How Long for Recovery From a Frozen Shoulder?

A "frozen shoulder" or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that results in pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. It's often the result of having the shoulder immobilized, typically when the arm has been in a sling or after shoulder surgery when the joint must remain in the same position for a long time. Recovery time typically depends on the severity of the condition, but there are some things about frozen shoulder that should help you better understand its treatment and aftermath.

Symptoms

• Recovery time from frozen shoulder can be related to the length of time symptoms built up from painful stage to the frozen stage. The condition can develop over a period of months, and if it's not diagnosed and treated, you can lose considerable range of motion in the shoulder. Sometimes frozen shoulder can be less painful as time goes on, but the joint becomes stiffer. This can make frozen shoulder a difficult condition to diagnose. If pain and stiffness are allowed to grow over a period of months, the "thawing" stage can also take months to complete.

Causes

• All the bones, tendons and ligaments in the shoulder joint are surrounded by tissue. That encapsulating tissue can become thicker, restricting flexibility, usually after a prolonged period where the shoulder is immobile. The Mayo Clinic notes that frozen shoulder seems more common among people with diabetes, suggesting that the condition is related to the body's autoimmune response.

Recovery

• Frozen shoulder often gets better on its own through everyday movement of the shoulder. However, in serious cases where the shoulder joint has had little flexibility, it can take two or three years, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. With physical therapy and exercises aimed at restoring flexibility without taxing the joint, the recovery period can be much shorter. Your doctor may also recommend a procedure if physical therapy does not improve the condition. A physician can manipulate the shoulder while you're under general anesthesia, tearing the capsule, which will involve a follow-up recovery and therapy period of several months.

Considerations

• If you seek treatment for what you suspect is frozen shoulder, have some important information ready for the doctor. Provide details of your symptoms: when the pain started, description of the pain (sharp, dull or throbbing), when it hurts most (frozen shoulder can be especially painful at night if you sleep on that shoulder), and what relieves the pain. Also, provide a detailed medical history, particularly of recent surgeries, injuries or other relevant information regarding your shoulder.

Expert Insight

• If you've been diagnosed with frozen shoulder, the Mayo Clinic recommends using your shoulder within the allowable range of motion and to the extent that you can tolerate the discomfort. Alternating heat and ice and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can also help relieve the pain while you recover. But talk with your doctor about safe dosages of any type of pain reliever.