The short explanation
A shoulder that becomes painful and then very stiff, making it hard to lift the arm or reach behind your back, without any injury, is a typical pattern of frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis. It is most common between 40 and 60, more common in women, and especially in people with diabetes or thyroid problems. Frozen shoulder usually goes through phases: a painful phase, a stiff phase and then a slow recovery, which can take many months. Treatment aims to ease the pain and keep the shoulder moving, often with physiotherapy, gentle stretching and pain relief that your doctor advises. Some people are offered other treatments if it is very severe.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Other causes of shoulder pain and stiffness include rotator cuff problems, arthritis and pain spreading from the neck. A doctor can tell these apart by examining how the shoulder moves.
- Checking blood sugar is often suggested, because frozen shoulder is more common in people with diabetes, sometimes before diabetes is diagnosed.
- Keeping the arm moving within comfort is important, as not using it can make stiffness worse.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot confirm the cause of your shoulder stiffness. That needs an examination and sometimes a scan.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Does this sound like frozen shoulder or another problem?
- Should my blood sugar and thyroid be checked?
- Which exercises or physiotherapy would help?
- How long might it take to improve?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department if shoulder or arm pain comes with chest pain, breathlessness, sweating or nausea, as this can be a heart problem.
Get help the same day
- Get care the same day if the shoulder becomes hot, red and swollen with fever.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine appointment with a physician or orthopaedic doctor to assess the shoulder.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Osteoarthritis NHS
- Rheumatoid arthritis MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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