Frozen Shoulder and Tennis Elbow Treatments in Ottawa

​

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

​

The amount of pain and movement restriction you have in your shoulder will determine the type of treatment you will need. There are various treatments available; here are the main ones in no particular order.

 

From experience, one of our Ottawa physiotherapists found that 5 or 6 physiotherapy treatments with targeted exercises were all he needed for his own shoulder pain. The entire program took 6-8 weeks in total since his shoulder was in a very bad shape. This is not to say that physiotherapy is the only answer, but it was the only one that seemed to target and repair the cause of all the pain, not just treat the symptoms.

 

Other Options Available for Frozen Shoulder

Your frozen shoulder can also heal by itself, just like the rest of your body. To do so, you need to stop any activity that is hurting or aggravating the state of your shoulder. This is a long-term process as it can take up to 12 to 24 months.

 

You can also take pain killers or have a corticosteroid injection in your shoulder joint. This is aimed at reducing swelling and relieving pain. It is important to note that you need to keep using your shoulder altogether. Completely resting a frozen shoulder will only make matters worse. Gentle movements and specific exercises will help stretch and strengthen the muscle around the joint for better results.

 

Surgery is the last option if the above treatments do not alleviate your pain.

 

Tennis Elbow Treatment

​

Agreat majority of people will sooner or later suffer from what is commonly called tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).

 

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a swelling of the tendons in the elbow and forearm that causes extreme pain. Tendons are tissues that connect the muscles in your lower arm to the bone. They can cause a lot of pain when injured or strained.

 

Causes of Tennis Elbow

One does not have to play tennis to suffer from tennis elbow. The most common cause for tennis elbow is a repeated gripping motion such as movements found in types of sports involving a racquet: tennis, badminton, squash, etc., or a repetitive movement made at a workplace. This repetitive motion can create tiny tears in the tendon tissue.

 

You can also develop lateral epicondylitis from home activities or hobbies such as knitting, typing, playing computer games, painting, etc. In other words, from anything that requires the same repetitive motion.

 

Treatment for Tennis Elbow

Treatment ranges from taking pain killers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, to icing and exercise. A tensor band around a forearm can also help relieve the pain straight away to better help you recover in a short period of time. Another option is surgery, though most cases can be treated without surgery.