Frozen shoulder is a common and painful condition where patients find themselves unable to move the shoulder joint freely anymore. Typically this is accompanied by terrible pain, compounding the immobility with true suffering.
The treatments for frozen shoulder are myriad, and may include various combinations of physical therapy, steroid injections, or shoulder surgery. But a lesser known treatment is gaining some traction nowadays, thanks in part to a recent study which showed that the treatment, known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or shockwave therapy, is more effective than many suspected. In a basic experiment, it offered marked improvements:
Functional improvements were significant compared with baseline at 2 months, with further amelioration at 4 and 6 months. These included an overall 3.14-fold decrease in the Visual Analog Scale, a 2.97-fold reduction in the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Score questionnaire, and a 39.7% increase in the Constant Shoulder Score.
It should be noted that this study was conducted of diabetics, and that there was no control group or randomized assignment of treatments. Still, it was an impressive result, and one which should beget further study in the coming years.
If you want the latest treatments for frozen shoulder in San Diego, contact Dr. Holland here today.
