Shoulder pain is one of the most common conditions treated at our physiotherapy clinics. Frozen shoulder is a far less common cause of shoulder pain than tendonitis and bursitis. Patients are often misdiagnosed with frozen shoulder. A true "frozen shoulder" can develop following a trauma, but often will develop for no apparent reason. Severe pain is the main symptom initially, followed by marked limitation of movement. A significant limitation in shoulder external rotation relative to the pain-free side, indicates a true "frozen shoulder".

Research has shown that the most beneficial treatment of this condition is a combination of corticosteroid injection into the shoulder joint and physiotherapy (massage, stretching, joint mobilisation, specific exercises). It has been shown to be significantly better than rest, heat, painkillers or physiotherapy in isolation (Carette et al. 2003 and Ryans et al. 2005).