How do you know if you have a Frozen Shoulder?

So, you’ve started to notice your shoulder getting painful seemingly out of the blue, have trouble reaching into the top cupboard, or tucking your shirt in. You put on your Dr Google hat and think you might have a frozen shoulder…what now? 

Let’s start by seeing if you are experiencing any of these common limitations in your movements to help ‘diagnose’ if you have a frozen shoulder or not!

Assessing the Frozen Shoulder

When performed by a health professional (Orthopaedic Doctor or Physiotherapist), a clinical diagnosis of Frozen Shoulder can be made in clinic, usually without the need for investigations like an XRAY or MRI. 

Here are some of the movement tests we do, to help determine if you have a Frozen Shoulder.

1: Shoulder External Rotation

One of the defining signs of Frozen Shoulder is a significant lack of External Rotation. Stand with your arms by your side, elbows bent to 90 degrees, and see how far you can turn your forearms outward.

Left arm showing a significant lack of External Rotation.

2: Shoulder Internal Rotation

Another one that is commonly associated with Frozen Shoulder, is Internal Rotation. Women typically notice great difficulty doing their bra up, and general difficulty tucking their shirt in. To assess internal rotation, we simply compare how far you can put your hand behind your back.

Clear comparison between Left and Right Shoulder Internal Rotation

3: Shoulder Flexion

Depending on how long you’ve had your frozen shoulder for, you may or may not see a huge difference between sides. Compare how far you can lift your arm up in front of you. 

What if I have these movement restrictions?

If you’re experiencing at least 2 of the above movement restrictions, you may indeed have a frozen shoulder. It’s best to confirm the diagnosis with a health professional as there are many other conditions of the shoulder that may also create similar movement restrictions. Contact Us here for an assessment to determine if you have a frozen shoulder or not! 

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

To date, there is no strong, convincing evidence to suggest that there is one particular treatment modality that is the best at treating frozen shoulders. However, Physiotherapy treatment has commonly been praised by our clients to reduce pain, regain mobility ASAP, and reassure them of what’s expected in a Frozen Shoulders journey.

Stay tuned for our next blog where we’ll talk more in depth about how Physiotherapy can help to treat Frozen Shoulders.

Know someone who may have a frozen shoulder? Share this article with them to see if they have any of the movement restrictions!

About the Author

Ryan Tan is our Clinical Director and Physiotherapist here at Physiologic Hong Kong. He’s had over 10 years of experience as a sports and musculoskeletal Physiotherapist. During that time, he has been upskilling his expertise in shoulder injury management with industry specialists like Dr Jeremy Lewis. Ryan now works closely with Orthopaedic Shoulder Specialists to provide collaborative care and expert Physiotherapy treatment to those suffering from shoulder injuries. If you have a complex shoulder injury that hasn’t been able to be resolved, contact us for a no obligation assessment!