Hydrostatic distension - hydrodilation?

Hi Rose, it is great (or at least it was for me, but these things will never work for everybody).  All-in cost for me included MRI scan, initial consultation, two treatments and final consultation.  Including train fares to and from London cost me around £2,000.  Not cheap but based on results I would have paid five times as much.  When I saw Simon he was working out of two private hospitals, and he and his PA kindly arranged for me to visit him at his "less expensive" one, as I was self-funding!  Charming man, excellent team, miracle cure.

Thank you Terry. It does sound amazing. Hopefully sometime soon the NHS will start offering it. Surely saline is cheaper than cortisone for them. In the meantime, I've paid for a lot of home improvements in the last six months so unless business really picks up (which it might) I'll trust that my body heal itself. I am at least two months into the freezing stage & am hopeful that I'll be in the frozen stage by Dec.

As a person who hates taking meds, I am taking turmeric with piperine (didn't realise this made such a difference until I ran out of them for 4 days), I grate A LOT of fresh ginger into my juice each morning & eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods. I am also having acupuncture & cupping. I find that chilli muscle rub really helps with the pain at night. Warm baths & showers ease the symptoms a little too but I hate the awkwardness & frustration of getting out of the bath with one working arm!

There may be limited availability for this on the NHS - I know the consultant I saw also does some NHS work (in the north-west) - but I suspect you'd really have to fight (and wait) for it and there may be nothing locally.  I was simply offered physiotherapy (with a 3 month waiting list) and painkillers.  I was lucky enough to have access to BUPA through my hubbies job and the physiotherapist I saw recommended hydrodilatation.

Many GPs seem to know little about frozen shoulders and often have little realisation or sympathy for how painful and disabling it can be.  There are also lots of different ideas on how best to treat it and as most cases do eventually get better on their own (in time) it's easier for them to do very liittle about it!   All I know is that hydrodilatation (confusingly also known as "hydrostatic distention", "Arthrographic Distension" and often mis-spelled as hydrodilation) worked well for me.

Your shoulder will eventually go through the stages and get better and if you can cope, your GP will be happy that you aren't bothering him or costing the NHS more than a few painkillers!  If it gets any worse, don't hesitate to go back to the doctor and try to insist on seeing a consultant, if you can't afford to see one privately.  Good luck and I wish you a speedy recovery from this awful condition!

good morning maria, could you tell me where the consultant is in north west, im hoping it is near leeds, what was his name please

The guy I saw is called Lennard Funk and is based in Cheshire.

Thank you Maria

Hi Maggie where did u get the treatment done for your fs none of the GPs know what husoital does this treatment or even where to refer me I'm from hornchurch Essex in England . Where did u get yours done ? I've suffered 3 months and in agony and taking painkillers constantly !! Lorraine 

Hi lorstan 

I had my procedure at Highfield hospital Rochdale , most private hospitals do this procedure, however the price in London is triple the price in the north , it cost £320 , worth every penny , your consultant could put you on the waiting list through the nhs however I believe the waiting time is months , you need to have had a mri scan to determine its a frozen shoulder first then you can ask for the procedure , I had it done over 3 months ago and iv been pain free since , and I would say iv got 95%movment back in my shoulder .  

Good luck , it might be worth a train journey to the north 

Hi Lorraine 

Wellington hospital in London however if I was you I would shop around the consultant there is called Simon moyes he’s the guy who pioneered this orocedure so is very expensive , I was originally booked with him and was willing to travel however when I started to look on line for private hospitals nearest to me I was shocked at the price difference 

Good luck 

Hi Lorraine 

Can I just ask , are you under a consultant ? And have you had a scan with a diagnosis of FS ?