Frozen Shoulder: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2025

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. The condition typically develops slowly and progresses over time, often taking months or even years to fully resolve. In this blog post, we'll discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for frozen shoulder.

Causes of Frozen Shoulder

The exact cause of frozen shoulder is not fully understood. However, it is generally believed to be the result of inflammation and thickening of the shoulder joint capsule, which is a flexible connective tissue that surrounds and protects the shoulder joint. This inflammation and thickening can lead to a decrease in the joint's range of motion, making it difficult to move the shoulder and causing pain.


Frozen shoulder is more common in individuals who are between the ages of 40 and 60, and it is also more common in women than in men. Other risk factors for developing frozen shoulder include:

  • Diabetes
  • Thyroid disorders
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Stroke

Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder

The primary symptom of frozen shoulder is pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. This pain is often described as a dull ache and can be felt both at rest and during movement. As the condition progresses, the stiffness in the joint can become severe, making it difficult or even impossible to move the shoulder.



Treatment for Frozen Shoulder

The treatment for frozen shoulder typically involves a combination of physical therapy, pain management, and in some cases, surgery. The goal of treatment is to improve the range of motion in the shoulder joint and reduce pain.

 

Physical therapy: Physical therapy is often the first line of treatment for frozen shoulder. A Physiotherapist can work with you to develop a range of motion and strengthening program that is tailored to your specific needs. These exercises can help to improve the flexibility of the shoulder joint and reduce pain.

 

Pain management: In some cases, pain management techniques may also be used to help reduce the pain associated with frozen shoulder. This can include the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroid injections.

 

Surgery: In severe cases of frozen shoulder, surgery may be necessary to release the joint capsule and improve range of motion. This surgery is typically done as an outpatient procedure and involves using a small incision to access the joint capsule and release any adhesions.



Conclusion:

Frozen shoulder is a common condition that can cause pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. While the exact cause of the condition is not fully understood, it is believed to be the result of inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule. Treatment typically involves physical therapy, pain management, and in severe cases, surgery. If you are experiencing pain and stiffness in your shoulder joint, it is important to speak with your healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment for your specific needs.


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How Athletes Adapt Their Training to Cope with High Temperatures: The Science of Heat Acclimatisation

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Athletes competing in hot and humid environments face significant physiological challenges that can impair performance and increase the risk of heat-related illness. From marathon runners in tropical climates to footballers playing summer tournaments, the ability to tolerate and perform in high temperatures is a critical component of elite sport. As a result, many athletes use structured heat acclimatisation strategies to prepare their bodies for environmental stress.  What Is Heat Acclimatisation? Heat acclimatisation refers to a series of physiological adaptations that occur when an athlete is repeatedly exposed to hot conditions during training. These adaptations typically develop over 7–14 days and help the body improve its ability to regulate temperature, maintain performance, and reduce cardiovascular strain during exercise in the heat. Common methods include: ● Training in hot environments (natural or artificial heat chambers) ● Passive heat exposure (saunas or hot water immersion post-training) ● Adjusting clothing to increase thermal load during sessions ● Gradual exposure to increased environmental temperatures The goal is to safely stress the thermoregulatory system so the body becomes more efficient at dissipating heat.

Why Footballers & Athletes Use Ice Baths: The Science Behind Cold Water Immersion

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Ice baths, also known as cold water immersion (CWI), have become a common recovery strategy among elite athletes, particularly footballers. From Premier League changing rooms to Olympic training camps, many professionals immerse themselves in cold water after intense matches and training sessions. While the sight of players sitting in freezing water may seem extreme, there is growing scientific evidence explaining why this recovery method is so widely used. What Is an Ice Bath? An ice bath typically involves immersing the body (or lower limbs) in water between 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes shortly after exercise. The aim is to promote recovery by reducing muscle soreness, inflammation and fatigue, allowing athletes to perform consistently during periods of heavy training or competition. Why Do Footballers Use Ice Baths? Football is a physically demanding sport involving repeated sprinting, jumping, tackling, rapid changes of direction and high-impact collisions. These actions create microscopic muscle damage and trigger an inflammatory response. Cold water immersion is commonly used because it may help: ● Reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) ● Minimise post-exercise swelling ● Decrease perceptions of fatigue ● Improve recovery between matches ● Maintain performance during congested fixture schedules For professional footballers playing two or three matches per week, rapid recovery is often as important as training itself. 

The Physio’s World Cup Playbook: Most Common Injuries at FIFA World Cup 2026 (and What to Do About Them)

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
The FIFA World Cup is a unique tournament environment: elite athletes compressed into a short, high-stakes schedule, with repeated sprinting, sudden acceleration/deceleration, frequent collisions, and often limited time for full tissue recovery. It’s not surprising that the injury pattern in football tends to cluster around the lower limb—particularly the hamstrings, groin/hip-adductors, knee, and ankle. Across football research more broadly, these are repeatedly identified as the most common locations and/or injury mechanisms, even if the exact percentages differ by competition and injury-reporting method. Below is a physio-focused overview of the most common injury “types/regions” you should expect to see at World Cup 2026, along with practical assessment and management themes. 1) Muscle strains—especially hamstrings (HSI)  Why they happen in tournaments: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are strongly associated with high-speed running and the physical demands of sprinting mechanics. In injury surveillance and football epidemiology, hamstring injuries consistently appear among the most common soft-tissue problems, with meaningful recurrence risk. What a physio will look for: - History: onset during acceleration/sprinting, feeling of “pull,” bruising (sometimes). - CNS/tissue considerations: prior injury, training load spikes, inadequate sprint exposure progression. - Clinical exam: focal tenderness, resisted muscle testing, and functional tests aligned to your local protocols (e.g., pain-free activation and lengthening tolerance). Rehabilitation themes: - Restore capacity for high-speed eccentric/concentric demands (not just range of motion). - Use progressive loading and functional return-to-play criteria to address reinjury risk—because football research highlights that the hamstring is one of the most frequently reinjured regions.