Frozen shoulder is the common name for adhesive capsulitis. This is a painful, progressive condition in which the joints in your shoulder become inflamed, thickened and stiff, resulting in severe limits on your mobility. Because the condition progresses in stages, recognizing the early symptoms of frozen shoulder is important—it will allow you to seek timely treatment, preserving your mobility.

Key Takeaways

• Symptoms of frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) progress in four stages
• Seeking early intervention can preserve shoulder mobility
• Individuals who don’t find pain relief or improved mobility with physical therapy or medication can avoid surgery by undergoing FSE, or Frozen Shoulder Embolization

Table of Contents

1. Causes of frozen shoulder
2. Stages and symptoms
3. When to see a doctor
4. Current frozen shoulder treatment options

What Causes Adhesive Capsulitis?

Frozen shoulder develops when the capsule (connective tissue sac) in your shoulder thickens and tightens around your joint. Often, scar tissue also forms in the area, and that limits your shoulder mobility.

Risk factors for adhesive capsulitis include:

• Your age (the condition is more common in people over the age of 40)
• Your gender (women are more likely to develop this condition)
• Extended periods of shoulder immobility, often following surgery, a stroke, a broken arm or a rotator cuff injury
• Underlying diseases, including diabetes, Parkinson’s and hyper-or-hypothyroidism  

What are the Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder?

As we mentioned earlier, there are four stages of frozen shoulder development.

Stage 1: Pre-Freezing, a stage during which you notice pain with movement, but mobility is still preserved

Stage 2: Freezing, during which you experience severe pain and restricted shoulder movement

Stage 3: Frozen, the period during which your shoulder is very stiff

Stage 4: Thawing, a time period when the shoulder gradually loosens and movement is restored.

Before your shoulder reaches the freezing stage, you will notice progressively worsening symptoms, such as:

• Pain when you reach overhead
• Discomfort when you sleep on the affected side
• Aching discomfort, even when your shoulder is not in use
• Progressive loss of shoulder mobility
• Limited improvement in comfort or mobility, even when you rest the shoulder or seek therapy

When to Seek Treatment for Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder

Since adhesive capsulitis will naturally progress through the four condition stages, eventually thawing without intervention, you may wish to avoid seeking medical intervention. However, it’s important to recognize that each stage could be lengthy, with the frozen period lasting as long as a year, and complete thawing taking up to two years to occur naturally. For that reason, you should seek treatment as soon as symptoms appear. That is the best way to reduce your pain and preserve your shoulder mobility.

Available Treatment Options

Some patients will be able to treat a frozen shoulder with stretching and/or physical therapy. Steroid injections can provide immediate pain relief and improved range of motion. However, the relief is temporary, and you will need multiple injections to maintain the initial results. (Often, the relief lasts for shorter time periods as you receive additional injections.

In the past, patients who had exhausted these options would have to undergo capsular release surgery. This would provide pain relief while restoring mobility. But it would also necessitate general anesthesia along with an extended recovery period.

Today, there’s another option. When patients fail to find relief for symptoms of frozen shoulder from physical therapy or medications, they can undergo a minimally invasive alternative: FSE, or Frozen Shoulder Embolization. Available at Georgia Endovascular, this adhesive capsulitis treatment allows patients to return to normal activities within 1-3 days; there’s no need for major incisions, stitches or general anesthesia. Best of all, studies like this showcase a 100% success rate, with patient-reported results confirming FSE provides relief in about 88% of cases.

Have you started to experience symptoms of frozen shoulder, and you aren’t responding to physical therapy, stretching or medication? FSE may be your best way to stop the pain and preserve your shoulder mobility. Reach out to our team to request a consultation and discuss your eligibility.