Frozen shoulder: treatment and a realistic timeline

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) makes the shoulder painful and then stiff, until reaching up to a shelf, fastening clothes behind you or putting a hand in your back pocket becomes impossible. It’s most common between 40 and 60, and in people with diabetes or thyroid problems.

The three stages

• Freezing — pain builds, often worst at night, and movement starts to shrink.
• Frozen — the pain eases, but the shoulder is very stiff.
• Thawing — movement gradually comes back.

Left alone, the whole cycle can take one to three years. Good physiotherapy keeps you moving through it and usually helps you get your range back sooner.

How we treat it

• Gentle joint mobilisation matched to your stage — we don’t force a painful shoulder.
• A few short stretches you can do several times a day.
• Heat and pain-relief techniques, including dry needling for the neck and shoulder muscles that overwork to compensate.
• Shoulder-blade and rotator-cuff strengthening as movement returns.
• Simple advice on sleeping positions, so nights get easier.

When we’ll suggest seeing your doctor

If pain is stopping you sleeping for weeks or progress stalls, an injection or a scan can help, and we’ll coordinate with your doctor. We also check it really is frozen shoulder — rotator-cuff problems and arthritis can look very similar early on.

Your first visit

1. Message or call us. Tell us what’s going on and whether you’d like the Patna clinic, the Gurgaon clinic or a home visit. We’ll find a time and tell you the fee upfront.
2. A proper assessment. Dr. Satish asks about your history, watches how you move, checks strength and range, and explains what’s actually going on — in plain language.
3. Treatment usually starts that day. Hands-on work, exercise or both, depending on what the assessment shows.
4. A plan you can follow. You leave with a few exercises for home, a realistic timeline and an idea of how many sessions to expect.

Bring along any scans, reports or discharge summaries, a list of your medicines, and clothes you can move in.

Fees depend on the treatment and on whether it’s at the clinic or at home. Ask on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you before you book — no surprises.