A frozen shoulder is a common shoulder injury. You can recognise it
because you have pain in your shoulder, which is getting worse. This is due to a
inflammation in the joint (capsule). The longer you carry on walking with it, the less
It’s good that you can still move your shoulder. The shoulder is, as it were,
'frozen', which is where the name frozen shoulder comes from. It is said of this
The condition is diagnosed if you experience this in at least three different directions of movement
have trouble making the movement and the pain gets worse.
How can you recognise a frozen shoulder?
● The pain in the shoulder slowly gets worse and can be considered very severe
experienced. The pain can radiate into the upper arm and even the forearm. On-
and undressing, grabbing something off a high shelf, cycling and even driving a car can
be painful and can cause severe pain shooting.
● It starts with pain when moving, but at some point you will also experience
pain at rest, i.e. when you are not moving your shoulder, and even at night. The
upper back and neck can also start hurting and shoulder becomes increasingly stiff.
How does a frozen shoulder occur?
There is not always a clear cause for the onset of a frozen
shoulder. It can be caused by a fall or surgery, but it does not have to be. At
chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung diseases, Parkinson's or
thyroid disease is also more common. It also appears that prolonged stress
can play an important role.
What can our physiotherapists do for a frozen shoulder?
A frozen shoulder usually goes away on its own, but this can take a very long time.
On average, the symptoms will persist for between ten months and more than three years. To manage this
To make the process as successful as possible, expert guidance from a
physiotherapist important. After all, our physiotherapists can explain exactly
what is wrong with your shoulder and advise you on how (much) you can use it
exert yourself. Even if you are in a lot of pain, it is important to stay within certain limits
Keep moving, but you must be careful not to overexert yourself.
Physiotherapy treatment consists of:
● Guidance in finding a balance between effort and
entertainment.
● Putting together an exercise programme to promote recovery.
You can also do these exercises at home.
● Learn how to manage your disability whilst exercising, on the
work and in daily activities, such as when cycling, walking and during
housework.
● Performing mobilisations and other techniques to reduce the pain of the
shoulder and upper back/neck and reduce dexterity
increase.
