Frozen shoulder clinically known as adhesive capsulitis is a painful and functionally debilitating condition characterised by progressive inflammation and fibrotic thickening of the glenohumeral joint capsule. It causes the capsule to contract, adhere, and lose its normal elasticity, resulting in the hallmark combination of severe shoulder pain and markedly restricted active and passive range of motion in all planes, particularly external rotation and abduction.

The condition follows a recognised three-stage natural history. The freezing stage typically lasts three to nine months and is dominated by increasing pain, night discomfort, and the onset of movement restriction. The frozen stage, lasting four to twelve months, is characterised by persistent stiffness with some reduction in pain severity. The thawing stage which can extend for twelve to forty-two months involves the gradual return of shoulder movement, though without specialist frozen shoulder treatment, many patients never regain complete range of motion and continue to experience residual pain and functional impairment for years.

At our specialist frozen shoulder clinic, our frozen shoulder consultants assess each patient's stage, severity, and contributing risk factors including diabetes, thyroid disease, Dupuytren's contracture, and prior shoulder injury to design a fully personalised frozen shoulder treatment programme. For patients in the freezing stage, early intra-articular corticosteroid injection combined with physiotherapy can significantly reduce pain and slow capsular contracture progression. Hydrodilatation offers effective shoulder stiffness treatment for patients in the frozen stage by distending the contracted capsule and restoring joint volume. For those who do not achieve adequate recovery through conservative frozen shoulder treatment, arthroscopic capsular release surgery performed by our shoulder specialists delivers reliable, rapid restoration of shoulder movement with a structured post-operative rehabilitation programme.