Shoulder and Elbow - Frozen Shoulder

The most obvious symptoms are shoulder pain and a limited range of motion in the shoulder.

You may also have difficulties moving the shoulder normally and engaging in daily activities such as reaching across the table, putting on a shirt and overhead motions like combing the hair. Motion is also limited on both passive and active motion.

Often, in the early stages, pain is a predominant symptom, and can affect sleep.

There are 3 stages of a frozen shoulder, namely:

• Freezing stage (Stage 1): This is the painful stage and motion of the shoulder is limited. This stage normally lasts 6-12 weeks.
• Frozen stage (Stage 2): The pain eases in this stage but the stiffness remains. This stage generally lasts 4 to 6 months.
• Thawing stage (Stage 3): In the final stage, the motion in the arm gradually improves over a long period. This stage can last more than 1 year.