You thought the shoulder pain would go away on it's own. It didn't. Ok, what are your options? Your doctor may have recommended surgery, therapy or a combination of both. If you have been battling a painful, stiff shoulder for any length of time you may have resorted to treatment measures outside of reasonable thinking to relieve your pain. I've had patients tell me they have used everything from mustard poultices to lubricants made for auto parts in attempt to cure frozen shoulder pain.

As long as their way is not directly dangerous to them I do not try to argue them down owing to 1) If they believe it is working I will not succeed in changing their mind, and 2) the person will likely be more receptive to my clinical treatment if I am not argumentative to their beliefs.

However, this is not an article on patient psychology, but the above leads me to reply the question "will exercise cure a frozen shoulder?".

Research shows that most cases of frozen shoulder are "self-limiting" or resolved within 2 years of onset no matter the course of treatment. That's great, but who wants to live with an arm that is 50% useful at best if they can do something NOW to increase function and range of motion? Therefore while some view that exercise itself cannot cure frozen shoulder

There are many different conditions which may cause this pain. These conditions may comprise shortening or thickening of the tendons in the capsule of the shoulder, scar tissue, tendonitis, inflammation, bursitis, or rotator cuff injuries.
Rotator cuff injuries are a weighty cause of frozen shoulder thanks to the period of immobility which is essential for recovery. This immobility may cause severe stiffness. Those patients who have had past chest surgeries, diabetes, or chronic-inflammatory arthritis in the shoulder will have a much higher odd of developing the pain.

There are some other medical conditions which may mimic frozen shoulder pain, but are diagnosed differently. Arthritis in the shoulder is a big one as it can result in swelling, stiffness, pain, and occasionally an injury to the rotator cuff. Rotator cuff injuries will vary from frozen shoulder in that the range of motion loss with a rotator cuff injury is typically restricted to a certain course. Frozen shoulder will have a total loss of mobility.

The effect of frozen shoulder is very evident. When inflammation begins in the shoulder joint, it becomes "sticky". This "stickiness" leads to pain and stiffness which will make the arm very hard to move. At times, it may freeze up totally.

The 3 stages of frozen shoulder are freezing, frozen, and thawing. The beginning stage is called the freezing stage owing to the arm is just starting to freeze up. The end stage is called the thawing stage owing to the patient will start to feel some relief and will slowly regain movement in the arm. The middle stage is the frozen stage when the patient has no capability to move the arm at all.

Frozen shoulder symptoms are very odd. A patient may wake up one day unable to move the arm and shoulder, or they may note the symptoms come on very slowly.There are treatments available for frozen shoulder, like deep heat ultrasound massages and different forms of physical therapy. However, these treatments are typically a last resort as most doctors prefer to not treat the condition at all.