Frozen Shoulder
Adhesive 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.
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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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ready to find relief from frozen shoulder?
Dr. Melepura's Midtown Manhattan clinic offers same-day appointments for evaluation and treatment.
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.
Real Stories from our Patients
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD
Double Board-Certified Pain Specialist
Meet Dr. Febin Melepura — Your Frozen Shoulder Specialist in NYC
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD is a double board-certified interventional pain management specialist and the founder of the Sports Pain Institute of New York. He completed his residency and fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.
He holds dual board certifications from the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, and has treated more than 7,500 patients and performed over 5,250 procedures throughout his career. He has been named a Top Pain Management Doctor in New York and one of America's Top Doctors™ by Castle Connolly.
Dr. Melepura's approach to frozen shoulder is rooted in precision: identify the exact source, treat it with a targeted injection, and get you back to your daily life as quickly as possible.
Ready to Book an Appointment?
Same-day appointments available. Call (212) 621-7746 or book online.
What Our Frozen Shoulder Patients Say
"Able to make an appointment to see Dr. Melepura on short notice… attentive to my concerns… Jazmin was also very kind and helpful."
"Excellent hospitality, listener and explainer… highly recommend the doctor and the place."
"Dr. Melepura is the best! He worked with me to find the optimal solution to my shoulder pain while I was preparing for a fight!"
"Lovely, bright and modern… doctor and staff were kind… felt my concerns were heard."
"Helpful and friendly staff who gladly follows up with you if and when needed. Dr Melepura was very helpful and professional as well as provided me with excellent information and feedback."
"Dr Febin is fantastic! Highly recommend him and his practice the Spin clinic. The doctor is a good listener, kind, attentive and gave me great advice. "
"Dr.Melepura was very efficient and interpersonal, felt like he was understanding the problems I was having and explained the processes to take to rehabilitate. I would recommend."
"I felt listened to and truly understood by Dr. Melepura. Started PT the very next day. They were very friendly and I didn't feel rushed at all. Already recommended them to my friends who have or continue to play through pain."