Frozen shoulder is a condition that we’ve talked about at length on this blog, and it’s especially common in adults over the age of 55 who have put a fair amount of stress on their shoulder area over the years. The first line of treatment typically involves avoiding certain high strain activities and pursuing some physical therapy exercises that focus on improving strength and range of motion. Many patients experience moderate or significant improvement with the help of these techniques.
However, a fair amount of patients do not see the improvement they had hoped for, and they opt for more hands-on treatment. The above techniques may also be paired with manual therapy or corticosteroid injections, but if those options still don’t provide relief, your doctor may broach the possibility of thawing your frozen shoulder with an arthroscopic procedure. In today’s blog, we explain how frozen shoulder can be effectively treated with the help of minimally invasive surgery.
Capsular Release For Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder is caused by inflammation or irritation of the joint capsule, which is a fluid-filled sac that helps to lubricate the joint. When this area becomes inflamed, movement becomes much more difficult, leading to symptoms of frozen shoulder. Oftentimes this inflammation sets in as a result of acute or repetitive stress on the shoulder joint, underlying health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, and natural reasons.
As we mentioned in the introduction, watchful waiting and physical therapy tend to eventually lead to improvement in the shoulder joint, but some patients are looking for a quicker treatment when non-operative treatment isn’t yielding early results. In these patients, a capsular release procedure may be the perfect option.
During a capsular release operation for a patient with frozen shoulder, the doctor will begin by administering local or general anesthesia, which will ensure the patient does not feel discomfort during the procedure. Once numb, the surgeon will make a couple small incisions on above the shoulder before inserting some specialized tools into these openings. One of the tools will be an arthroscope, which is a device with a microcamera attached to the tip that relays a live feed of the area to a monitor in the operating room. This allows the doctor to see inside the shoulder area without making a large incision.
Once in position, the doctor will use other tools to carefully cut some of the capsule tissue surrounding the shoulder joint. The cut tissue is then cauterized with radiofrequency waves or a similar method to minimize any potential bleeding. The removal of this inflamed tissue makes it much easier for the joint to move unimpeded, so once the surgeon is confident that enough of the capsular tissue has been removed, they will withdraw their tools and close up the incision sites.
You will likely need to wear a protective sling for the first few days after your capsular release, but you shouldn’t need an extended period in a sling. Total recovery can take anywhere from 6-12 weeks, but you may be able to return to most daily activities and non-manual labor jobs within two weeks. Physical therapy will begin shortly after the sling is removed and continue until you have made a full recovery, so expect to pursue some range of motion and strength training exercises for a number of weeks after your procedure. While these movements may be a little uncomfortable at the outset, many people already have significantly more range of motion in their shoulder joint just days after their procedure than they did when their shoulder was frozen.
By following your pain management protocols and sticking to your PT regimen, we’re confident that you can make a strong recovery from a capsular release for frozen shoulder. And if you want to pursue some or all non-operative options before considering surgery, we can set you up with an individualized care plan that suits your needs. For more information about surgery to address frozen shoulder, or for help with a different shoulder concern, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
