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Frozen shoulder

Frozen shoulder is where your shoulder is painful and stiff for months, sometimes years.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder include pain and stiffness in your shoulder that does not go away.

Treatment for frozen shoulder includes painkillers and exercises to help you get movement back in your shoulder.

Read more on the NHS website.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder include pain and stiffness in your shoulder that does not go away.

See a GP if:

These are symptoms of frozen shoulder.

Read more on the NHS website.

Treatment for frozen shoulder includes painkillers and exercises to help you get movement back in your shoulder.

Medical treatments

Broadly, treatment works in 3 main steps:

  1. Pain relief – avoid movements that cause you pain. Only move your shoulder gently. Use paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease the pain.
  2. Stronger pain and swelling relief – prescribed painkillers. Maybe steroid injections in your shoulder to bring down the swelling.
  3. Getting movement back – shoulder exercises once it's less painful. This can be at home or with a physiotherapist.

You may get a mix of these treatments depending on how painful and stiff your shoulder is.

Stronger pain relief is usually only used for a short time because it can cause side effects.

Self-care


Do

  • follow the exercises from your GP or physiotherapist

  • keep an upright posture and your shoulders gently back

  • move your shoulder – keeping it still will make the pain worse

  • try heat or cold packs on your shoulder


Don't

  • do not make up your own strenuous exercises – for example, gym equipment can make the pain worse

  • do not slouch when sitting – do not roll your shoulders and bring your neck forward

Read more on the NHS website.