What is frozen shoulder and how is it treated?

Written by: Mr Ziali Sivardeen
Published:
Edited by: Jay Staniland

What is a frozen shoulder?

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition where the shoulder becomes painful and stiff, often without any obvious cause.

The shoulder becomes very hard to move as the capsule, which is the flexible tissue that surrounds the shoulder joint, becomes thick and tight.

The condition can develop and gradually get worse over a number of months, and even years, and pain is generally felt between two and nine months.

What are the causes of frozen shoulder?

The causes of frozen shoulder are not fully understood.

However, there are a few factors that may put you more at risk from developing frozen shoulder:
 


Frozen shoulder can also occur when people don’t move the shoulder for an extended period of time, perhaps after another injury such as a fracture or surgery.

 

How is frozen shoulder treated?

 

Most cases of frozen shoulder will heal over time, with little or no treatment, but some kinds of treatments can help speed up the process, and alleviate any pain or discomfort in the patient.

Frozen Shoulder can be treated by:
 

  • Physiotherapy
  • Injections
  • Distension
  • In some cases, surgery

 

Is frozen shoulder a recurring injury?

 

Frozen shoulder can recur in some patients, even after surgery. However, recurrence is more common in patients with a pre-existing condition such as diabetes.

 

How common is frozen shoulder?

 

Frozen shoulder occurs in approximately 2% of the population, and occurs more commonly in women than men. The condition most commonly affects people aged between 40 and 60 years old.

 

What is the recovery time for frozen shoulder?

 

Frozen shoulder can take several years to fully recover from. It is very important to ensure that a frozen shoulder is correctly diagnosed and treated by a specialist consultant orthopaedic surgeon.

By Mr Ziali Sivardeen
Orthopaedic surgery

 
Ziali Sivardeen is an orthopaedic surgeon who has been honoured to see many patients including elite level athletes, world cup winners, celebrities, and the royal family during his career.
 
During the London 2012 Olympics, Mr Sivardeen worked at the Olympic Athlete’s Village and had the honour of being selected as the surgeon who operated on all olympians and paralympians that required shoulder or elbow surgery during the games. Due to his role, Mr Sivardeen was invited to a special reception in Buckingham Palace.
 
He has seen and helped manage many athletes with knee problems, including those linked to Premiership football clubs, and has treated many sports people with ACL injuries, cartilage and meniscal tears.
 
Mr Sivardeen has held important positions training other surgeons, representing the prestigious Royal Colleges of Surgeons, first as a tutor from 2010-2014, before being appointed as one of two Regional Surgical Advisors for London. In 2015, he organised the pan London Sports and Exercise Medicine teaching programme, and now is an examiner for the Prestigious Intercollegiate Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS exams).   He has been a member of the Specialist Training Committee for Sports and Exercise Medicine Trainees in London from 2009 to 2015, so played an important part helping to develop this new speciality.
 
On the NHS, he worked as the surgical lead or joint service lead of the Sports Injury Service at Homerton University Hospital from 2009 to 2015.
 
His research interests include orthopaedic shoulder and knee problems, including sports injuries in elite rugby players. He had in excess of 70 presentations accepted at prestigious national and international meetings by 2012.  At the main World Shoulder and Elbow Meeting (ISCES) in 2010 his research was the only piece from the UK that was short-listed for the best prize and he was invited to give an educational talk to other surgeons from around world at the next World Shoulder and Elbow Meeting (ISCES) held in Japan in 2013.
 
He is one of the few consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the UK trained by 3 Presidents of National Orthopaedic Societies at Fellowship Level and has a passion for teaching and training.  He has run many London Sports Injury Symposia and has been invited around the world to deliver lectures, and master classes teaching other surgeons, consultants and practitioners.

View Profile

Overall assessment of their patients


  • Related procedures
  • Platelet-rich plasma
    Ozone therapy
    Botulinum toxin (Botox™)
    Abnormal gait
    Elbow
    Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
    Elbow Pain
    Nerve Compression elbow
    Median nerve compression
    Radial nerve compression
    This website uses our own and third-party Cookies to compile information with the aim of improving our services, to show you advertising related to your preferences as well analysing your browsing habits. You can change your settings HERE.