Diagnosis

During the physical exam, a health care provider might ask you to move your arm in certain ways. This is to check for pain and see how far you can move your arm (active range of motion). Then you might be asked to relax your muscles while the provider moves your arm (passive range of motion). Frozen shoulder affects both active and passive range of motion.

Frozen shoulder can usually be diagnosed from signs and symptoms alone. But imaging tests — such as X-rays, ultrasound or MRI — can rule out other problems.

Treatment

Most frozen shoulder treatment involves controlling shoulder pain and preserving as much range of motion in the shoulder as possible.

Medications

Pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) can help reduce pain and inflammation associated with frozen shoulder. In some cases, a health care provider might prescribe stronger pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Therapy

A physical therapist can teach you range-of-motion exercises to help recover your shoulder movement. Your commitment to doing these exercises is necessary to regain as much movement as possible.

Surgical and other procedures

Most frozen shoulders get better on their own within 12 to 18 months. For severe or persistent symptoms, other treatments include:

  • Steroid injections. Injecting corticosteroids into the shoulder joint might help decrease pain and improve shoulder mobility, especially if given soon after frozen shoulder begins.
  • Hydrodilatation. Injecting sterile water into the joint capsule can help stretch the tissue and make it easier to move the joint. This is sometimes combined with a steroid injection.
  • Shoulder manipulation. This procedure involves a medication called a general anesthetic, so you’ll be unconscious and feel no pain. Then the care provider moves the shoulder joint in different directions to help loosen the tightened tissue.
  • Surgery. Surgery for frozen shoulder is rare. But if nothing else helps, surgery can remove scar tissue from inside the shoulder joint. This surgery usually involves making small incisions for small instruments guided by a tiny camera inside the joint (arthroscopy).

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