How can I educate patients about the expected timeline and prognosis for recovery from frozen shoulder?

Educating patients about the expected timeline and prognosis for recovery from frozen shoulder involves explaining that frozen shoulder is usually a self-limiting condition but can take months to years to resolve. Initially, pain is the main problem, often worse at night and disturbing sleep, but this pain gradually improves over time.

As pain lessens, stiffness becomes the predominant issue, which then slowly resolves. Patients should be advised that recovery is gradual and may require patience over an extended period.

Advise patients to continue using the affected arm to maintain movement and reduce muscle spasm, avoiding movements that worsen pain. This may necessitate modifications in work or leisure activities and the use of analgesia as recommended.

Supportive measures such as hot packs and positioning the arm with pillows during sleep can help manage symptoms.

Physiotherapy should be started as early as possible to aid recovery, typically lasting around 6 weeks, with possible extension if improvement continues. Physiotherapy includes education, exercises, manual therapy, and other modalities, and adequate pain control is essential to tolerate these interventions.

Intra-articular corticosteroid injections may be considered early if conservative treatments do not lead to improvement, particularly to reduce pain and facilitate physiotherapy. However, injections are generally not recommended once stiffness predominates.

Patients should be informed that the course of frozen shoulder varies, and while many improve with conservative management, some may require referral to secondary care if symptoms are severe or persistent.