Frozen shoulder: symptoms, stages and what helps

Based on NHS guidance and NHS physiotherapy leaflets.

Reviewed by Harvir Ubhi, HCPC-registered physiotherapist. Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

What is a frozen shoulder?

Your shoulder joint sits inside a capsule, a thin, loose bag of tissue that normally stretches to let your arm move freely. With frozen shoulder, that capsule swells, thickens and tightens. The medical name is adhesive capsulitis.

Nobody fully knows why it starts. In most cases there's no clear reason. Sometimes it follows a minor shoulder injury or an operation that kept the arm still, such as heart or breast surgery.

Frozen shoulder symptoms

The NHS lists two main symptoms:

• pain in your shoulder, which can be worse at night and disturb your sleep
• stiffness in your shoulder that makes it hard to move

The pain can spread down your arm. Everyday things like getting dressed, reaching a high shelf or fastening a bra can become difficult. The stiffness is what sets it apart from ordinary shoulder pain: the arm doesn't just hurt to move, it can't move as far.

The stages of frozen shoulder

You'll see frozen shoulder described as having two, three or four stages. They describe the same process, split up differently. NHS Lothian uses two:

The three-stage version calls these freezing, frozen and thawing, with thawing being the slow return of movement. On average it takes 2 to 4 years to get better, sometimes longer. That's the time from start to finish, not 2 to 4 years of severe pain.

Who gets it

• about 3% of adults at some point in their lives
• mostly people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s
• women more than men: about 70% of people with it are female
• people with diabetes: between 10% and 30% develop it, and it tends to be more severe
• people with high cholesterol, heart disease or Dupuytren's contracture (a condition that bends the fingers into the palm)

Because it peaks in women around menopause age, researchers are looking at whether hormones play a part. An early US study found fewer frozen shoulder diagnoses in women taking HRT, but the difference wasn't statistically significant. Treat it as an open question for now.

Do you need a scan?

Usually not. Frozen shoulder is diagnosed from what's happened and a physical examination, so there's no single test to take at home or in a clinic. Scans are rarely needed. An X-ray is sometimes used to rule out other causes of shoulder pain. The examination is the important part, which is why it's worth having it checked by a GP or physiotherapist rather than guessing.

What helps, in the order it usually happens

1. 1

   Keep it moving, gently

   Avoid movements that cause sharp pain, but keep using the arm as much as the pain allows. Letting it rest completely can leave it weaker and stiffer. Pain here doesn't mean you're damaging the joint.

2. 2

   Painkillers and heat

   The NHS suggests paracetamol taken regularly first, then anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen if that isn't enough. Heat packs for up to 20 minutes at a time can ease it. Check with a pharmacist what's safe for you.

3. 3

   Physiotherapy

   The NHS says physio can help restore movement, usually over at least 6 weeks. A physio confirms the diagnosis, then gives you stretching and strengthening exercises and posture advice matched to the stage you're in.

4. 4

   Steroid injection

   Offered for short-term relief, mainly in the painful stage. The pain can come back when it wears off.

5. 5

   Hydrodilatation

   An injection of steroid and a large volume of fluid into the joint to stretch the tight capsule. Usually tried when other treatment hasn't helped enough.

6. 6

   Surgery

   Rarely needed. Options include releasing the tight capsule through keyhole surgery, or moving the shoulder under anaesthetic.

Searching for a way to cure frozen shoulder quickly? There isn't a proven shortcut. What changes how you get through it is controlling the pain early and doing the right exercises for your stage. NHS Lothian says you may need to ease off during the painful early stage, so what helps in month two can be different from what helps in month ten. Matching the exercises to the stage is the part a physio does for you.

When to see a GP

The NHS says see a GP if:

• shoulder pain and stiffness aren't going away
• the pain is so bad you can't move your arm properly

Frozen shoulder questions

Related: trapped nerve in your neck · tingling in your fingers · private physio costs