Shoulder

Frozen shoulder

Also called: adhesive capsulitis, shoulder contracture. Clinical name: Adhesive capsulitis.

Frozen shoulder is when the capsule around the shoulder joint thickens and tightens, causing pain then stiffness. It moves through freezing, frozen and thawing stages and is slow — often lasting 1–3 years overall.

What it actually is

Frozen shoulder is pain and stiffness in the shoulder that comes on gradually and then slowly eases over a long stretch of time. The clinical name is adhesive capsulitis: the capsule of tissue that wraps around the shoulder joint becomes inflamed, thickened and tight, so the joint stiffens and hurts. As the NHS puts it, it happens when the tissue around the shoulder joint becomes inflamed. Often there’s no clear reason it starts, though it can follow an injury, surgery or a period when the arm couldn’t move normally.

The typical story is a gradual one. Pain builds over weeks — frequently worse at night and enough to disturb sleep — and then the shoulder gets progressively stiffer, until reaching behind your back, overhead, or into a coat sleeve becomes genuinely hard. The stiffness is the giveaway: the movement is lost in several directions, not just painful in one. It most commonly affects people between the ages of 40 and 60, occurs more often in women than men, and is much more common in people with diabetes (AAOS).

What makes frozen shoulder distinctive is that it moves through stages and then, in most people, gradually resolves. Pain dominates first (the freezing stage), then stiffness takes over as the pain settles (frozen), and finally movement slowly returns (thawing). The whole cycle is slow — often 1–3 years, and full recovery can take up to about 3 years — which is exactly why understanding the stage you’re in, and keeping a steady record, helps you and a clinician judge whether things are moving in the right direction. This page is general information, not a diagnosis.

How bad is it?

Frozen shoulder isn't graded 1–2–3 the way a muscle tear is. It's described in three overlapping stages that it moves through in order: freezing (the painful stage — pain builds and the shoulder slowly stiffens, typically over about 6 weeks to 9 months), frozen (the stiff stage — pain often eases but the shoulder stays tight and hard to use, usually 4–6 months), and thawing (the recovery stage — movement gradually returns, which can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years). Start to finish it's often quoted as lasting 1–3 years, and it's genuinely slow — full recovery can take up to about 3 years (AAOS).

How long will it take?

Recovery moves in phases. This is the typical shape of it — yours may run faster or slower, and the numbers below are general ranges, not a forecast for your specific injury.

Freezing stage (~6 weeks–9 months)
Pain leads. It builds gradually, is often worse at night and can disturb sleep, and the shoulder slowly loses range as it stiffens. This is usually the most uncomfortable phase. Gentle movement within comfort and pain control are the priorities — this isn't the time to force it.
Frozen stage (~4–6 months)
Stiffness leads. The pain often settles down, but the shoulder stays tight and everyday reaches — behind your back, overhead, into a coat — remain hard. This is the window where steady, guided stretching and range-of-movement work matter most.
Thawing stage (~6 months–2 years)
Movement comes back. Range gradually returns, usually slowly and unevenly rather than all at once. Keeping up the stretching and strengthening through this phase is what rebuilds a confident, usable shoulder.
Overall (often 1–3 years)
Most people get back most or all of their movement, but the whole cycle is slow — full recovery can take up to about 3 years (AAOS). Diabetes and a longer, stiffer course can stretch the timeline, which is worth flagging to a clinician early.

When to get it looked at

Most cases settle with time and sensible loading. Get it assessed by a professional if any of these apply — they can point to something that needs hands-on care:

  • Shoulder pain that started straight after a significant fall, blow or other trauma
  • You can't move the arm at all, or it looks out of shape, after an injury (this points to something other than frozen shoulder)
  • Numbness, pins and needles, or weakness spreading down the arm or hand
  • Fever, redness, warmth or the shoulder feeling hot and swollen
  • Pain that is severe and getting rapidly worse rather than following the slow frozen-shoulder pattern
  • You have diabetes — it's a well-recognised risk factor for frozen shoulder and worth mentioning to your clinician so it's factored in

This is a list of warning signs, not a diagnosis. If you are worried, or the pain is severe, see a GP, physiotherapist or urgent care.

What to track while you recover

Frozen shoulder plays out over many months, and the day-to-day noise makes it hard to tell whether you're stuck or slowly improving. A simple daily record turns that into a trend you can actually see — and it helps you and a physio know which stage you're in.

  • Pain right now, 0–10, and whether it's mainly at rest, on movement, or at night
  • Range of movement: how far you can reach overhead, out to the side, and up behind your back today
  • Sleep disruption: whether the shoulder woke you, and how many times (this is a classic frozen-shoulder marker)
  • Which stage it feels like — pain-dominant (freezing), stiff-but-easing (frozen), or loosening up (thawing)
  • What made it worse or better that day — a specific reach, your exercises, heat, or a bad night

This is exactly what InjuryLog does.

