Frozen shoulder (Adhesive capsulitis)
Frozen shoulder is a condition whereby your shoulder capsule thickens and becomes stiff
and tight over time. In the early stages you may also experience dull aching pain. This
condition can be broken down into 3 stages:
Stage 1, Freezing: Lasts between 6 weeks to 9 months. You begin to experience worsening
pain during this stage. Due to this you start to lose the range of motion in your joint.
Stage 2, Frozen: During the 4-12 months of the frozen stage, normal day-to-day activities
become difficult to do. Pain may start to improve during this stage but stiffness still remains.
Stage 3, Thawing: Shoulder movements start to improve. Complete return to normal
movement and strength may typically take between 6 months to 2 years.
There currently is no clear cause as to why people get frozen shoulders. However there is a
correlation between frozen shoulder and diabetes, immobilisation and other medical
conditions such as hypo/hyperthyroidism, cardiac disease and Parkinson’s.
- Pain medication - Please refer to your doctor for appropriate prescription
- Physiotherapy (advice, exercises, manual therapy, thermotherapy, electrotherapy,
and acupuncture)
- Intra-articular corticosteroid injection
NHS - Corticosteroid injections: Steroid injections - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
