Recovery plan

Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)

Understand frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) — its stages, causes, symptoms, and how it's typically treated over time.

Read the full injury guide Shoulder recovery

A usable progression

Move forward when the current stage is tolerable.

This is a general education framework, not a personal prescription. The injury, treatment, symptoms, and demands of your activity can all change the pace.

Settle

Goal: Protect the area and reduce the most provocative load.
Do: Use comfortable daily movement where appropriate and follow any protection or restrictions from your clinician.
Avoid: Avoid repeatedly testing sharp pain, forcing range, or returning to demanding activity because symptoms briefly improve.
Progress when: Daily tasks are becoming easier and symptoms are not escalating after ordinary activity.

Restore

Goal: Rebuild comfortable movement and basic function.
Do: Work through the exercises and mobility guidance linked below, starting with a tolerable range and dose.
Avoid: Avoid adding several new exercises, heavier loads, or longer sessions at the same time.
Progress when: Movement is more comfortable, swelling or irritability is settling, and basic use is improving.

Strengthen

Goal: Build capacity for the loads your work, training, or sport requires.
Do: Progress resistance, repetitions, range, or time gradually—one meaningful change at a time.
Avoid: Avoid using pain-free rest alone as proof that the tissue is ready for full demand.
Progress when: The area tolerates progressively harder sessions without a marked next-day flare.

Return

Goal: Reintroduce the specific activity with control and confidence.
Do: Start with a reduced version of the task, then build duration, load, speed, and complexity separately.
Avoid: Avoid jumping from rehabilitation exercises straight to full training, competition, or heavy work.
Progress when: You can repeat the demands of your activity with stable symptoms, useful strength, and no loss of function.

Rehabilitation Guides

Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-001

Frozen Shoulder Rehab Guide

A phase-by-phase rehabilitation guide for frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), including exercises, stretches, and what to expect at each stage.

Read guide →Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-002

General Shoulder Rehabilitation Principles

Core principles behind shoulder rehabilitation that apply across most shoulder injuries, including phased progression, exercise selection, and when to seek help.

Read guide →

Exercises

Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-005

Pendulum Exercise (Codman Exercise) for the Shoulder

Learn how to do the pendulum (Codman) exercise safely for shoulder stiffness, pain, or early rehab. Step-by-step instructions, mistakes to avoid, and who should skip it.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-009

Wall Slides for Shoulder Mobility and Control

Step-by-step guide to wall slides for improving shoulder blade movement and overhead mobility. Includes common mistakes and progressions.

Read guide →

Mobility & Stretching

Stretches · IA-SHO-STR-001

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

Learn the cross-body shoulder stretch to ease tightness in the back of the shoulder. Includes hold times, reps, common mistakes, and who should avoid it.

Read guide →Stretches · IA-SHO-STR-003

Overhead Triceps and Shoulder Stretch

Learn the overhead triceps and shoulder stretch to ease tightness in the back of the upper arm and top of the shoulder. Steps, hold times, and cautions.

Read guide →Stretches · IA-SHO-STR-004

Posterior Capsule Stretch

Learn the posterior capsule stretch to ease tightness deep in the back of the shoulder joint. Steps, hold times, and who should avoid it.

Read guide →Stretches · IA-SHO-STR-006

Towel Stretch for Internal Rotation

Learn the towel stretch to improve your ability to reach behind your back. Steps, hold times, common mistakes, and who should avoid this stretch.

Read guide →

Recovery Timelines

Recovery timelines · IA-SHO-REC-002

Frozen Shoulder Recovery Timeline

A realistic recovery timeline for frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), covering the freezing, frozen, and thawing phases over 12-24 months.

Read guide →

Prevention

Prevention · IA-SHO-PRE-001

General Shoulder Health and Posture

The everyday habits, posture principles, and simple exercises that support long-term shoulder health for people of all activity levels.

Read guide →

Recovery guidance needs context.

These resources provide general education, not a diagnosis or personalised treatment plan. A recent major injury, deformity, substantial weakness, worsening neurological symptoms or inability to use the affected area should be assessed.