder moving again. In rare or extreme cases, steroid injections, joint distention, or shoulder manipulation may be suggested, usually if traditional treatments aren’t working. If absolutely nothing else helps, arthroscopic surgery can get rid of the adhesions in your shoulder joint.

Do you have any questions about the frozen shoulder pain treatment we offer in NYC? Would you like to schedule an appointment with the best-rated pain management doctor Febin Melepura MD of sports pain center in NYC? Please contact our office for a consultation with the top pain relief specialist in Midtown Manhattan.

Page Updated on Nov 1, 2022 by Dr. Melepura (Pain Management Doctor) of Sports Injury & Pain Management Clinic of New York Sports Injury & Pain Management Clinic of New York
36 W 44th St #1416
New York, NY 10036
(212) 621-7746
Sports Injury and Pain Management Doctor NYC - Febin Melepura, MD

Febin Melepura, MD is a top rated, best in class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award winning expert and contributor to a prominent media outlets.

Dr. Febin Melepura has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain and, among other accolades, has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York”, and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for an advanced sports injury treatments.

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