Frozen Shoulder Patients Getting Relief Without Needing Surgery

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As we age, it seems like aches and pains start to become part of the daily routine.

For some people who develop pain in their shoulder, that pain can become excruciating.

It's called "frozen shoulder" and there's a way to treat it without surgery.

"I can't explain the amount of pain it took for me to even put it up like this. It got so bad, I thought it was my back, something going on with that, or a pinched nerve of some sort," Amelia Santaniello said.

"Adhesive capsulitis is the medical name of it, but it's commonly known as frozen shoulder. It feels like their arm is stuck and they can't get past this position. Not frozen like cold, but frozen like when something gets stuck in one spot," orthopedic surgeon Dr. Frank Norberg said.

When Santaniello met with Dr. Norberg, he diagnosed her immediately and recommended the most common and effective treatment for frozen shoulder - physical therapy.

"The capsule of the joint, the space that encloses the joint of your shoulder, shrinks down and gradually over time becomes inflamed and it tightens up, blocking motion in every direction," Dr. Norberg said.

Those factors lead to the pain.

"It can be so bad that some people get tears in their eyes and drop to their knees. Most commonly, you are going to see it in middle-aged people, more commonly in women than men, usually that 40 to 60 age group," Dr. Norberg said.

Dr. Norberg said it's not clear what causes frozen shoulder, but doctors do know what helps - physical therapy sessions and stretching at home.

Over time, the body corrects itself.

"By doing gradual and repetitive exercises, with the stretching you can regain range of motion. With that, we usually see decreased symptoms," Dr. Norberg said.

Frozen shoulder typically lasts 18 to 24 months.

"I can still feel it every once and a while though here. But hopefully through time and continued physical therapy, it will go away," Santaniello said.

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