Frozen shoulder -
Dr. Michael Lehmann

What is frozen shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is an inflammatory condition affecting the shoulder joint capsule. Sufferers experience painful restriction of the shoulder joint's mobility and generally go through three stages of the condition:

1.    During the "freezing stage", sudden, severe pain can often occur. This is accompanied by considerable restriction of movement which increases considerably either slowly or sometimes even "overnight".

2.    A few weeks or months later comes the "plateau phase", in which no further functional restrictions occur and the pain gradually decreases.

3.     In the "thawing phase", the final stage, there is virtually no pain and the shoulder's function gradually begins to improve.

Treatments for frozen shoulder

Most frozen shoulders can be treated successfully nowadays. During the freezing stage, there may be virtually no way of stopping the contraction process, however the shoulder pain in this phase can be often alleviated considerably with analgesia prescribed by a professional.

If the condition continues and if the pain remains severe, frozen shoulder can be treated with arthroscopic therapy. This is particularly recommended in cases where there is also mechanical impingement or other mechanical damage present (e.g. biceps tendon) that is obstructing the spontaneous recovery process. Aftercare by a qualified physiotherapist is especially important.

Depending on the clinical picture, purely conservative treatment may also be sufficient and successful, in which intensive manual therapy is combined with stretching injection treatment.

The operations can be carried out as day cases.

The shoulder is actively mobilised and exercised directly after the operation.

If you have any questions on frozen shoulder, the team at the Athletikum Group will be happy to assist you in one of their online appointments.