Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis) – Interactive Rehab Checklist
Dr Srinivas B S Kambhampati
MS (Ortho), FRCS (Eng & Glasg), FRCS (Tr & Orth), Dip (Applied Biomechanics)
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon,
Sri Dhaatri Orthopaedic, Maternity & Gynaecology Center
, Vijayawada
Stage
Freezing (painful)
Frozen (stiff)
Thawing (recovery)
Pain today
Mild (0–3/10)
Moderate (4–6/10)
Severe (7–10/10)
Duration
weeks
Diabetes
(slower recovery)
Recent injection
(last 2 weeks)
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Key Principles (to avoid flare-ups)
⚠️ Stretching should be a
gentle “pull”
, not sharp pain.
⚠️ A mild increase in soreness is acceptable, but
pain should not spike and remain worse the next day
.
⚠️ In the painful (freezing) stage,
pain control comes first
; aggressive stretching can worsen inflammation.
Diabetes note:
frozen shoulder is often more resistant; progress may be slower and may need longer supervised therapy.
Post-injection note (first 1–2 weeks):
focus on frequent gentle ROM and avoid heavy strengthening; this is the best window to gain motion.
Red Flags – Seek Urgent Review
🚩 Fever, redness, warmth, or swelling around the shoulder.
🚩 Sudden severe pain after trauma, deformity, or inability to move the arm.
🚩 New numbness/tingling, progressive weakness, or hand clumsiness.
🚩 Unexplained weight loss, night sweats, or known cancer history with new shoulder pain.
🚩 Chest pain/breathlessness/sweating with shoulder/arm pain (medical emergency).
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