Frozen Shoulder

Adhesive Capsulitis - Stiff and Painful.

Frozen shoulder is a painful restriction of motion with a multifactorial, not fully understood cause. Stress plays a major role, and it is common in middle-aged women. It goes through freezing and thawing phases. Aggressive rehabilitation during the painful phase can make things worse; we focus on good pain control and rehabilitation in later stages. It happens only once per shoulder in a lifetime, but it can also appear in the other shoulder.

Symptoms

Severe stiffness
Sharp pain at end range
Inability to reach back
Dull ache

Conservative treatment

Good pain control and healthy sleep
Gentle mobilization
Orthobiologic treatment
Wait-and-see

When is surgery needed?

Capsular release is rarely needed with patience; the condition can last more than a year.