What causes a frozen shoulder?

There are several different causes of a frozen shoulder. Some are obvious, whereas the others are difficult to find. A history of a fracture, a previous dislocated shoulder, or other trauma to the shoulder, can often aggravate the process of scar tissue formation. This is often made much worse by a period of prolonged immobilization in which the arm is held in a sling -- a measure that is often necessary as a fracture heals or because pain from the original trauma limits motion. Loss of motion can also commonly occur as the result of a prior shoulder surgery for the treatment of other conditions -- such as fractures or a torn rotator cuff.

The term "idiopathic adhesive capsulitis" is used to describe the gradual loss of shoulder motion which has no obvious cause or explanation. The reasons why this process occurs are unknown and are still the subject of debate among orthopedic surgeons. It is known that people with diabetes, neurologic illnesses, and other forms of inflammatory arthritis are at increased risk of developing a frozen shoulder. In general, this is a self-limiting disease, which means that over the course of several years it should run its course and then resolve itself. When there is no objective evidence of an obvious cause of a frozen shoulder (such as a prior fracture), then the first step in restoring motion is a program of supervised physical therapy in combination with a home program of maintenance exercises.

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