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Adhesive capsulitis

Frozen shoulder& shoulder pain.

A shoulder that hurts at night and will not lift: treated for the stage it is in, so movement comes back without forcing it.

What it is

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a condition in which the capsule around the shoulder joint becomes inflamed, thickened and tight. It usually moves through phases: a painful phase, when the shoulder hurts even at rest and at night; a stiff phase, when the pain eases but movement stays badly restricted; and a recovery phase, when range gradually returns. It is most common between 40 and 60, and more common in people with diabetes or thyroid conditions. Not every painful, stiff shoulder is a frozen shoulder: rotator cuff problems and impingement can look similar, which is why the assessment comes first.

How we treat it

  1. 01An assessment to confirm the diagnosis and its phase, and to rule out rotator cuff problems and pain referred from the neck.
  2. 02In the painful phase: settling pain with gentle mobilisation, positioning and pain-free movement, never forcing range.
  3. 03In the stiff phase: graded joint mobilisation and stretching to win range back progressively.
  4. 04Strengthening of the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles as movement returns.
  5. 05A short daily home routine, because a frozen shoulder responds to frequent, gentle work between sessions.

When to see a doctor first. See a doctor promptly if shoulder pain follows a fall or injury and you cannot lift the arm, or if it comes with chest pain, breathlessness, sweating, fever, or a hot, swollen joint.

From patients who had it

  • Thanks Dr, have fully recovered from left hand frozen shoulder. Now feeling better. Thank you so much!

    Manoj KoliFrozen shoulder · Google review

  • I was suffering from severe shoulder pain. After coming here, I got a lot of relief and feel much better now.

    Rajesh KumarShoulder pain · Google review

Commonquestions.

How long does a frozen shoulder last?
It varies widely. Left alone it can take a long time to resolve, often more than a year. Physiotherapy aims to manage the pain and regain movement sooner, and the timeline depends on the phase you are in when you start.
Should I keep moving a frozen shoulder if it hurts?
Yes, within limits. Gentle movement helps, but forcing painful stretches in the early, inflamed phase can make it flare. We will show you exactly how far to go for your stage.
How do I know it is a frozen shoulder and not something else?
Rotator cuff problems, impingement, arthritis and pain referred from the neck can all look similar. A proper examination tells them apart, and each one is treated differently.

Treatments we use for it

Other conditions