You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Frozen Shoulder Is Not Improving With Massage

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, can be one of the most frustrating and painful conditions to deal with. The stiffness, pain, and lack of mobility in the shoulder joint can make even simple tasks like brushing your hair, reaching for an item on a shelf, or putting on a jacket extremely difficult. Whether it’s caused by an injury, inflammation, or degenerative changes, frozen shoulder can significantly affect your daily life and leave you feeling limited and frustrated.

The emotional toll of frozen shoulder can be just as overwhelming as the physical pain. The inability to move freely, combined with the constant discomfort, can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, and helplessness. If traditional treatments like massage haven’t provided lasting relief, it may be time to explore alternative solutions that target the root cause of your frozen shoulder and bring you long-term relief.

Massage: A Common Approach to Treating Frozen Shoulder

Massage therapy is often used to treat frozen shoulder as it helps to release muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation in the shoulder area. Techniques like kneading, pressing, and rolling can temporarily relieve tightness and discomfort, allowing for some comfort in the short term. For many people, massage is effective in reducing the pain associated with frozen shoulder, helping to reduce muscle stiffness and improve the range of motion.

However, massage can be repetitive and time-consuming. While it can offer temporary relief, many individuals find that regular sessions are necessary to maintain any improvement. With each massage session costing between $50 and $100, the cost adds up quickly. Additionally, massage does not always address the underlying issue causing the frozen shoulder, which means the relief you experience may be short-lived.

Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial

Frozen shoulder can result from various underlying factors. Here are five common causes of frozen shoulder:

  1. Inflammation of the Shoulder Joint Capsule – Inflammation in the joint capsule of the shoulder restricts its movement and causes pain.
  2. Rotator Cuff Injury – Damage to the tendons of the rotator cuff can lead to inflammation and scarring, contributing to shoulder stiffness.
  3. Diabetes – People with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing frozen shoulder due to changes in the connective tissue of the shoulder.
  4. Post-Surgical Stiffness – After shoulder surgery, scar tissue can form and cause stiffness, leading to frozen shoulder.
  5. Prolonged Immobility – After an injury or surgery, keeping the shoulder immobile for an extended period can cause the joint to freeze up, leading to reduced mobility.

In addition to these common causes, there are two less common but potentially serious causes of frozen shoulder:

  1. Infections – Infections in or around the shoulder joint can lead to pain, swelling, and restricted movement.
  2. Tumors – Rare tumors in or near the shoulder joint can cause pain and stiffness, affecting the shoulder’s range of motion.

The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis

It’s important to recognize that frozen shoulder cannot always be fully diagnosed through symptoms alone. Imaging techniques like X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds are necessary to assess the health of the shoulder joint, the tendons, and the surrounding tissues. These tools provide healthcare providers with a clear view of what’s causing the pain and stiffness, which allows them to develop an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis

At The Pain Relief Clinic, we understand how frozen shoulder can limit your mobility and significantly impact your life. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in offering non-invasive diagnostic services to uncover the root cause of your pain. If you’ve been dealing with frozen shoulder and haven’t found lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, typically within one working day. Medisave can often be used to cover the cost of these scans, making them more accessible for you.

We also assist with insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, so you can access the care you need without added financial burden.

Once we have a clear diagnosis, we can provide targeted treatments, solutions, and non-invasive technology to help alleviate your frozen shoulder and restore your mobility.

Ready to take control of your frozen shoulder? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and begin your journey toward lasting relief from frozen shoulder.

What To Expect When I Visit The Pain Relief Clinic

A typical visit will involve our doctor first understanding your medical history, concerns and previous experience with other pain treatments.

For patients who have consulted many people but have yet to receive a clear diagnosis, selecting an affordable imaging scan might be recommended to confirm the cause of your pain..

Some patients have already done scans with other doctors for their pain condition but are still not clearly told what they suffer from.

Dr Terence Tan is happy to offer you a second opinion and recommend how best to manage your condition.

We also see patients who already have a confirmed diagnosis from specialist pain doctors, but are "stuck” because treatment options offered are not practical or acceptable.

We can help by discussing options that you might have potentially never been told of.

A common experience is when a patient has already consulted a specialist doctor for pain management and is told to consider orthopaedic surgery which they find too aggressive.

Or they may have seen doctors for their pain and were prescribed painkillers with potential side effects which made them feel uncomfortable.

Many of our patients have also first tried complementary treatments or acupuncture with traditional Chinese pain doctors.

They look for a second opinion after finding any relief experienced from other treatments to be temporary or requiring repetitive treatments, which add up to time and cost.

Especially in such situations, we emphasize using non-invasive medical technology you likely have not been told about .

This can make a big difference to your results.