Frozen
Shoulder

Nothing is worse than wanting to move and be active but being unable due to limited mobility in your shoulder. Frozen shoulder is a common injury we see at our office, and there are treatment options for you. Dr. Miguel Ramirez has extensive knowledge and experience treating a myriad of shoulder conditions including frozen shoulder in Peoria, IL. We are dedicated to helping our patients restore movement and decrease pain or swelling in the joint. If you are concerned that you or a loved one is suffering from frozen shoulder in Peoria, IL, call our office at (309) 676-5546 for more information and to begin the healing process.

What Are the Signs of Frozen Shoulder in Peoria, IL?

The term “frozen shoulder” perfectly describes the symptoms many patients have when they are suffering from this type of injury. While the shoulder isn’t cold, it does have significant stiffness that can make the joint feel frozen and immobile. Most frozen shoulder injuries occur primarily in women between the ages of 40-60, however any person of any age is susceptible to a frozen shoulder. Many patients may have had a previous shoulder joint injury or surgery. It is also particularly common in patients with diabetes and thyroid disease.

Frozen shoulder typically goes through 3 stages:

• Inflammatory Stage: The shoulder is very painful, but range of motion is maintained.
• Freezing/Frozen Stage: Patients exhibit progressive loss of range of motion. Pain may actually improve somewhat during this stage.
• Thawing stage: Symptom resolution—the shoulder begins to loosen up and pain decreases.

What is the treatment for frozen shoulder?

Natural history studies have shown that more than 90% of patients can get better without any treatment. However, improvement may take 2-3 years to completely resolve. However, there are several interventions that Dr. Ramirez can prescribe to significantly decrease the time to resolution of this condition:

• Corticosteroid injection and Therapy: Dr. Ramirez’s first line of treatment is conservative with a cortisone injection and a structured physical therapy program. This intervention alone can improve symptoms in a large number of patients within the first 6 weeks to 3 months.
• Surgical scar tissue release and manipulation: For patients who do not improve with injections and therapy, Dr. Ramirez can arthroscopically release the scar tissue in the shoulder to restore range of motion. This, in combination with therapy, is highly successful in restoring range of motion and decreased pain.

If you start experiencing significant pain or stiffness in your shoulder, it is crucial that you speak to Dr. Miguel Ramirez about treatment for frozen shoulder in Peoria, IL.

If you have a frozen shoulder in Peoria, IL, contact Dr. Miguel Ramirez and his office today. Call (309) 676-5546 to schedule an initial consultation.