Frozen shoulder syndrome is a common health issue. If you have frozen shoulder syndrome, you may experience stiffness, pain, and loss of range of motion. This happens when tissues around the shoulder joint thicken and squeeze the joint.
If left untreated, frozen shoulder syndrome may become worse over time.
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Doctors define frozen shoulder as a common condition that occurs when the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint become inflamed. The inflamed tissues squeeze the joint, causing limited shoulder movement and potential pain.
Frozen shoulder syndrome is also known as adhesive capsulitis.
Frozen shoulder affects 2% of the general population.
What are the stages of frozen shoulder?
Frozen shoulder often occurs in three stages:
The cause of frozen shoulder isn't clear. It's more likely to happen if you need to keep your arm still for an extended period, like during recovery from surgery or a broken bone.
Age and gender are both risk factors for frozen shoulder. Those between the ages of 40 and 60 are more likely to get frozen shoulder. It's also more common in women.
Some health issues or injuries can increase your risk of developing frozen shoulder. If you have to keep your arm still for a long time during treatment, it can increase your risk of frozen shoulder.
This might include treatment for:
Also at a higher risk for frozen shoulder are people who have chronic health issues, such as:
Most cases of frozen shoulder clear up over time.
If left untreated, severe cases of frozen shoulder may cause:
Complete immobilization is also a common complication of frozen shoulder.
You can lower your chances of getting frozen shoulder with physical therapy. If you hurt your shoulder and have pain, talk to your doctor so you can begin treatment as soon as possible.
Your doctor or physical therapist can develop an exercise plan to help you recover from your injury.
Frozen shoulder occurs in three stages — freezing, frozen, and thawing — and symptoms often increase and change over time.
If you have frozen shoulder, you might feel a dull, aching pain in the outer shoulder or upper arm. Pain and stiffness may feel worse when you attempt to move the joint.
The most common symptoms of frozen shoulder include:
If your doctor suspects that you have frozen shoulder, they'll run tests to confirm their diagnosis. This will also help your doctor rule out other possible diagnoses, like arthritis or a broken bone.
Your doctor will order imaging tests to diagnose frozen shoulder, such as:
Frozen shoulder often gets better on its own over time and with nonsurgical treatments.
Your doctor might suggest nonsurgical treatments to:
Nonsurgical treatments may include:
For most people, the pain goes away, and they can move their arm better with this type of treatment. But some may not get back all the movement, and stiffness might last for a long time.
Most people — more than nine out of 10 — feel better with these types of treatments and don't need surgery.
If you have severe frozen shoulder symptoms or nonsurgical treatment doesn't help, your doctor might talk to you about frozen shoulder surgery. The goal of surgery is to stretch or loosen the tight joint capsule in the shoulder.
The two common types of surgery for frozen shoulder are:
The recovery process is lengthy and can take up to three years. Treatments can help manage pain and speed recovery.
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