Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, is a condition involving painful restriction of shoulder movement that develops when the joint capsule becomes inflamed, thickened, and stiff. It often progresses through overlapping phases: a freezing phase with increasing pain, a frozen phase where stiffness dominates, and a thawing phase in which motion slowly improves. The condition can arise without a clear trigger, but it is more common after shoulder injury or immobilization and is seen more often in people with diabetes, thyroid disease, and midlife age ranges.

Treatment options vary because frozen shoulder is not just a pain problem; it is also a mobility and tissue remodeling problem. Some approaches focus on pain control and maintaining function while the condition runs its course, while others aim to restore motion more actively through rehabilitation, injections, or procedures. Eastern and integrative approaches such as acupuncture and manual therapies are also commonly explored, especially for pain modulation, muscle guarding, and quality-of-life support. The best fit often depends on the stage of symptoms, how much stiffness versus pain is present, how urgently function is needed, and an individual's comfort with procedural risk and time commitment.