Log each of these in seconds, watch the trend build day by day, and keep every scan and receipt tied to this one injury. Free to start.

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What to tell your physio

The first physio appointment goes faster when you can answer their opening questions from a record instead of memory. Bring the pattern — how it started, how it's changed, and which stage it's in — not just today's pain.

  • How it started (gradually, or after an injury, surgery or a spell of not moving the arm) and how long it's been going on
  • Whether pain or stiffness is the bigger problem now, which helps place you in the freezing, frozen or thawing stage
  • How much movement you've lost — the reaches that have become hard or impossible
  • How badly it disrupts your sleep, and whether night pain is easing or still building
  • Any relevant health background, especially diabetes or thyroid problems, and any previous frozen shoulder

Walk in with the whole picture.

InjuryLog turns your daily logs into a clean Physio Visit Pack, a one-page summary your physio can actually read, so the first appointment starts with facts, not guesswork.

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The questions people actually ask

How long does frozen shoulder last?

It's slow — usually measured in many months to a few years rather than weeks. It moves through three stages: freezing (roughly 6 weeks to 9 months), frozen (about 4–6 months) and thawing (6 months to 2 years), so the whole cycle is often quoted as 1–3 years. The AAOS notes full recovery can take up to about 3 years. Most people get most or all of their movement back, but patience and steady rehab are the reality.

Will frozen shoulder go away on its own?

For most people the pain and stiffness do settle eventually, but 'on its own' tends to mean very slowly and with a long stiff patch in the middle. Guided stretching and range-of-movement work, plus pain control, generally make the journey smoother and help protect the movement you get back. Leaving it entirely alone risks a stiffer, more drawn-out course, so it's worth getting it looked at.

Why does frozen shoulder hurt more at night?

Night pain is one of the classic features — the NHS lists shoulder pain that can be worse at night and disturb sleep as a main symptom. Lying still removes the small movements that distract from the ache, and rolling onto the shoulder or losing a comfortable position tends to set it off. It's usually most pronounced in the earlier, painful (freezing) stage. Poor sleep is worth tracking and mentioning to a clinician.

How can I tell a pulled muscle from a frozen shoulder?

This isn't something to self-diagnose, but the patterns tend to differ. A pulled muscle usually comes on after a specific strain and eases over days to a couple of weeks. Frozen shoulder builds gradually over weeks to months, and its hallmark is genuine loss of movement — the shoulder becomes hard to move in several directions even with someone else trying to move it for you. If it's stiffening and not settling, it's worth a professional assessment.

Why is frozen shoulder more common around menopause?

Frozen shoulder most commonly affects people between the ages of 40 and 60 and occurs in women more often than men (AAOS), which overlaps with the menopausal years, and hormonal changes are one proposed factor. It's an association rather than a proven single cause. If a stiffening, painful shoulder appears around this time, it's reasonable to raise it with a clinician alongside your other health background.

Should I stretch and exercise a frozen shoulder?

Gentle movement and stretching are usually part of managing frozen shoulder, but how far to push depends on the stage. In the early, very painful stage, forcing range can aggravate it, so movement is kept within comfort. As pain settles in the frozen stage, steady stretching to maintain and regain range becomes more important. A physio can tailor this to where you are, which is safer than guessing — this is general information, not a personal exercise prescription.

Does frozen shoulder show up on an MRI?

Frozen shoulder is mainly diagnosed from the history and a physical examination — the loss of movement is the key sign, not a scan. An MRI or ultrasound is generally used to rule out other causes, such as a rotator cuff tear, rather than to confirm frozen shoulder itself. A clinician decides whether imaging adds anything in your case.

Can I stop frozen shoulder from getting worse?

You can't reliably switch it off, but keeping the shoulder gently moving within comfort, controlling pain, and getting guided rehab give you the best chance of limiting stiffness and protecting range. Because diabetes is a recognised risk factor and can be linked to a stiffer course, keeping up with diabetes care matters too. Early assessment helps a clinician steer the plan before the shoulder tightens further.

How this article was produced
Written & edited by the InjuryLog team
Every clinical statement here is referenced to the sources listed below (NHS, AAOS OrthoInfo). This is general educational information, not medical advice, and has not been individually reviewed by a clinician. Last updated 2026-07-13.

Sources

  1. Frozen shoulder — NHS
  2. Frozen Shoulder — AAOS OrthoInfo

Educational recovery information only. Not a diagnosis and not a substitute for professional care. Recovery ranges are typical figures from the sources above, not a prediction for your injury.