Frozen Shoulder Manipulation

If you've gotten to the point where you feel a frozen shoulder manipulation is your only course of action, then there are some points to consider:

• If you have not yet reached the "frozen" stage of Adhesive Capsulitis within a full year your doctor may recommend a manipulation under anesthesia.
• There is a 70-75% success rate (success defined as any improvement in ROM, not necessarily function)
• This success rate is less likely with diabetics
• There is a small but still present risk of sustaining a fracture during the procedure (best research shows this as small as 2%)
• Most manipulations are done as outpatient and you will need someone to drive you home after the procedure
• There is to be an expected increase in pain for several days following a frozen shoulder manipulation. This is due to soft tissue trauma, increased swelling, and induced inflammation in the shoulder due to the procedure causing micro tears in the joint capsule
• Physical Therapy or frozen shoulder exercise is generally prescribed for 3-4 months following a manipulation
• There is risk of infection following injection into the shoulder joint

Obviously a manipulation should be a last resort and preferably should be considered only after a second opinion. Once the manipulation is performed, physical therapy should be initiated as early as day 1 following the procedure as the shoulder joint will stiffen up quickly and render the procedure useless if early movement is not performed.

The best course of action is always a conservative approach using frozen shoulder exercise versus a frozen shoulder manipulation. There are many treatment programs specific to treating a frozen shoulder which are effective in returning functional range of motion and reducing pain.