Frozen Shoulder
Slow, painful and eventually self-limiting. Treatment manages pain and protects range, and anyone promising a quick fix is not being straight with you.
Common symptoms
- , The shoulder tightening month by month in every direction
- , Night pain bad enough to wake you repeatedly
- , Unable to reach a back pocket or a high shelf
- , Still stuck even when someone else lifts the arm for you
Common causes
- , Often no identifiable trigger
- , Diabetes markedly increases the risk
- , A period of immobility after injury or surgery
- , Thyroid disorders
The three stages
Freezing. Pain builds, often severe at night, and movement gradually reduces. Pain dominates rather than stiffness, and forcing range makes it worse.
Frozen. Pain eases considerably but the shoulder is markedly stiff. This is when stretching earns its place and progress becomes possible.
Thawing. Movement returns slowly, usually across several months.
Knowing which stage you are in changes what should be done to you, and being stretched hard during the freezing stage is a common, counterproductive experience.
What honesty is worth here
Frozen shoulder is the condition where setting expectations correctly is the most valuable thing a physiotherapist does. Patients who understand they are partway through a year-long process, and know which stage they occupy, cope far better than patients told it will clear up soon.
It also saves money. Knowing the timeline stops you paying for a succession of treatments promising to shortcut something that cannot be shortcut.
How we treat it
- , Controlling pain while the shoulder is still angry
- , Holding onto the range you have, without forcing
- , Real stretching once the pain stage passes
- , Rebuilding strength as movement returns
- , Onward referral if an injection is worth considering
Typical recovery: 12–18 months through its natural course, sometimes longer
See a doctor urgently if you have
- !Shoulder stiffness after significant trauma
- !Fever with a hot, swollen shoulder
- !Sudden loss of movement with marked weakness
These are not physiotherapy problems. Go to a doctor or hospital rather than booking with us.
Treatments that help
Common questions
Why can nobody fix this quickly?
Because frozen shoulder runs a biological course that treatment supports but cannot shortcut. Good treatment controls pain, protects the range you still have, and gets you moving properly once the stiff phase eases. That is worth a lot, but it is not a cure in six sessions, and anyone selling you one is selling you something else.
Should I push through the pain?
Not during the painful freezing stage; aggressive stretching then usually worsens it. Once you reach the stiff-but-less-painful stage, firmer stretching becomes appropriate and productive.
I have diabetes. Does that matter?
It raises the risk of developing frozen shoulder and is associated with a longer, more stubborn course. Treatment is the same; the realistic timeline is longer. Diabetes is common and under-diagnosed in Kenya, and a frozen shoulder with no obvious cause is worth a blood sugar check.
Book a physiotherapist in Nakuru
Clinic appointments in Milimani, or a physiotherapist at your door across Nakuru. Same-week slots.