How Long Does Frozen Shoulder Last?

Frozen shoulder is a condition that doesn’t allow you to carry out your normal activities and also makes your nights worse as the pain increases when you lie down. 

If you are suffering from a frozen shoulder then you must be keen to know how long a frozen shoulder lasts and when you will get complete relief? 

Let’s look into the duration of frozen shoulder, the do’s and don’ts of frozen shoulder, and the treatment that will get you 100% relief.

Does frozen shoulder go away?

Yes. 

It takes two to three years or even longer for a frozen shoulder to get normal. But with proper care and treatment, you can get rid of this annoying condition within a year. 

It takes longer for a frozen shoulder to recover because there are certain stages of the frozen shoulder until it starts recovering. If you follow proper home remedies, frozen shoulder stretches, and treatment then you can shorten the duration of each stage effectively. 

So, it all depends on how you deal with your frozen shoulder. The sooner you go for the treatment, the faster it will recover.

What causes a frozen shoulder? 

A frozen shoulder is caused by some unknown reason. But years of research and studies have shown that frozen shoulders are caused due to immobility. 

If you have gone through surgery then you might not move your shoulders much for days. This can cause a frozen shoulder. Other reasons are chronic diseases that can make your shoulder stiff and painful. 

All these conditions thicken your shoulder cap and thus there is no room for movement. In just a few months, your shoulder might freeze altogether, and then you need proper treatment to make it flexible and get moving in a normal way.

The 4 stages of frozen shoulder

Pre-freezing 

This stage starts even when you don’t recognize the condition. You feel pain in one of the shoulders that increases when you move your arm away from the body. The pain also aggravates at night. But at this stage, you will be able to perform all the daily activities as the pain won’t be severe but noticeable.

Freezing 

Now you will notice pain along with restriction in the movement of the shoulder. The freezing stage occurs usually within months of the pre-freezing stage. The pain increases at night and you feel you can’t move your shoulder as much as you would without this condition.

Frozen 

This stage occurs usually after 12 to 14 months. You feel like your shoulder cannot move at all. You can’t perform normal daily activities. The pain worsens at night and you can’t sleep properly. At the beginning of this stage, you might feel severe pain but at the climax, the pain kind of subsides, and the restriction of movement becomes a major problem.

Thawing 

This is the stage that comes when you are following your doctor’s advice, physiotherapy, frozen shoulder stretches, and self-management techniques over the months. Signs that a frozen shoulder is starting to thaw includes increased mobility of the shoulder joint as the connective tissue starts to loosen up in the shoulder cap. This stage might take 1 to 3 years to appear.

Do’s and Don’ts for frozen shoulder 

Do’s 

• Follow your doctor’s advice religiously 
• Perform frozen shoulder stretches 
• Go for strength training at least thrice a week
• Maintain an active lifestyle 
• Sleep comfortably by following the best frozen shoulder sleeping positions
• Follow home remedies such as applying hot and cold packs 
• Opt for massage from a professional 

Don’ts 

• Never move your frozen shoulder to an extent that you feel immense pain 
• Don’t be static 
• Don’t sleep on your frozen shoulder
• Don’t get a massage from an unprofessional 
• Don’t do stretches that aren’t advised by your physiotherapist

Frozen shoulder treatment 

The treatment of frozen shoulder depends upon the stage at which your shoulder is and for how much time you’re experiencing frozen shoulder. 

Your doctor might describe a few painkillers to take orally and apply to your frozen shoulder. Apart from this traditional treatment, your physiotherapist will advise you to do a set of frozen shoulder stretches on a daily basis to help loosen the connective tissue in the shoulder cap. 

Alongside you should follow a few home remedies to ease your movement and get rid of the pain. A few proven home remedies include: 

• Applying a hot and cold pack on your frozen shoulder. Applying hot or cold packs for a good 20 to 25 minutes reduces pain, inflammation, and increases flexibility.
• Try moving your frozen shoulder a bit by following frozen shoulder stretches.
• Sleep on your back or on your side that is not aching. Explore your own comfortable sleeping position to get rid of increased pain at night. 

Laser Therapy for Frozen Shoulder Treatment

Apart from these remedies and treatments, you can go for certain alternative treatments. We will discuss one such treatment here that is scientifically proven and is being practiced around the world. This alternative treatment is called low level laser therapy. 

This therapy is done in modern pain management clinics where experienced doctors use a safe laser beam to loosen the shoulder tap. It takes a few sessions before you find relief from a frozen shoulder. 

If you are in Pakistan and want this laser pain therapy to get rid of the frozen shoulder then head to our pain management clinic – BioFlex Pakistan. 

Bioflex Pakistan has experienced rheumatologists, modern equipment, and helpful staff. Our clinic has a 95% success rate when it comes to a frozen shoulder. 

Click here to know more or go through a few success stories to make an informed decision.

Book a consultation today. Simply fill in the booking form or call: 𝟬𝟴𝟬𝟬 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗥, 051-2315014, 051 2315016.