Shoulder stiffness that prevents you from reaching overhead or behind your back may be adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder.
Soris Pain & Vascular Institute treats frozen shoulder with shoulder artery embolization (SAE), a minimally invasive alternative to surgery or prolonged physical therapy.
Our physicians use catheter-based embolization to reduce the abnormal blood vessel growth that fuels shoulder inflammation and pain.
Frozen shoulder begins with a dull ache that intensifies over weeks. The pain often worsens at night and disrupts sleep. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute evaluates shoulder pain to determine whether embolization is appropriate.
As the shoulder capsule thickens, both active and passive motion decrease. Patients struggle to lift their arm, rotate it externally, or reach behind their back.
Frozen shoulder advances through freezing (increasing pain), frozen (maximum stiffness), and thawing (gradual recovery) phases. Without intervention, the full cycle lasts 12 to 24 months.
Diabetic patients develop frozen shoulder at two to four times the rate of the general population. Thyroid disorders and hormonal imbalances also increase susceptibility.
Shoulder surgery, rotator cuff injury, or stroke-related immobility triggers capsular contracture. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute sees frozen shoulder frequently in patients recovering from upper extremity procedures.
Shoulder Artery Embolization (SAE) threads a microcatheter through a wrist or groin artery to the abnormal vessels feeding the inflamed shoulder capsule.
Microscopic particles block these vessels and reduce the inflammation driving pain and stiffness. Soris Pain & Vascular performs SAE as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia.
Structured stretching and strengthening restore range of motion after inflammation subsides. SAE reduces pain enough for patients to participate in physical therapy within days of the procedure.
Corticosteroid injections, oral anti-inflammatories, and hydrodilatation provide temporary symptom relief. Soris Pain & Vascular offers embolization when these measures fail to produce lasting improvement.
Related Conditions
Frozen shoulder shares inflammatory mechanisms with tennis elbow and other joint conditions treated through artery embolization. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute applies the same catheter-based approach to multiple musculoskeletal pain conditions.
FAQ
SAE blocks the tiny abnormal blood vessels that sustain chronic inflammation in the shoulder capsule. Reducing blood supply to these vessels decreases pain and allows the shoulder to begin healing.
Soris Pain & Vascular Institute performs SAE through a small catheter inserted at the wrist.
Most patients notice pain reduction within one to two weeks. Range of motion improves progressively over four to eight weeks as inflammation resolves. Soris Pain & Vascular discharges SAE patients the same day.
Insurance coverage for shoulder artery embolization varies by plan and clinical documentation. The Soris Pain & Vascular team works with your insurance provider to verify benefits before scheduling.
Board-certified physicians bringing hospital-level, minimally invasive interventional procedures to outpatient centers.
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