Frozen shoulder treatment in London
Stop the stiffness and regain your sleep. Rapid assessment, hydrodilatation injections, and keyhole release surgery with Mr Toby Baring.
Seeing patients at King Edward VII and One Welbeck and St John and Elizabeth hospital
Is this treatment right for you?
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is distinct from a tear. If you have these specific symptoms, you are likely in the 'freezing' or 'frozen' phase.
The hard stop Your arm feels physically blocked when you try to rotate it outwards or reach behind your back.
Sudden sharp pain: Jarring the arm (e.g., bumping a doorframe) causes excruciating pain that takes minutes to settle.
Night pain: You cannot sleep on the affected side, and the ache is constant.
Duration: You have had symptoms for months, and they are getting worse, not better.
Not sure? Read more about Frozen shoulders here
Hydrodilatation & arthroscopic release
You do not have to wait 2 years for it to thaw naturally. Mr Baring offers a staged approach to break the cycle of pain and stiffness.
Option 1: Hydrodilatation
A specialised high-volume injection performed under ultrasound guidance. We stretch the tight capsule from the inside out using saline and steroid. This often provides rapid pain relief and improves movement without surgery.
Option 2: Arthroscopic capsular release
For stubborn cases, we perform a keyhole procedure to remove the scar tissue and release the tight ligaments.
Day case: You go home the same day.
Immediate physio: You need to start moving the arm with the aid of physio within a few days of surgery so scar tissue does not build up again.
Understanding Frozen Shoulders.
You do not have to wait 18–24 months for a frozen shoulder to thaw naturally. The wait and see approach often leads to unnecessary suffering and prolonged sleep loss.
Mr Baring advocates for a proactive, staged approach to break the cycle of pain and stiffness. We offer two primary interventions depending on the severity and duration of your symptoms.
1. Hydrodilatation (High-Volume Injection) This is often the first line of treatment for patients in the early freezing phase.
- The Procedure: Performed under ultrasound guidance, we inject a mixture of saline, local anaesthetic, and steroid into the shoulder joint.
- The Mechanism: The fluid physically stretches the tight capsule from the inside out (a liquid expansion), while the steroid powerfully reduces the inflammation.
- The Outcome: Many patients report rapid relief from night pain within 48 hours, allowing them to finally sleep and begin effective physiotherapy.
2. Arthroscopic Capsular Release (Keyhole Surgery) For more stubborn cases, especially for diabetic patients where injections have failed, surgery is the definitive solution.
- The Procedure: This is a minimally invasive day-case procedure. Using tiny incisions (less than 1cm), Mr Baring inserts a high-definition camera and a radiofrequency probe to meticulously cut through the thickened, scarred ligaments.
- The Release: By physically cutting and releasing the tight capsule, the mechanical restriction is instantly removed. We also manipulate the shoulder to achieve full range of motion while you are under general anaesthetic.
- The Recovery: You wake up with much improved shoulder movement. The key to success is immediate, intensive physiotherapy to maintain this new motion.
Recovery Timeline
This isn't the same for everyone but this gives you a rough idea of the recovery time we expect from a normal Frozen shoulder repair.
We work with the following insurers
If you don't see your insurer listed please reach out and we will chat through the options with you.
Customer testimonials
Some of the nice things people have said about us.
My recovery was fast, which attests to Dr Baring's expertise in shoulder surgery.
Highly recommendable specialist with a great support team.
He has also taken an interest in my health generally; he has gone to the trouble of finding for me a specialist for another problem. I cannot speak more highly of his care.
Pricing and Insurance
How much does Frozen shoulder treatment cost?
pre-authorisation data for you.
This price is for injection therapy, which is suitable for 98% of patients. If surgery is required this can be discussed further.
We work with the following insurers
If you don't see your insurer listed please reach out and we will chat through the options with you.
Locations
The locations you can meet Mr Toby Baring for Consultation or Surgery.
FAQs
Commonly asked questions about Frozen Shoulder in London
No - you can book yourself directly into clinic here
Yes, frozen shoulder is self-limiting, meaning it will eventually thaw. However, this natural cycle can take 12 months to 5 years. Most patients choose treatment to avoid years of pain and disability.
Even keyhole surgery is painful but we do the operation under a general anaesthetic and a nerve block, the latter which provide complete pain relief for the first 12-18 hours, following this pain is usually well controlled with simple oral pain-killers. Most patients report that the surgical soreness is far less than the constant "frozen" pain they lived with before.
Recurrence in the same shoulder is rare after successful treatment. However, there is a high risk of developing it in the other shoulder at some point in the future.
Many patients feel relief from the deep ache within 48 hours as the steroid takes effect. The improvement in range of motion is often gradual over the following weeks as physiotherapy continues.
Still have questions?
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Start your recovery today.
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