Frozen shoulder physiotherapy in Ilford

Frozen shoulder often starts as an ache that gradually becomes severe, with pain at night and difficulty reaching behind your back, doing up a bra or reaching into a back pocket. It is most common between the ages of 40 and 60, and more common in people with diabetes or thyroid problems.

About frozen shoulder

The capsule that surrounds the shoulder joint becomes inflamed, then thickens and tightens. Unlike most shoulder problems, the stiffness is there whether you move the arm yourself or someone else moves it for you, which is one way physiotherapists tell it apart from a rotator cuff problem.

Common causes

• Often no clear cause
• Diabetes and thyroid conditions
• After a period of not moving the arm, such as after surgery, a fracture or a stroke
• Minor shoulder injury that triggers inflammation

Signs and symptoms

• Deep shoulder ache, often worse at night
• Gradual loss of movement in every direction
• Difficulty with dressing, hair washing and reaching behind
• Pain lying on the affected side

How physiotherapy helps

• Pain relief with gentle mobilisation, heat and acupuncture
• Stage-appropriate exercises: gentle in the painful phase, firmer stretching once pain settles
• Advice on sleeping positions and everyday tasks
• Strengthening as movement returns
• Guidance on when to discuss injections or hydrodilatation with your GP or a specialist

How long does recovery take?

Frozen shoulder can take one to three years to resolve fully, though most people regain useful movement much sooner with treatment. Physiotherapy cannot always shorten the natural course, but it reduces pain and helps you keep and recover movement at each stage.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if shoulder pain follows a fall or injury and you cannot lift your arm, or if shoulder pain comes with chest pain or breathlessness (call 999).