Frozen Shoulder

Think you have frozen shoulder? You may want to think again!

If you’ve been diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder—whether by yourself, Google, or even a healthcare professional—I’d advise against accepting that diagnosis too quickly. The truth is, true Frozen Shoulder remains a frustrating condition we’re still trying to understand, often requiring long-term management with limited success from a variety of conservative to extreme treatment options. As medical professionals, we’re still puzzled by several conditions, and Frozen Shoulder (along with Plantar Fasciitis) is one where the current assumptions, understanding and treatment approaches lack sound scientific backing, typically showing inconsistent patient outcomes at best.

As of April 2025, unless some miraculous breakthroughs occur, these two painful conditions— Frozen Shoulder and Plantar Fasciitis—remain among the most frustrating musculoskeletal disorders to manage. They leave patients with limited relief, poorly informed treatment options, and a cycle of trial and error. The real issue? Their root cause is currently thought to lie in autoimmune mechanisms, which would go a long way to explain why traditional treatments targeting tissue repair, strength, or flexibility tend to miss the mark.

What further complicates matters is how frequently these conditions are misdiagnosed. Many people experience “successful” treatment, probably not because the therapy worked for Frozen Shoulder, but likely because they never had the condition in the first place. This leaves Person B with false hope after Person A reports a “cure.” Similarly, healthcare professionals may believe they’ve found a solution for these conditions because they achieved lasting results—without realizing they were treating a simpler, mimicking condition.

When a healthcare provider can’t pinpoint the exact issue, they may feel obligated to diagnose Frozen Shoulder when presented with a persistently stiff and/or painful shoulder. And while I strongly discourage accepting a diagnosis from anyone—including healthcare providers, Google, or well-meaning friends—who hasn’t personally and comprehensively assessed you, I must admit that even the most thorough evaluation can unfortunately still lead to a misdiagnosis.

The healthcare industry operates on confidence. Professionals are expected to provide answers, and few are comfortable admitting, “I don’t know” or “We don’t have all the answers yet” and it’s also unlikely to be what the patient came looking for. Unless a patient insists on further investigation—or the clinician is acutely aware of the need to rule out mimicking conditions (be that sinister or simple)—why would they second-guess a diagnosis that validates a patient’s pain?

So, What Should You Do?

1. Educate yourself and prepare for the worst-case scenario—Understand the diagnosis, and its typical progression, and acknowledge that if this is true Frozen Shoulder, the road ahead will be paved with more questions than answers BUT
2. Rule out mimics—Pursue further evaluation to exclude the other, easily treatable conditions which present with similar symptoms. X-rays and symptom descriptions and massage alone certainly aren’t enough for a confirmation here. As seen in the McKenzie method, mechanical movement testing is invaluable in musculoskeletal conditions so unless you are content with potentially missing your solution, I’d recommend McKenzie for better certainty.
3. Update your diagnosis when relevant—If the “tried and failed” interventions for Frozen Shoulder solved your symptoms, thank your lucky starts knowing that your diagnosis was wrong but the treatment your received must have been relevant. Be cautious, though—don’t give others false hope, as their diagnosis may still be correct, leaving them with a long, difficult road ahead which will only be complicated by false hope in copying the treatment you received.

The Critical Takeaways?

1. True Frozen Shoulder remains a frustrating condition which we’re still trying to get to the bottom of. Many interventions may provide varied and temporary relief but it’s likely to need long term management and oodles of positivity. Some people get to walk away from if after months or years, but we don’t know enough yet to explain what caused it, how to avoid it or how to cure it.
2. Incorrectly accepting Frozen Shoulder as your diagnosis when it’s not relevant saddles you with the above expectation when your answer is far simpler and shorter.
3. Mechanical testing through the McKenzie Method can differentiate between Frozen Shoulder and the mechanical conditions which mimic this condition.
4. Mechanical conditions respond well to McKenzie treatments which would include you learning how to effectively treat yourself and resolve the Frozen Shoulder mimicking condition, but in the case of true Frozen Shoulder, McKenzie clinicians are also not yet able to provide complete answers or insight into changing the disease process but the second that more credible information becomes available, I’ll be sure to share the information widely!

Your health and wellbeing deserve informed, personalised care. For tailored support, please discuss any questions or concerns with your physiotherapist of choice.