Frozen shoulder: physical therapy and recovery, per MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus says that “Steroid injections and physical therapy can improve your motion,” and that “Physical therapy may be intense and needs to be done every day.” This page quotes MedlinePlus only.
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current information on those sites. This page is not medical advice and does not describe any patient’s care.
Source read on November 12, 2026: the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia’s Frozen shoulder article (review date 10/7/2024).
What frozen shoulder is
MedlinePlus states: “Frozen shoulder is a condition in which the shoulder is painful and loses motion because of inflammation.” It lists pain, decreased motion of the shoulder, and stiffness as the main symptoms (paraphrased).
Physical therapy
MedlinePlus states: “It can take a few weeks to see progress. It may take as long as 9 months to a year for complete recovery. Physical therapy may be intense and needs to be done every day.”
On outlook: “Treatment with physical therapy and NSAIDs often restores motion and function of the shoulder within a year.”
After surgery
MedlinePlus states: “After surgery restores motion, you must continue physical therapy for several weeks or months. This is to prevent the frozen shoulder from returning. If you do not keep up with physical therapy, the frozen shoulder may come back.”
What this page does not do
It does not repeat MedlinePlus’s risk-factor list, medicine details, or surgery steps. It is not medical advice and does not recommend any treatment, medicine, device, or product. Scope of practice is set by state law; check your state board.