Rotator Cuff Injury

What is frozen shoulder?

Frozen Shoulder is medically known as "Adhesive Capsulitis."

Our shoulder joint is like a ball-and-socket joint surrounded by a "joint capsule" filled with lubricating fluid.

When this capsule becomes inflamed, thickened, tightened, or even develops adhesions (sticks together) due to unknown reasons (or past injury), the space inside the capsule shrinks. This leads to severely limited shoulder movement and pain, forming what is known as a "Frozen Shoulder."

The Three Stages of Symptoms

The progression of Frozen Shoulder is typically long (potentially lasting over a year) and develops in distinct stages:

1. Freezing / Painful Stage:

Duration: Approximately 2 to 9 months.
Characteristics: Primarily pain, with the shoulder gradually becoming stiff.
Night Pain: Pain is usually worse when sleeping at night, often waking patients up and severely affecting sleep quality.

2. Frozen Stage:

Duration: Approximately 4 months to 12 months.
Characteristics: Pain may subside slightly (though sharp pain remains at the limit of movement), replaced by severe joint stiffness.
Limited Mobility: The shoulder feels "frozen." Whether trying to lift the arm yourself or having someone else lift it, daily tasks (such as washing hair, dressing, or reaching for high objects) become extremely difficult.

3. Thawing / Recovery Stage:

Duration: Approximately 6 months to 3 years.
Characteristics: Shoulder range of motion gradually returns, and pain progressively fades. Without appropriate treatment, many patients fail to fully recover their previous range of motion even after entering the recovery stage.

Who is at Risk?

The exact cause of Frozen Shoulder is sometimes unknown, but the following factors increase the risk:

Age & Gender: Most common in the 40-65 age group, with a slightly higher prevalence in women than men.
Chronic Diseases: Patients with diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.
Shoulder Immobilization: Post-surgery patients (e.g., breast cancer surgery, fracture repair) or stroke patients who keep their shoulder immobile for long periods are prone to capsule adhesions.

Physiotherapy Treatment

Modalities
Manual Therapy / Acupuncture
Therapeutic Exercise: Such as pendulum exercises, stretching, and muscle strengthening.
Home Care Guidance

Home Care

Hot Pad & Appropriate Shoulder Exercise
Adjust Sleeping Posture: Avoid sleeping on the side of the affected shoulder.
Control Chronic Diseases: Especially for diabetic patients; stable blood sugar control helps reduce the risk.

When to Seek Professional Help?

Many people believe that Frozen Shoulder "will get better with time" and endure the pain. However, without professional intervention, the condition can drag on for years.

Shoulder pain has severely affected sleep quality.
You are unable to complete basic daily actions (e.g., combing hair, putting on/taking off shirts).
Shoulder stiffness continues to worsen, and the range of motion is decreasing.
Pain persists for several weeks with no signs of relief.

Enquiry or Appointment

If you would like to book an assessment, please contact us via phone or WhatsApp.

Phone: 6706 1944
Address: Shop UG13, Upper Ground Floor, Ka Wai Plaza, 24 Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon