Frozen or stiff shoulders are very painful conditions. Shoulder movement is critical to our overall body movements. So, frozen or stiff shoulders severely restrict the patient’s ability to move and function properly. Thankfully, there are three proven ways of “de-freezing” your injured shoulder and making them mobile again. Physical therapy is by far the most preferred way of treating shoulder injuries. Physiotherapists gently move the injured shoulder to increase its range of motion. Progress in physiotherapy is gradual. Patients with painful shoulders regain their ability to stretch their shoulder muscles very slowly. But regular physiotherapy and physical exercises ultimately soften the stiff shoulders. Practice shoulder exercises 7-10 times a day, and your shoulder pain will slowly go away.
When Physiotherapy Doesn’t Work: Medications and Injections
If physiotherapy doesn’t fix your frozen shoulder, doctors may recommend injections. These injections are full of anti-inflammatory drugs. They reduce inflammation in the shoulder ligaments. Performing physiotherapy becomes easier when the inflammations in your shoulder joints are eliminated. Doctors may even recommend anti-inflammatory painkillers to patients with painful shoulder dislocations. Doctors administer anti-inflammatory painkillers and injections for temporary relief. After 1-2 weeks of taking these anti-inflammatory drugs, patients must go for secondary examinations. In most cases, periodic follow-ups lead to a 100% decrease in shoulder pain.
Shoulder Surgery – The Last Option
People with severe cases of frozen shoulder [หัวไหล่ ติด, which is the term in Thai] often require shoulder surgery. Medications and physiotherapy aren’t effective in serious cases of shoulder dislocations. Doctors perform laparoscopic surgery as a last resort to reactivate the frozen and stiff shoulder. During these surgeries, doctors surgically remove the hardened synovial linings in the shoulder joints. Removing these linings helps the shoulder joints regain their mobility. People suffering from frozen or stiff shoulders may benefit from all three of these treatment options. Either way, seeking professional treatment is a must for all people with frozen or stiff shoulder joints.
