How Long Does Shoulder Embolization Last?

If shoulder embolization relieves your pain, the natural next question is whether the relief will hold. The honest answer is that results in published studies have generally held up for as long as patients were followed, which in the longest study was about 3 years. But few studies have tracked patients that long, and durability is one of the main open questions researchers are still working on.

What the longest studies show

The pattern across these studies is encouraging. Pain relief that appeared in the first weeks to months generally did not fade during follow-up. In the 2017 Japanese study, function scores kept climbing after the 6-month mark. You can see how results build over the first months in our recovery timeline.

Why relief may last even with temporary agents

The first shoulder study, published in 2014, found abnormal new blood vessels near the front of the capsule in all 7 patients treated. Researchers proposed that these vessels, and the small nerves that grow with them, are a source of ongoing pain. That is the target of the procedure.

Many shoulder programs use embolic agents designed to break down quickly, such as imipenem/cilastatin particles, quick-dissolving gelatin, or resorbable microspheres. It might seem that a temporary blockage would lead to temporary relief. The theory is that briefly reducing blood flow to the abnormal vessels interrupts the cycle of inflammation and nerve sensitization that keeps the shoulder painful. Imaging studies support this idea. A 2023 study of 15 patients found that PET scan signs of inflammation fell 8 weeks after embolization, and a 2025 study of 25 patients found MRI signs of capsule inflammation decreased at 3 months.

Once the inflammation settles and the shoulder starts moving again, frozen shoulder does not usually return in the same shoulder. In a 2008 Oxford study of 223 patients with frozen shoulder, there were no recurrent cases in the same shoulder, though 20% of patients had symptoms in both shoulders at some point.

When results are partial or fade

Not everyone gets a lasting result. Here is what the studies report:

• Some patients need a second procedure. In a 2025 Taiwanese study, 3 of 25 patients had a second embolization 1 to 2 months after the first because their relief was not enough.
• Diabetes may limit long-term benefit. In the 2024 Spanish study, all 6 patients with diabetes still needed pain medicine at longer-term follow-up.
• Pain relief and stiffness can follow different paths. Relief from pain may be durable while some loss of motion persists, especially in a shoulder that was very stiff to begin with.
• A different problem may appear. Shoulders can develop new issues, such as a rotator cuff tear or arthritis, that are unrelated to the original frozen shoulder.

This article is part of our Embolization Guide.

The limits of what we know

The evidence on durability has real gaps:

• Only a few studies followed patients for more than a year, and most were small
• Long-term follow-up in some studies was done by phone or chart review rather than in-person exams
• Without a comparison group, it is hard to separate lasting benefit from embolization from natural improvement, which also happens with frozen shoulder over time

A 2026 review of musculoskeletal embolization concluded that pain-directed procedures like this one still need comparative trials "to define durability and clinical value." For the full picture of the research, see shoulder embolization research and success rates.

How frozen shoulder behaves without embolization

To judge durability, it helps to know the usual course of the condition. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that frozen shoulder generally gets better over time without surgery, though it may take up to 3 years. The 2008 Oxford study found that, an average of 4.4 years after symptoms began, 59% of patients had normal or near-normal shoulders and 41% had ongoing symptoms, usually mild. Only 6% had severe pain and loss of function.

So for many people, the goal of embolization is not to change where the shoulder ends up years from now. It is to shorten the painful phase, restore sleep, and make rehabilitation possible sooner. Whether embolization also improves long-term outcomes is not yet known. Read more about the stages in frozen shoulder causes, symptoms, and stages.

How this compares with the durability of other treatments

Every frozen shoulder treatment has its own timeline of benefit, and it is fair to compare them, with the caution that the studies were designed differently.

• Steroid injections. A 2020 meta-analysis of 65 studies with 4,097 participants found that injections into the joint gave the clearest short-term benefit, especially when given within the first year and combined with home exercises. A Cochrane review found that by 6 and 12 months, differences between injection and physical therapy were no longer clinically important.
• Hydrodilatation. A Cochrane review of 5 trials with 196 people found short-term benefits in pain, motion, and function, with uncertainty about whether they outlast other treatments.
• Surgery. In the UK FROST trial of 503 patients, manipulation under anesthesia, capsular release, and early physiotherapy with a steroid injection all reached similar shoulder scores at 12 months.

