Shoulder symptom
Stiff Shoulder With Reduced Range of Motion
Stiff Shoulder With Reduced Range of Motion
In plain language: The key question is whether the shoulder is truly stiff or simply too painful or weak to move. Comparing active and assisted motion helps tell the difference.
Why a shoulder becomes stiff
Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, causes both active and passive motion to become restricted. The joint capsule tightens, and external rotation is often especially limited. Diabetes, thyroid disease, and a period of immobilization can increase risk, although frozen shoulder can occur without a clear trigger.
Glenohumeral arthritis can also produce pain, grinding, and progressive loss of motion. Stiffness may follow surgery, fracture, dislocation, or prolonged protection after an injury. Rotator cuff pain can limit active movement even when the joint can still be moved farther with assistance.
How it is evaluated
Your clinician asks which daily tasks have changed and how quickly motion was lost. The examination compares both shoulders and measures active and passive motion. Strength, tenderness, and neck findings help identify overlapping problems.
X-rays can show arthritis or prior bone injury. MRI is not always needed for classic frozen shoulder, but it may be useful when the examination suggests another soft-tissue problem.
Treatment options
Treatment should match the irritability of the shoulder. Forceful stretching during a highly painful stage may increase symptoms. A paced therapy program can protect function while gradually restoring motion. Medication or a glenohumeral corticosteroid injection may create a window for rehabilitation in selected patients.
For frozen shoulder that remains significantly limiting, glenohumeral hydrodistension or hydrodilatation may be discussed. Evidence is mixed, so the decision should consider expected benefit, procedure discomfort, and alternatives.
Seek prompt care if
Stiffness began after major trauma, the shoulder is deformed, or you have new weakness or numbness. Fever with a hot, swollen shoulder requires urgent assessment. Rapidly worsening stiffness with unexplained illness also deserves evaluation.
Sources
- AAOS OrthoInfo: Frozen Shoulder
- American College of Radiology: Chronic Shoulder Pain
- AAOS: Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis Plain Language Summary
This page provides general education. A clinician must determine the cause of an individual patient’s stiffness.
Clinically reviewed by Keley John Booth, MD
Get urgent care for these
- The shoulder looks deformed or a bone may be broken after an injury
- The arm is cold, pale, blue or severely swollen
- New major weakness or loss of feeling
- Fever with a hot, red, swollen shoulder
- Shoulder pain with chest pressure, shortness of breath, sweating, or pain spreading to the jaw or arm
These need assessment now, not an appointment next week. Go to an emergency department or call 911.