الكتف المتجمد

Freezing — Increasing pain, often worse at night, with movement gradually becoming more limited. Lasts roughly 2–9 months. Frozen — Pain may ease, but stiffness is marked and daily tasks are restricted. Lasts roughly 4–12 months. Thawing — Movement slowly and steadily improves, often back to near-normal over the following months.

Progressive stiffness — limiting movement in all directions. A deep, aching pain — often worse at night and on sudden movement. Difficulty with everyday tasks — reaching overhead, dressing, fastening a seatbelt. A loss of both active and passive motion — even when someone else moves the arm.

Frozen shoulder is largely a clinical diagnosis — the hallmark is loss of both active and passive movement, which distinguishes it from a cuff tear. Imaging such as X-ray or MRI is mainly used to exclude other causes of a stiff, painful shoulder.

Treatment is matched to the phase, focusing first on controlling pain, then on restoring motion. Physiotherapy: Gentle, progressive stretching maintains and then restores range of motion as pain allows. Pain control & injection: Anti-inflammatories and a well-timed injection can settle the painful phase and unlock progress. Release procedures: For stubborn cases, manipulation under anaesthetic or an arthroscopic capsular release restores movement.

The reassuring message is that frozen shoulder almost always improves, with most patients regaining good, functional movement. The course can be long — sometimes a couple of years — but a clear, phase-based plan eases symptoms and can meaningfully shorten the journey.