How Do You Know If You’re Developing Frozen Shoulder?

You get in the car, reach for your seatbelt, and suddenly feel sharp pain down your arm. You reach up to grab a can from the top shelf at the store, but it takes much more effort than it used to. What’s going on?

Shoulder pain can be fairly common, but when stiffness and pain start to limit your daily range of motion, it might be more than just a tweaked muscle. You could be developing adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder.

If you suspect your shoulder mobility is compromised, look for these indicators:

• Gradual loss of mobility
• Sharp pain from sudden movements
• Distinct stages of stiffness

At Motus Integrative Health, our patient-centered approach focuses on helping you understand the root cause of your pain, not just treating the symptoms. We want to empower your well-being by educating you on what is happening inside your body so you can move with intent to heal.

Early Mobility Loss

Frozen shoulder rarely happens overnight. Instead, it is a slow, creeping condition that begins when the connective tissue surrounding the shoulder joint becomes thick and inflamed. You might initially mistake it for general soreness, but a sure sign is a restriction in both active and passive movement. This means your shoulder won’t move fully whether you try to move it yourself (active) or someone else tries to move it for you (passive). If you find yourself compensating by moving your entire torso just to raise your arm, pay attention, as this can be one of the first warning signs.

Pain With Reaching

The pain associated with frozen shoulder is often described as dull or aching, but it can become sharp during specific or sudden movements.

Reaching often acts as a major trigger. You might feel a sudden jolt of pain when you:

• Reach back to tuck in a shirt.
• Reach up to wash your hair.
• Reach across your body to grab a seatbelt.

This pain may specifically limit your ability to rotate your arm outward.

The Stages of Stiffness

Frozen shoulder generally progresses through three distinct phases. Identifying where you are in this timeline can help you seek proper care.

1. The “Freezing” Stage

This is the onset. Your shoulder becomes increasingly painful to move, and as the pain worsens, you naturally start using it less. This lack of use accelerates the stiffness. This phase can last anywhere from six weeks to nine months.

2. The “Frozen” Stage

Pain may actually begin to subside and become duller during this phase. However, the stiffness hits its peak here. The joint capsule becomes thicker and tighter, making daily activities incredibly difficult. This stage typically lasts two to six months.

3. The “Thawing” Stage

This is the recovery phase where range of motion slowly returns, often over several months or more. With the right treatment plan, you can support and speed up this process.

Risk Factors for Frozen Shoulder

While researchers aren’t entirely sure why frozen shoulder occurs, certain factors can increase your risk of developing it. These include:

• Age and Sex: It most commonly affects adults between 40 and 60 years old, and is more prevalent in women.
• Medical History: There is a strong link to systemic conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, and heart disease.
• Recent Immobility: If you have recently recovered from a surgery, fracture, or rotator cuff injury that required you to keep your arm from moving, your risk increases.

Being aware of your susceptibility based on these risk factors can help you catch the condition early.

Restore Your Range of Motion

Living with a frozen shoulder can feel limiting, but you don’t have to wait years for the “thawing” stage to set in. At Motus Integrative Health, we emphasize education and personalized care to help you restore balance to your body.

If you are experiencing stiffness or pain in your shoulder, don’t wait for it to freeze completely. Contact us today, schedule your health assessment, and let us build a customized treatment plan just for you.