Patient education: Frozen shoulder (The Basics)

What is a frozen shoulder? — Frozen shoulder is a condition that causes the shoulder to be stiff and hard to move. When a person has a frozen shoulder, the tissue around the shoulder joint gets thick and tight.

A person might get frozen shoulder after a shoulder injury or surgery. It is also more common in people with certain health conditions, such as diabetes.

What are the symptoms of a frozen shoulder? — People with a frozen shoulder usually have:

●A stiff and painful shoulder

●Trouble reaching overhead or around to their lower back

Will I need tests? — Probably not. Your doctor or nurse will talk with you and do an exam. Often, that is all that is needed to diagnose frozen shoulder. But your doctor or nurse might want to do an imaging test. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body. Examples include:

●X-ray

●MRI scan

●Ultrasound

How can I care for myself at home? — In most cases, a frozen shoulder will get better on its own. But it can take months to heal completely.

To help your shoulder get better, you can:

●Rest your shoulder – Avoiding raising your arm overhead, reaching, and lifting things.

●Take a pain-relieving medicine – Ask your doctor or nurse about taking an over-the-counter medicine for pain. Examples include acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).

●Ask about exercises that can help – At first, the most important thing to do is rest your shoulder. Later, when the worst of the pain has passed, ask your doctor if it's safe to start trying some simple exercises. If they say it's OK, you can slowly start to do certain exercises (picture 1). It can also help to work with a physical therapist (exercise expert).

After you are comfortable with simple "range of motion" exercises, your doctor, nurse, or physical therapist can suggest other exercises. These can help make your shoulder muscles stronger. They can show you how to do these exercises and tell you how often to do them.

Any time you do shoulder exercises, start slowly and make the exercises harder over time. Also, know that some pain is normal, but it's important not to push it. If you have sharp or tearing pain, stop what you're doing and tell your doctor or nurse.

●Get a shot of medicine into your shoulder – Your doctor might recommend this in addition to doing exercises.

What if my shoulder doesn't get better? — If your symptoms don't get better, your doctor might suggest surgery. Usually, other treatments are tried for at least 10 to 12 months before surgery is considered.

More on this topic

Patient education: Rotator cuff injury (The Basics)
Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (The Basics)
Patient education: Frozen shoulder (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Shoulder arthroscopy (The Basics)

Patient education: Frozen shoulder (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Rotator cuff tendinitis and tear (Beyond the Basics)