TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PATIENTS

The MCD (Manual Capsular Dissection) Procedure is a non-surgical operation, pioneered by Dr. Oolo-Austin. It effectively and immediately restores mobility and range of motion to a frozen shoulder. It is the first such procedure ever developed and is a historic medical breakthrough as Adhesive Capsulitis Frozen Shoulder has been cited in all medical journals as incurable.  Although many have tried, no other doctor in the world has been able to effectively and safely cure frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) in one visit. Dr. Oolo-Austin is the first.

NO. The MCD Procedure is a quite safe, neurologically controlled, interactive re-mobilization of the shoulder joint capsule which results in very specific, targeted separation of the offending adhesive scar tissue and restored mobility to the shoulder and arm. High-velocity thrust or passive range of motion manipulation of a frozen shoulder is absolutely not recommended. Doing so can significantly worsen and prolong the condition and/or cause serious damage to the shoulder capsule, tendons, ligaments and holding elements. Research proves that standard physical-therapy type of treatments for frozen shoulder will not speed up recovery and will often lengthen recovery and worsen the condition.  Aggressive physiotherapy or chiropractic manipulation treatments for a frozen shoulder are potentially dangerous and worsen the condition.

NO. But because tissues are carefully dissected and separated during the MCD operative procedure, one could technically define it as a form of “manual surgery”. The MCD Procedure is not traditional surgery because no external cuts or incisions of any kind are made. The MCD Procedure does, however, fall within the published definition of the word “operation” albeit, non-surgical in the conventional sense. As one physiotherapist described it, “The MCD Procedure is a paradox. “Dr. Oolo-Austin seems to be doing surgery without surgery.”

YES in most cases. Significant ranges of passive shoulder motion are returned immediately in most cases while others still require a little time for complete restoration. Almost every MCD patient will experience immediate near-full restoration of abduction (side raising) and greatly increased internal rotation. However, external rotation–sometimes referred to as the “I solemnly swear” position, will often purposely not be completely restored during the MCD operation as this particular position poses the greatest risk of injury. Dr. Oolo-Austin prefers to be particularly cautious in order not to incur any complications or damage, so he will often leave a small area of adhesions un-dissected. These adhesions always open by themselves later on during the specialized frozen shoulder home exercises prescribed by Dr. O and performed by the patient in weeks following the operation. In a minority of cases however, Dr. Oolo-Austin will restore full external rotation immediately. Each MCD procedure he performs will have different parameters and each patient’s case will be assessed and treated uniquely as a result.

YES. Many patients report a worsening of their frozen shoulder condition following aggressive physical therapy, soft-tissue myofascial-release muscle stripping techniques, or chiropractic adjustments of the neck or shoulder. This is because adhesive capsulitis is an inflammatory mediated disease and the shoulder and neck is thus highly reactive to treatment in which attempts are made to aggressively stretch the deep capsular adhesions. Research studies show that physical therapy either does not help or worsens the condition. Although often recommended by medical physicians, the clinical and research evidence points to the fact that physical therapy is CONTRAINDICATED for adhesive capsulitis frozen shoulder. Persons afflicted with adhesive capsulitis should not be getting any such treatments in our opinion. Active muscle release techniques, myofascial release treatments as well as muscle stripping or scraping with steel or plastic instruments (Graston) are completely inappropriate to treat severe deep joint capsule adhesions as they are only designed to target chronic superficial adhesions in the muscles and surrounding soft tissues. These kinds of treatments make no sense for this condition as they inadvertently or often purposely create an increase in local tissue inflammation which is the worst thing one can do for this condition! The fascia and muscles are not where the primary problem is in frozen shoulder. This is why so many patients resorting to this kind of improper treatment report a lot of pain during the treatments and a significant worsening of their condition. No treatment that is painful should ever be applied to an adhesive capsulitis frozen shoulder! If patients do feel some improvement during the course of physical treatments, it is generally because they would have been improving at that point in the progression of the disease anyway. Therapists or chiropractors, meaning well but trying too hard, in their futile frustration to treat frozen shoulder, will often find that they actually make the shoulder more painful and frozen and, as a result, the patient will unfortunately suffer with the pain of this condition for much longer than they would have otherwise. AVOID AGGRESSIVE THERAPIES for this reason!

NO. There is no other treatment method which can safely restore range of motion to a frozen shoulder in one visit. Most patients, who do not have underlying complications, muscle atrophy, nerve damage, or joint degeneration, are able to lift and lower their arm so that it is vertically beside their ear within 1 hour of having undergone the MCD Procedure. In cases where there is significant degenerative atrophy of the shoulder muscles, patients will be able to get their arm up vertically immediately following the MCD however, some weeks of rehabilitative strengthening exercises and neuromuscular re-training will be needed to enable them to actively raise it up themselves.

YES IN MOST CASES. Full or near-full side-raise motion and considerable arm-up-behind-the-back range of motion is usually restored immediately following the MCD. All ranges of motion will be recovered following the MCD. However it is not possible to immediately return the full range of motion in outward rotation of the shoulder in some cases. If the frozen shoulder is very severe (Grade 2 or 3), then performing the MCD Procedure in the full range of outward rotation direction has potential risk of injury.

