A frozen shoulder can make even the simplest tasks, like fastening a seatbelt or getting dressed, painful and difficult. If you’ve been dealing with worsening shoulder stiffness and pain, you don’t have to accept it as something you simply have to wait out. At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we offer proven, non-surgical treatments that address the root cause of your symptoms to restore your shoulder’s range of motion.
What Is Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder is the common name for a condition called adhesive capsulitis. It occurs when the connective tissue surrounding the shoulder joint becomes inflamed and thickens over time. This makes the joint capsule tighten, which restricts movement and causes significant pain.
The condition typically develops in three distinct stages. During the “freezing” stage, pain gradually increases and shoulder movement becomes progressively more limited. In the “frozen” stage, pain may begin to ease slightly, but stiffness peaks and makes the shoulder feel almost locked in place. During the “thawing” stage, mobility slowly returns. Without treatment, this entire process can take anywhere from one to three years or longer.
Causes and Risk Factors
Frozen shoulder doesn’t always have a single, clear cause, but researchers and clinicians have identified several factors that significantly increase your risk of developing the condition. If any of the following apply to you, you may be more likely to develop adhesive capsulitis at some point in your life:
- Prior Shoulder Injury or Surgery: Prolonged immobility following a shoulder injury, fracture, or surgical procedure is one of the most common triggers. If the arm stays still for an extended period, the joint capsule can begin to tighten and thicken.
- Diabetes: People with diabetes develop frozen shoulder at significantly higher rates than the general population, and they often experience a more severe and prolonged course of the condition.
- Thyroid Disorders: Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are linked to frozen shoulder, though the precise mechanisms of this link remain unclear.
- Cardiovascular Disease: A history of heart disease or stroke increases the risk of developing frozen shoulder, particularly in individuals who experience limited arm mobility following a cardiac event.
- Age and Sex: Frozen shoulder most commonly affects middle-aged adults, and women develop it more frequently than men.
Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder tends to develop gradually, with symptoms that evolve as the condition progresses through its three stages. The following are the most common red flags that indicate you may be dealing with adhesive capsulitis:
- Dull or aching pain in the outer shoulder, upper arm, or both
- Pain that worsens with movement or at night
- Progressive stiffness that limits how far you can move the shoulder
- Difficulty with overhead movements, such as reaching for a shelf
- Inability to reach behind your back or across your body
- A sensation that the shoulder feels locked or frozen in place
- Reduced ability to perform routine tasks, such as dressing or driving
How We Diagnose Frozen Shoulder
Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of any effective treatment. At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, our physicians begin the diagnostic process with a thorough physical examination and a careful review of your medical history. We assess your active and passive range of motion and look for the characteristic pattern of restricted movement that distinguishes frozen shoulder from other conditions. If necessary, we may use advanced imaging tools, such as MRI or musculoskeletal ultrasound, to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other potential conditions, such as rotator cuff tears or arthritis.
Non-Surgical Treatments for Frozen Shoulder
As physiatrists, the physicians at Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine focus exclusively on non-surgical solutions. We see surgery as a last resort rather than as a first response. Our goal is to relieve your pain and restore your shoulder’s function through minimally invasive therapies that are evidence-based and tailored to your specific needs.
Our treatment options for frozen shoulder include:
- Ultrasound-Guided Corticosteroid Injections: We use musculoskeletal ultrasound to deliver precise corticosteroid injections directly into affected joints. This reduces inflammation and provides meaningful pain relief, particularly during the freezing stage.
- Physical Therapy: Targeted physical therapy is central to frozen shoulder recovery. We work to restore your shoulder’s range of motion through guided stretching and strengthening exercises that help you regain function progressively and safely.
- Acupuncture: Our licensed acupuncturists use this time-tested therapy to stimulate the central nervous system and prompt the release of natural pain-relieving endorphins. Many patients find acupuncture a valuable complement to other treatments.
- PRP Therapy: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses concentrated healing factors drawn from your own blood, which we then re-inject into the affected area to stimulate tissue repair, reduce pain, and support recovery.
- PEMF Therapy: Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy applies electromagnetic waves at specific frequencies to reduce pain and inflammation while supporting your body’s natural healing process at the cellular level.
We frequently combine these therapies to accelerate your recovery and help you return to the activities you enjoy as quickly as possible.
Why Choose Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine?
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, our team of highly credentialed physiatrists and licensed acupuncturists is committed to relieving pain and restoring function without surgery. Our physicians hold appointments at Hofstra University School of Medicine and have earned recognition in Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors, Newsday’s Top Doctors on Long Island, and New York Super Doctors. We treat every patient as a whole person by taking into account all aspects of each individual’s health and well-being. We have offices in East Meadow, Great Neck, Lawrence, and Huntington, and provide same-day appointments for new patients.
Contact Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine Today
You don’t have to keep waiting for a frozen shoulder to resolve on its own. Contact Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine today to arrange a consultation with one of our physiatrists and take the first step toward lasting relief. Call us now at 1-888-SPINE-1-1 or complete our online contact form to get started.