Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis and Ambulatory Continuous Interscalene Nerve Blocks

Primary Specific Aim: To determine if, compared with usual and customary analgesia, the addition of an ambulatory continuous interscalene nerve block will result in increased shoulder abduction following treatment for adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. Hypothesis: Following shoulder manipulation under a single-injection interscalene block for adhesive capsulitis, adding a three-day ambulatory continuous interscalene nerve blcok to usual and customary post-manipulation analgesia will result in a significantly greater shoulder abduction improvement the day following the manipulation. Secondary Specific Aims: To determine if, compared with usual and customary analgesia, the addition of an ambulatory continuous interscalene nerve block will result in an increased quality-of-life and shoulder range-of-motion, as well as a decreased chronic pain following treatment for adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. Hypothesis 1: Following shoulder manipulation under a single-injection interscalene blcok for adhesive capsulitis, adding a three-day ambulatory continuous interscalene nerve block to usual and customary post-manipulation analgesia will result in a significantly increased quality-of-life improvement and shoulder range-of-motion compared wiht baseline values after three months. Hypothesis 2: Following shoulder manipulation undera a single-injection interscalene block for adhesive capsulitis, adding a three-day ambulatory continuous interscalene nerve block to usual and costomary post-manipulation analgesia will result in a significantly decreased chronic pain compared with basedline falues after three months.