This being the case, once the MCD operation has been performed, patients are given specialized self-treatment exercises which, if they do not have underlying complicating conditions or degenerative changes to the shoulder joint, enable full restoration of all ranges and functions. Our clinical survey research has shown that the majority of patients without degenerative joint disease or other significant complications such as tendonitis or bursitis, fully recover within 1 month of having the MCD Procedure. 98% of patients completely recover their range of motion after three months.

The MCD Procedure is very much a “non-surgical operation”. As a result, the first pain that the patient will experience is the often intense pain due to the dissection of the adhesive tissues in the frozen shoulder. The majority of this dissection (and the corresponding pain) occurs in 3 stages which take up a relatively brief period of the entire operation . There will also often be some less intense pain during the remainder of the 45-90 minute procedure.

Although the MCD patients’ pain is minimized through medication, patients may still experience various levels of pain depending on their individual pain thresholds (everyone is different). From our experience, we have observed the following:

• Approximately 30% of MCD patients experience little pain during the procedure
• Approximately 30% of MCD patients experience some intense pain levels during the procedure
• The remaining patients experience pain somewhere in between these ranges
• 100% of satisfied patients who have undergone the MCD Procedure say that the relatively brief pain they experienced was well worth their newly gained freedom

We would like to stress that the more realistic question would be “How painful is the MCD Procedure compared to 2-5 years of pain (or even a lifetime of disability), including the pain caused by bone and tissue degeneration from a long-term freeze-up?” The obvious answer is that even one hour of pain is well worth not having to suffer for years with disability, pain, poor quality of life and the inability to carry on your daily activities without the burden of this dreadful condition.

NB: In July 2020, we have moved the procedure to an advanced medical facility which specializes in pain treatment. Using new innovative medical procedures, we are endeavoring to be able to anethetise the patient in such a way that they remain conscious but will not experience any pain during the MCD Operation. Not all cases will necessarily qualify for this new approach but, if this new method is used during your operation, it is our hope that you will not experience any pain.

The MCD Procedure is a non-surgical medical operation. As with any medical intervention, it is natural for some post-op pain or soreness to occur and the level and duration of the pain varies with each person–everyone is different. A minority of patients do not have pain but experience tightness and discomfort for a limited duration.

After the Frozen Shoulder MCD non-surgical operation, most patients will experience varying degrees of pain due to post-op inflammation, re-absorption by the body of dissected tissues, the necessary healing of raw dissected tissue , the rehabilitation of shortened or atrophied (degenerated) muscles, and the continuing ill effects and symptoms of any underlying conditions such as bursitis, tendinitis, or arthritis. There may also be some pain during specific movements or at the end ranges of motion for a few days to a few weeks after the procedure. Any night pain usually disappears the first night or two after the MCD Procedure. Most patients sleep well but a few experience night pain due to muscle soreness which can affect sleep quality. The post-op pain will decrease over time, especially when the exercise regimen is followed.

Compared to physiotherapy, MUA, Hydrodilatation, surgery, and other such treatments, patients who undergo the MCD Procedure experience drastically less soreness and discomfort in the weeks after treatment. Our clinical studies have shown that 25% of patients have no pain one week post-op, 50% of patients have no pain at one month. In the absence of underlying conditions which may complicate or prolong the normal recovery process (depending on the condition), 98% of patients are noted to have full recovery in 12 weeks. Please keep in mind that patients who have had frozen shoulder longer and, as a result, have suffered joint deterioration and muscle atrophy, will usually take longer to completely recover. Every patient’s case is unique.

Dr. Oolo-Austin’s MCD Procedure is designed to specifically open the shoulder joint and restore range of motion. However, if underlying conditions exist, these conditions will sometimes need to be addressed with additional interventions during the recovery process, which may last longer than three months. Furthermore, these underlying conditions can only be effectively treated after the shoulder joint is opened through the MCD Procedure. The MCD Procedure is therefore the first and most important step to regaining full shoulder health.

YES and NO. Follow-up rehabilitation treatments are often not necessary but they are recommended in certain cases. All frozen shoulder patients are provided with specific post-op exercises which they are to conduct daily for 3 months following their MCD Procedure. Follow-up therapy, by another health practitioner, conducted too soon after the MCD Procedure can re-aggravate the condition somewhat. In order to prevent this occurrence and to allow complete post-op recovery of the shoulder joint, it is not recommended for our patients to do active post-op rehabilitation therapy (if needed) until 4-6 weeks have passed. If the shoulder is a Grade 2 or 3 frozen shoulder, follow up therapy for complicating underlying soft tissue conditions which are often present, will lessen the overall recovery time. Dr. Oolo-Austin’s novel neurological muscular treatment protocols will quickly restore brain and muscle communication to optimize and restore shoulder muscle strength and function lost due to long-term immobility.

NO. Tearing is very non-specific and will pull, break, and damage the good, healthy tissue to which the scar tissue is attached. Tearing is what occurs with Manipulation Under General Anesthseia (MUA) and Hydrodilation which is very non-specific and, according to studies, often causes collateral permanent damage. The MCD non-surgical operation involves careful isolation and very specific dissection of only the bad tissue and none of the good. The difference between tearing and dissecting is significant. Tearing is dangerous and dissection is safe if it is properly controlled.