What is frozen shoulder?
A frozen shoulder is when your shoulder hurts and you can’t move it well. Another name for it is adhesive capsulitis.
It happens when the tough tissue around your shoulder joint gets thick, stiff, and inflamed. This tissue is called the shoulder joint capsule. Inside this capsule are the ligaments that hold your upper arm bone in your shoulder socket.
Think of your shoulder joint like a ball-and-socket joint, like a ball in a cup. When you have frozen shoulder, it’s like the ball gets stuck in the cup because the tissue around it gets tight and stiff.
It’s called “frozen” shoulder because when it hurts, you tend to stop moving your shoulder. But not moving it makes the tissue around it even tighter, so it feels like your shoulder is frozen in one position.
What are the symptoms of Frozen Shoulder?
The primary signs and symptoms of a frozen shoulder are pain and stiffness, making it hard to move your shoulder. You might feel a dull or achy pain in one shoulder or top arm, mainly when you try to move it. This ache can interfere with your sleep, particularly worsening at night.
Stages of Frozen Shoulder:
1. Freezing Stage: During this stage, you enjoy growing pain and stiffness to your shoulder. Shoulder motion will become confined, making ordinary sports tough. This level can last from 6 to nine months.
2. Frozen Stage: While the ache might reduce barely throughout this degree, stiffness becomes more pronounced. It will become even harder to transport your shoulder, affecting your capability to perform day-by-day duties. This stage can ultimate from four to 365 days.
3. Thawing Stage: In this final level, your shoulder’s range of motion gradually improves, and the stiffness begins to lower. This stage can take anywhere from 5 months to two years.
What are the Causes of Frozen Shoulder?
The actual reason for a frozen shoulder isn’t always completely understood. However, certain factors growth the hazard of growing this condition:
✓ Age: It generally happens for a long time between 40 and 60.
✓ Gender: Frozen shoulder is greater common in women.
✓ Medical Conditions: Diabetes, heart disease, thyroid sickness, and Parkinson’s sickness are connected to an expanded threat of frozen shoulder.
✓ Immobility: Being unable to transport your shoulder for a prolonged period, which includes after surgical treatment or due to a clinical condition like stroke, will increase the chance.
✓ Inflammation: Conditions like rotator cuff tendinitis or bursitis, which cause inflammation inside the shoulder, can predispose you to frozen shoulder.
How is Frozen Shoulder Diagnosed?
Diagnosing frozen shoulder involves a physical examination by Dr. Vishal Mandlewala at Renison Knee and Shoulder Clinic. Based on your examination by Dr. Vishal Mandlewala Imaging tests like X-rays, ultrasound, or MRI can be adviced to rule out other situations consisting as arthritis or a torn rotator cuff.
What are Treatment Options for Frozen Shoulder?
Treatment for frozen shoulder pursuits to alleviate pain and repair shoulder motion. In many cases, the situation improves through the years without a unique remedy. However, if signs and symptoms are extreme or persistent, various treatment alternatives may be endorsed:
✓ Medications: Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory capsules (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can help alleviate aches and infections. Stronger medicinal drugs can be prescribed if wanted.
✓ Corticosteroid Injections: Injecting corticosteroids into the shoulder joint can lessen ache and enhance the range of motion.
✓ Hydrodilatation: A shoulder Hydrodilatation is a minimally invasive procedure often used to treat frozen shoulder during the frozen stage where the predominant feature is one of gross restriction of movement.
The Role of a Hydrodilatation procedure:
✓ Stretching of the capsule: A sterile solution, typically consisting of steroid, local anaesthetic and saline (or water for injection), is injected into the joint capsule. This fluid distends the capsule, helping to break down the adhesions and scar tissue, increasing space for movement.
✓ Reducing inflammation: Corticosteroids, often referred to as steroids, are usually used alongside the water solution. Steroids help to reduce inflammation within the joint, alleviating pain and discomfort.
Who is a Candidate for Hydrodilatation?
Hydrodilatation is not suitable for everyone with frozen shoulder. Here are some factors a doctor might consider when recommending this procedure:
✓ Severity of symptoms: If pain is manageable and movement isn’t severely restricted, other conservative treatments, such as physiotherapy, might be preferred initially.
✓ A hydrodilatation tends to be used when the patient struggles to place their hands behind their head due to severe stiffness and tightness or has severe limitation and asymmetry when reaching behind their lower back.
What to Expect During a Hydrodilatation procedure:
A Hydrodilatation is performed by Dr. Vishal Mandlewala at various hospital in South Gujarat.
✓ Before the procedure: Dr. Vishal Mandlewala will discuss benefits of hydrodilatation and answer any questions you may have. You may be advised to stop taking certain medications beforehand and the doctor will run through a written consent form and preoperative Investigations.
✓ During the procedure: General Anesthesia with Shoulder Block will be given in Operation Theatre. Then, Spinal needle will be injected in shoulder joint under C arm guidance. After confirming needle position 60-70 ml of Normal Saline will be injected. This fluid distends the capsule, helping to break down the adhesions and scar tissue, increasing space for movement. Steriods along with local anesthesia help to reduce inflammation within the joint, alleviating pain and discomfort. Full Shoulder movements are confirmed after the procedure.
✓ After the procedure: You will have to stay 1 day at hospital. Dr. Vishal Mandlewala will provide specific instructions on pain management, applying ice, and initiating physiotherapy exercises for 1 month to maximize the benefits of the procedure.
Recovery and Next Steps:
Following the procedure, your night pain will reduced drastically and significant improvement in shoulder movements. Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in helping to regain a full range of motion and preventing stiffness from recurring. Your therapist will guide you through gentle exercises to stretch and strengthen the shoulder joint.
✓ Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy protocol of Renison Knee and Shoulder Clinic by Dr. Vishal Mandlewala focuses on improvement shoulder mobility and strength.
✓ Arthroscopy Surgery: Surgical intervention is rarely important however can be considered if different treatments fail to provide a remedy. The arthroscopic surgical operation, a minimally invasive technique, may be achieved to remove scar tissue.
In conclusion, a frozen shoulder is a painful circumstance characterised by way of shoulder aches and stiffness that influences everyday sports. While it can be challenging to manipulate, diverse remedy alternatives are available to alleviate symptoms and enhance shoulder function. If you observe you have a frozen shoulder, it’s vital to consult with a healthcare expert for the correct prognosis and treatment steerage.
Take Home Message
Hydrodilatation is unique , innovative and advance minimally invasive approach to treating frozen shoulder. By stretching the joint capsule and reducing inflammation, this procedure can significantly improve pain and restore movement. If you are experiencing symptoms of frozen shoulder, discuss your treatment options with Dr. Vishal Mandlewala at Renison Knee and Shoulder Clinic
