You should see your GP if you think you have a frozen shoulder, or if you have shoulder pain that limits your range of movement.
Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint.
Your GP will examine your shoulder and ask about your symptoms. They will want to know:
- when your symptoms started, particularly if it was after an incident, such as a fall
- how severe the pain is
- if you have any other symptoms, such as neck pain
- how your symptoms affect your everyday life – for example, your work
- whether there is anything that makes the pain better or worse, such as movement or resting
- if you have any other health conditions, or if you are taking any medication
Physical examination
During the physical examination, your GP may test your range of movement by asking you to move your arm and shoulder as far as you can in each direction.
Your GP may also assist you in moving your arm and shoulder. You may find this painful but it will help them to determine how severe your condition is.
Your GP may apply pressure to parts of your shoulder to determine where your pain is most severe and what is causing it. They will also look for any:
- swelling
- bruising
- muscle wasting
Further tests
You may need to have further tests to rule out other possible health conditions.
For example, a blood test may be recommended if your GP thinks that you may have diabetes (a long-term condition caused by too much glucose in the blood). Frozen shoulder is more common in people with diabetes
Your GP will also rule out other possible causes, such as an infection or a tumour (an abnormal growth of cells).
Imaging
An image of your shoulder joint may be taken to help confirm or rule out other possible damage. However, it is rarely necessary to confirm your diagnosis.
If an image is required, you may have:
- an X-ray - where high-energy radiation is used to highlight bone abnormalities; an X-ray helps distinguish a frozen shoulder from other causes of a painful, stiff shoulder such as arthritis
- special imaging, such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan - where a strong magnetic field and radio waves are used to produce a detailed image of the inside of your body
MRI scans are rarely needed for the initial diagnosis of a frozen shoulder, but they may be used in some instances to exclude other problems in the shoulder.
