Shoulder pain can occur due to a number of reasons, including sprains, brachial plexus injury, fractures, dislocated shoulder, osteoarthritis. However, two of the more common causes for shoulder pain include rotator cuff tear and adhesive capsulitis (commonly known as ‘frozen shoulder’)
1. Medicines / Pharmacotherapy :
One of the easiest techniques for pain control is using conservative care (e.g., resting the impacted part, using hot/cold packs) along with medicines, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and adding a neuropathic agent in case of chronification of pain
2. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy :
PRP therapy involves injecting platelets from the patient’s own blood to rebuild a damaged tendon or cartilage. It has been successful in not only relieving the pain, but also in jumpstarting the healing process. The patient’s blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge for 15 minutes to separate out the platelets. The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the damaged portion of the tendon or cartilage.
3. Injections :
Intralesional injections in the impacted part can provide significant pain relief in cases where medicines haven’t worked. Such interventional techniques should be followed by regular stretching and exercises for better results.
4. Suprascapular Nerve Block :
Many treatment options for adhesive capsulitis have been described, including rest, NSAIDs, active and passive mobilization, physiotherapy, intra-articular corticosteroids, manipulation under anaesthesia when conservative treatment fails, and finally arthroscopic capsular release. One of the main goals of treatment is to restore shoulder function through manipulation and therapeutic exercises in which the patient must cooperate and take an active part. The most important factor limiting patients’ cooperation in exercise is pain. Hence, regional nerve block, attributable to its role in pain relief, can be used before the exercise program. Among various nerve block techniques, suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) is an effective and simple method for the management of shoulder pain