Frozen Shoulder Treatment
Treatment for stiff, painful shoulder joints.
Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder capsule thickens and tightens, causing progressive pain and stiffness that can severely limit movement. It typically develops gradually over months, often without a clear triggering injury, and most cases eventually improve with time and appropriate treatment, though the process can take a year or more to fully resolve.
Types
Primary Frozen Shoulder
Develops without any clear underlying cause or preceding injury.
Secondary Frozen Shoulder
Develops following an injury, surgery, or period of shoulder immobilisation.
Diabetic Frozen Shoulder
A form seen more frequently and often more severely in people with diabetes.
Common Causes
The exact trigger for frozen shoulder is often unclear, though certain factors are known to increase the likelihood of developing it.
- Prolonged shoulder immobilisation - following surgery, injury, or a period of reduced arm use.
- Diabetes - people with diabetes have a notably higher risk of developing frozen shoulder.
- Thyroid disorders - both overactive and underactive thyroid conditions are linked to increased risk.
- Previous shoulder injury or surgery.
- No identifiable cause - many cases develop without any clear trigger at all.
Signs and Symptoms
- Gradually worsening shoulder pain, often worse at night
- Progressive stiffness that limits reaching overhead or behind the back
- Difficulty with everyday tasks like dressing or reaching for objects
- Pain that may improve over time even as stiffness persists
- A significant reduction in shoulder movement compared to the other side
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is largely clinical, based on the characteristic pattern of progressive stiffness and pain, along with examination showing restricted movement in multiple directions. X-rays are sometimes used to rule out other causes of shoulder pain, though frozen shoulder itself does not typically show up on X-ray.
Treatment Approach
Most cases improve with physiotherapy focused on gently restoring movement, combined with pain relief and sometimes corticosteroid injections into the joint. For cases that do not improve with these measures, procedures such as manipulation under anaesthesia or arthroscopic capsular release can help restore movement more quickly. Dr. K. G. Gopalakrishna assesses the stage of stiffness and response to initial treatment before recommending further options.
Please note: This page is for general information only and does not replace a proper medical evaluation. Every case is different, and the underlying cause of your symptoms may not match what is described here. Please do not use this page to self-diagnose - consult Dr. K. G. Gopalakrishna or another qualified orthopaedic specialist for an accurate diagnosis specific to you.
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Last reviewed: August 2026