Thawing Out A Frozen Shoulder

Lifting, stretching and pulling are typically mindless movements - until you can’t do them. A condition called adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder, robs people of their range of motion. “When it begins it usually causes pain with motion beyond a certain degree. So for the first period of frozen shoulder any motion in any direction beyond a certain degree would cause limitation in motion and pain,” explains orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dennis Sagini. He is on medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System. Signs and symptoms typically begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within one or two years. “Many times these individuals, when they’re seen in the office do not show any signs of arthritis of the shoulder. And so for someone who presents with these symptoms, yet does not have arthritis we look more towards frozen shoulder,” says Dr. Sagini. Frozen shoulder follows a 3-stage cycle. The first is the painful stage when range of motion becomes limited. The second is the frozen stage- it’s less painful- but it’s almost impossible to lift the arm. The third stage is thawing stage. With proper treatment, the range of motion returns. From beginning to end- can take more than a year. “80% to 90% of the time frozen shoulder is treated with physical therapy,” says Dr. Sagini. “When physical therapy and strengthening exercises fail to improve the function, we then move onto certain procedures. The least invasive would be a manipulation under anesthesia, where a patient is would be put to sleep and the shoulder actually mobilized.” Risk of getting frozen shoulder increases after an injury or a stroke. Diabetics are also more prone. A long and painful process- there are ways to melt even the deepest freeze. View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/ Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Visit leememorial.org