Frozen shoulder

A frozen shoulder can be painful, stiff and difficult to move. Most frozen shoulders resolve without treatment; however, this can take months or even years. In the meantime, your shoulder is uncomfortable and your function is restricted. The London Orthopaedic Clinic offers the very latest investigations and treatments for frozen shoulder. The world-leading consultants work with a multidisciplinary team to reduce pain, increase mobility and improve your quality of life.

The London Orthopaedic Clinic provides a range of treatments for frozen shoulder. Physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injections can offer some relief. If conservative measures have not helped, the expert orthopaedic surgeons at the London Orthopaedic Clinic can operate to restore movement, ease pain and ‘defrost’ your shoulder.

What is a frozen shoulder?

The shoulder joint is enclosed in a fibrous capsule. When this capsule is inflamed it becomes thickened and scarred. The shoulder becomes painful and normal movement is increasingly restricted.

Frustratingly, we don’t fully understand why frozen shoulder develops. However, it can come on following injury, fracture or a prolonged period of shoulder immobilisation, due to surgery or a plaster cast for example. Uncommonly it can be secondary to joint infection, which requires prompt treatment.

Around three in every hundred people will develop frozen shoulder, with women and those between the age of 30 and 40 particularly vulnerable. People living with certain chronic conditions, including diabetes, lung disease, heart disease and neck problems, are also more at risk.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder

The main symptoms of frozen shoulder are pain and stiffness. The dull, aching pain is often made worse by movement and in bed at night. The stiffness and restricted range of motion can be significant, making it difficult to get dressed, put on a seat belt or drive.

The condition tends to develop in stages, however these may overlap:

The freezing phase

The frozen phase

The thawing phase

How can the London Orthopaedic Clinic help with frozen shoulder?

The London Orthopaedic Clinic’s consultant surgeons will make a thorough assessment of your shoulder, arrange investigation in the clinic’s state-of-the-art imaging suite, then customise a treatment programme to resolve your shoulder pain and stiffness. This can include:

Self-help advice

Specialist physiotherapy

The London Orthopaedic Clinic’s expert physiotherapy team can provide guidance on ways to modify your activities to reduce stress on the rotator cuff tendon. They will prescribe a tailored programme of exercises to improve posture, and stretch and strengthen the muscles around the shoulder. If movement is too painful, they can use massage, ultrasound or laser to provide relief. The physiotherapists will provide support, monitor progress and help you every step of the way. However, it’s also important to continue to perform the shoulder exercises regularly between appointments.

Steroid injections

Manipulation under anaesthetic

Arthroscopic release of shoulder capsule

If conservative measures have not resolved the problem, the consultant orthopaedic surgeons at the London Orthopaedic Clinic can operate to free the shoulder and reduce pain.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive or ‘keyhole’ procedure. Small incisions are made in the skin over the shoulder and a fine telescope attached to a camera is inserted. The device relays images to a computer screen, allowing the specialist surgeon to carefully examine the shoulder. Fine instruments can be inserted to perform surgical procedures.

The surgeon can divide the thickened and scarred capsule. They can also trim damaged tissue and remove loose fragments of cartilage or bone.

The surgery is usually performed under general anaesthetic, as a day case. Most people are able to go home on the same day as surgery and can use their shoulder normally after a few weeks.

Why choose the London Orthopaedic Clinic?

The London Orthopaedic Clinic provides high-quality, expert orthopaedic and musculoskeletal care, tailored to the individual needs of our patients. The Clinic is based at Mayo Clinic Healthcare, at the heart of London’s internationally renowned Harley Street medical district. The London Orthopaedic Clinic offers cutting-edge diagnostics, treatment, management and personalised care.

The expert multi-disciplinary team includes more than 25 leading orthopaedic surgeons, pain management consultants, rheumatologists, allied specialists and radiologists. They work together to reduce pain, improve movement and make a real difference to patients’ lives.

The London Orthopaedic Clinic offers patients something truly unique: access to world-leading experts, high-tech imaging and the latest innovative treatments, together with the feeling of trust and safety of a small family practice.

Frozen shoulder treatment costs

The investigation and treatment of frozen shoulder at the London Orthopaedic Clinic may be covered by your health insurance policy. Competitive packages are also available for patients who are self-paying. Contact a member of our friendly team on 020 7186 1000 or at info@londonorthopaedic.com to find out more.