According to the American Journal of Medicine, frozen shoulder most commonly affects adults between 40 and 65 years old. It can cause pain and limit range of motion.
What is frozen shoulder?
A frozen shoulder occurs when the connective tissue surrounding the joint becomes inflamed and stiff. It can occur in three to four stages.
Frozen shoulder symptoms
Loss of motion is the most common symptom of a frozen shoulder. Pain is often the first symptom. The stages include:
- Pre-freezing (doesn’t always occur)
The patient may have intermittent pain
May last one–three months - Freezing
The patient usually has more pain and develops stiffness
May last two–nine months - Frozen
The patient usually has less pain and more stiffness. Range of motion becomes more limited.
May last four–six months - Thaw
Stiffness diminishes and range of motion improves
It can take up to two years to regain range of motionommon symptom of a frozen shoulder. Patients often have pain, and they sometimes experience inflammation around the joint.
Treatment
Physical therapy may be the best way to treat frozen shoulder. Your therapist may provide moist heat, range of motion exercises, and joint mobilization exercises to loosen the shoulder. Treatment can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Learn more about physical therapy for frozen shoulder by watching the video below.