In other words, most treatments for frozen shoulder end up in a similar place at 1 year. Where they differ is in how quickly they relieve pain, how invasive they are, and what risks they carry. Embolization studies suggest relief that starts within weeks and holds through the follow-up period, but the comparison trials that would confirm an advantage have not been completed.

Helping your results last

• Keep moving. Follow your home exercise program even after pain improves. Motion that is regained needs to be maintained.
• Manage blood sugar. Diabetes is strongly linked to frozen shoulder, and better control is good for your overall health.
• Keep follow-up visits. Reporting early if pain creeps back gives your doctor more options.
• Watch the other shoulder. Early care for new stiffness on the opposite side may help.

Questions to ask your doctor

• How long do you follow patients after shoulder embolization?
• What do you do if relief is partial? Is a repeat procedure an option?
• How might my diabetes or thyroid condition affect how long results last?
• How will we decide whether I need surgery later?

For background on embolization in other joints, see the embolization guide, or visit our shoulder embolization page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does shoulder embolization last?

In published studies, relief generally held for as long as patients were followed, up to an average of about 3 years in the longest study. Longer-term data are limited.

Can frozen shoulder come back after embolization?

Studies with follow-up of about 2 to 3 years reported no recurrence in treated shoulders. Frozen shoulder can, however, develop in the other shoulder.

Can shoulder embolization be repeated?

Yes, in some cases. In one 2025 study, 3 of 25 patients had a second procedure within about 2 months because the first did not give enough relief.

Does embolization change the long-term outcome of frozen shoulder?

That is not yet known. Its main documented benefit is faster relief of pain and improved motion in the months after treatment.

Keep Reading

• Shoulder Embolization in Manhattan
• Is Shoulder Embolization Covered by Insurance?
• Is Shoulder Embolization Painful? What to Expect Before, During, and After
• Your Shoulder Embolization Consultation Guide
• Shoulder Embolization Recovery Timeline: Week by Week
• Shoulder Embolization Research and Success Rates: An Honest Review
• Embolization Guide: knee, heel, shoulder, elbow and hip

Sources

1. Okuno et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg, 2014 — pilot study of arterial embolization for adhesive capsulitis (7 patients)
2. Okuno et al., J Vasc Interv Radiol, 2017 — embolization for adhesive capsulitis resistant to conservative treatment (25 patients)
3. Fernández Martínez et al., Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol, 2021 — mid-term results of embolization for adhesive capsulitis (40 patients)
4. Lanciego et al., J Vasc Interv Radiol, 2024 — midterm outcomes of embolization for adhesive capsulitis (20 patients)
5. Fernández Martínez et al., Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol, 2025 — clinical outcomes of shoulder artery embolization (118 patients)
6. van Zadelhoff et al., J Vasc Interv Radiol, 2025 — safety of three temporary embolic agents in joint embolization (431 patients)
7. Shintaku et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg, 2023 — FDG-PET inflammation changes after embolization in frozen shoulder (15 patients)
8. Liang et al., Korean J Radiol, 2025 — clinical and MRI outcomes of embolization for adhesive capsulitis (25 patients)
9. Hand et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg, 2008 — long-term outcome of frozen shoulder (223 patients)
10. Pelage et al., CVIR Endovasc, 2026 — transarterial embolization in musculoskeletal care: evidence by indication
11. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo — Frozen Shoulder
12. Challoumas et al., JAMA Netw Open, 2020 — comparison of treatments for frozen shoulder: systematic review and meta-analysis
13. Page et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2014 — manual therapy and exercise for adhesive capsulitis
14. Buchbinder et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2008 — arthrographic distension (hydrodilatation) for adhesive capsulitis
15. Rangan et al., Lancet, 2020 — UK FROST randomized trial: MUA vs capsular release vs early physiotherapy (503 patients)

Medically reviewed by David Fox, MD, FACS, RPVI. This article is general information, not a substitute for a medical evaluation.

Living with joint or tendon pain that hasn’t improved? Schedule a consultation with Dr. David Fox at Fox Vein & Vascular in Manhattan to find out whether embolization is right for you. Call (212) 362-3470 or request an appointment online.