Frozen Shoulder

A ball-and-socket joint, the shoulder is made up of three bones – the collarbone (clavicle), shoulder blade (scapula), and upper arm (humerus) – held in place by surrounding tissue known as the shoulder capsule. When the shoulder capsule thickens and becomes tight, the shoulder then becomes difficult to move. This condition is referred to as frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis. Further limiting shoulder mobility is the increasing presence of scar tissue and a reduction in synovial fluid to keep the shoulder joint properly lubricated. Symptoms include pain and stiffness that can fluctuate in severity  over time in stages, although it can altogether dissipate on its own. 

Depending on the extent of pain and range of motion, non-surgical care can include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and cortisone injections. When symptoms are severe or do not improve over time, shoulder manipulation may be performed under general anesthesia to manually manipulate the shoulder, loosen scar tissue, and increase range of motion. In terms of surgical approaches, the minimally invasive shoulder arthroscopy, which entails the use of small medical instruments inserted through tiny incisions around the shoulder, can be performed to remove the underlying scar tissue and increase mobility in the shoulder.