Shoulder Pain
What is Frozen Shoulder?
Simple activities like fastening a zipper on the back or taking a book off an overhead shelf can be impossible when you have a frozen shoulder.
Frozen shoulder (also called adhesive capsulitis) is a common disorder that causes pain, stiffness, and loss of normal range of motion in the shoulder. The resulting disability can be serious, and the condition can get worse with time if it’s not treated. It affects mainly people ages 40 to 60 — women more often than men.
Causes & Risk Factors
Sometimes freezing occurs because the shoulder has been immobilized for a long time by injury, surgery, or illness. In many cases the cause is obscure.
Certain factors may increase your risk of developing frozen shoulder:
Age and sex
People 40 and older, particularly women, are more likely to have frozen shoulder.
Other shoulder disorders
Having other shoulder disorders such as Rotater Cuff injury and Impingement make it more likely to develop Frozen shoulder if these are not treated.
Immobility or reduced mobility
People who have had prolonged immobility or reduced mobility of the shoulder, including: Broken arm, Stroke, Long hospital stay, Recovery from surgery
Systemic diseases
People who have certain diseases appear more likely to develop frozen shoulder. These include: Diabetes, Thyroid disease, Cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease
Symptoms
Frozen shoulder typically develops slowly, and in three stages. Each stage can last many months.
Freezing stage. Any movement of your shoulder causes pain, and your shoulder’s range of motion starts to become limited.
Frozen stage. Pain may begin to diminish during this stage. However, your shoulder becomes very stiff, and using it becomes significantly difficult.
Thawing stage. The range of motion in your shoulder slowly begins to improve.
For some people, the pain worsens at night, sometimes disrupting sleep.
Frozen Shoulder Diagnosis
Accurate diagnosis is one of the most important steps in developing a customised & effective treatment plan.
The doctor will ask you for the symptoms you have been feeling and the duration. Then, he will perform physical examination to check the range of motion of the shoulder and detect whether there may be other co=existing shoulder problems.
In some cases, the doctor may suggest imaging tests — such as X-rays or an MRI — to further evaluate the condition.
Frozen Shoulder Treatment
Most frozen shoulder treatment involves controlling shoulder pain and restoring as much range of motion in the shoulder as possible.
Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications are important as part of the treatment. They help reduce the inflammation in the shoulder and can help mild frozen shoulder recover sooner.
Therapy
A physiotherapist manually releases the muscles around the shoulder and will teach you range-of-motion exercises to help recover as much mobility in your shoulder as possible. Your commitment to doing these exercises is important to optimize your recovery.
Injection
A steroid injection into the shoulder joint helps reduce inflammation, reduces pain and allows more effective therapy to improve shoulder mobility, especially in the early stages of the process.
Surgery
Frequently Asked Questions
Find quick answers to common queries, designed to help you navigate
your orthopaedic care journey with ease.
To the patient, having to undergo a procedure is always frightening. Our team is here to help you through the process, we are with you at every step of the way.
Also, modern surgical methods are proven to be very safe with very low complication rates.
Advanced treatments include:
- Tissue-healing stimulant injections
- Arthroscopic (Key-Hole) procedures to repair cartilage and meniscus
- Shoulder Joint Replacements for advanced arthritis
There are many different medical plans with different coverage limits.
We are affiliated with many insurers and will help patients obtain approval for their treatment.
You can come see us without having to obtain any referral letters first.
The exception is if you are using a corporate insurance, you will have to see a family doctor on your panel first, and ask for a referral letter to us.
Persistent pain usually means a significant problem. Simple strains and sprains rarely last more than 2 to 3 weeks.
The shoulder is a complex joint with many structures within it which can get injured.
If you have pain, and furthermore associated with a catching feeling, weakness, or sharp pains in certain angles, you should get it checked.
While level of pain is one indicator, it is not an accurate indicator.
For example, if the pain is due to a tissue tear, even though it is mild, you will need to reduce the activities.
The most important is first an accurate diagnosis.
There are various treatment methods, each with their own pros and cons. These will be discussed in detail during consultation.
Generally. the methods include:
- medications
- physiotherapy
- injections
- Key-Hole procedures to repair
You can come see us without having to obtain any referral letters first.
The exception is if you are using a corporate insurance, you will have to see a family doctor on your panel first, and ask for a referral letter to us.
Consultations at our Centre are friendly and stress-free.
After seeing our doctor, you may be asked to undergo tests such as Xrays or MRI. Xrays can be done on the spot itself, and we will help arrange the soonest-possible MRI appointment. We also coordinate with other service providers like physiotherapy and patient's insurers.
Problems of the Knee, Shoulder, Ankle and Hip are very common. By condition, the common ones are:
- Knee arthritis, ligament tear, cartilage injuries, meniscal tears
- Shoulder tendon tear, Frozen Shoulder, Impingement
- Hip arthritis, Impingement, Sports injuries
- Ankle ligament injuries, cartilage wear, arthritis
- Heel pain problems, plantar fasciitis, Bunions
- Back pain, Slipped Disc, Neck pain
You can come see us without having to obtain any referral letters first.
The exception is if you are using a corporate insurance, you will have to see a family doctor on your panel first, and ask for a referral letter to us.
You can come see us without having to obtain any referral letters first.
The exception is if you are using a corporate insurance, you will have to see a family doctor on your panel first, and ask for a referral letter to us.
You can come see us without having to obtain any referral letters first.
The exception is if you are using a corporate insurance, you will have to see a family doctor on your panel first, and ask for a referral letter to us.
About Dr Ang Chia Liang
Dr Ang has more than 19 years of Orthopaedic experience. He has performed more than 6000 orthopaedic surgeries and more than 1500 knee surgeries. He has particular expertise in Knee, Hip, and Shoulder conditions and he sub-specialises in Minimally Invasive treatment of joint conditions, joint replacements, and fractures.
- Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Specialist
- Graduated from National University of Singapore
- Worked at Singapore General Hospital and The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in UK
- Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, FRCSEd(Orth)
- Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, FACS
- Sub-Specialises in Knee problems, Sports Injuries, and Joint Degeneration
- Uses non-surgical and surgical treatments with sound scientific basis
- Approachable, empathetic, and kind
- Author of numerous book chapters on knee surgeries
