What is a frozen shoulder?
A frozen shoulder is painful and very stiff, and it will not lift or turn outward even when someone else moves it. The soft tissue around the joint, called the capsule, tightens and thickens. The medical name is adhesive capsulitis.
It is different from an ordinary sore shoulder. A sore shoulder still moves through its range, with pain, but in a frozen shoulder the movement itself runs out. Our shoulder pain page helps tell the difference.
What are the three stages?
Most people pass through three overlapping stages. Knowing which one you are in matters, because what helps in one can irritate in another.
- Freezing. The shoulder aches, more at night, and starts to lose movement.
- Frozen. The pain eases a little but the stiffness is at its peak, and everyday tasks are hard.
- Thawing. Movement slowly returns, and this is when stretching and strengthening do the most.
Each stage lasts months, not days, and the timing is different for everyone. Our blog explains the stages of frozen shoulder in more depth.
What does it feel like in everyday Ipoh life?
The first thing people notice is dressing. Pulling a shirt over your head, fastening a bra, or tucking in a shirt at the back becomes slow and painful. Combing or tying up hair is the next thing to go.
Then there is the reach. Hanging washing on the line, getting a pot down from the top shelf and pulling the car seatbelt across all get stuck at the same point. Bathing with a pail and scoop in a traditional bathroom can mean twisting the arm in just the wrong direction.
Night pain can be tiring. Parents who live alone in Ipoh may not mention it until it has reached the stiff stage, so adult children could ask gently.
Who is it most likely to affect?
It appears most in the forties to sixties age range, and women are affected more than men. People with diabetes are more likely to get it. So are people whose shoulder has been still for a long time, after a fracture, surgery or a stroke.
Sometimes there is no clear cause. That can feel frustrating, but it does not mean you did anything wrong. If you are managing diabetes, our blog on diabetes and exercise in Perak has useful context.
What does a physiotherapist check first?
We listen to the story and look at the shoulder’s pattern of movement. In a true frozen shoulder, the movement is limited both when you lift your arm and when we lift it for you, especially turning the arm outward.
We also check:
- which stage you appear to be in, using pain, night symptoms and range of movement.
- the neck and shoulder blade, which may be stiff or compensating.
- your strength, and your daily tasks that have stopped.
- other conditions with similar signs, such as a rotator cuff problem.
If something looks different from a frozen shoulder, we say so and suggest a doctor’s review.
What helps, and what does the research say?
The aim is to keep the shoulder moving without inflaming it, and to ease it forward as it settles. In the painful phase that means gentle movement. As the pain calms, we add stretching, and later strength.
A 2020 review of 65 frozen shoulder studies found one treatment clearly better in the short term: a corticosteroid injection from a doctor [1]. Adding a home exercise programme to the injection gave extra benefit in the mid term [1]. So a sensible plan is a joint decision between you, your doctor and your physiotherapist, with exercise as the part you do every day.
Hands-on techniques from our manual therapy can help the shoulder move more comfortably.
What can I do this week?
Keep the arm moving, gently, and make your day easier.
- Let the arm swing like a pendulum for a minute, a few times a day.
- Use the good arm to help lift the stiff one and stretch to a mild pull, never sharp pain.
- Warm the shoulder with a hot shower or warm towel before exercise.
- Dress the stiff arm first and undress it last.
- Place everyday items between waist and chest height.
Stop and ask for advice if the shoulder feels sharply worse for hours afterwards.
How do home sessions in Ipoh work?
A physiotherapist comes to your house, watches how you dress, reach and bathe, and plans exercises around your own routine. Home visits are available across Ipoh now, and our Canning Garden centre is opening soon.
Prices are quoted on WhatsApp after a short description. See how home physiotherapy works for the steps, and pain management if night pain is the main problem.