Stiff, painful shoulder that's losing range of motion? We treat frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) with hands-on mobilization, acoustic-wave technology, and progressive movement to restore motion and ease pain at every stage.
People come to us for frozen shoulder symptoms like a shoulder that's grown stiffer and more painful over weeks or months; real difficulty reaching overhead, behind the back, or across the body; pain that's worse at night or when lying on the affected side; a shoulder that feels stuck rather than just sore; and reduced motion that hasn't responded to rest alone.
If any of that sounds familiar, there's a clear path forward.
Frozen shoulder moves through distinct stages — freezing, frozen, and thawing — and treatment has to match the stage you're in. Early on, we focus on calming pain and inflammation without forcing motion. As stiffness plateaus, we carefully restore joint mobility and capsule flexibility. In the thawing stage, we rebuild strength and full function so the improvement holds.
Your plan is built around what stage your shoulder is in, drawing from:
Your first visit starts with an assessment of exactly how much motion you've lost and which stage of frozen shoulder you're in — that determines the whole approach. From there we build a staged plan and begin treatment the same day where appropriate. Progress with frozen shoulder is typically gradual; most people see steady gains in motion and comfort over weeks to months as the shoulder moves through its stages.
Frozen shoulder can take months to fully resolve even with treatment, but the right care can meaningfully reduce pain and shorten how long you're limited — we'll give you a realistic timeline after assessing your stage.
Yes, with the right approach — we match the intensity of movement to your current stage so we're helping the shoulder progress, not aggravating it.
SoftWave's acoustic wave technology can help reduce pain and stimulate tissue healing in the shoulder capsule, and works well alongside hands-on mobilization and movement work.
No referral is needed to book. If your history suggests imaging would help clarify what's going on, we'll let you know.
Frozen shoulder often seems to come from nowhere. In our clinic, it tends to show up in these situations:
Frozen shoulder usually moves through stages over many months: a painful phase, a stiff phase and a thawing phase. Knowing which stage you are in matters, because pushing hard during the painful phase can backfire while gentle work during the stiff phase can be too little.
These checks help us tell which stage you are in:
If the shoulder pain came with chest pain, shortness of breath or sweating, call 911.
We take a detailed history and measure your range of motion in several directions, actively and with our help. That shows whether the joint itself is stiff or whether muscles and pain are holding it back.
Treatment is matched to your stage: gentler when it is painful, more mobility work when it is mostly stiff. A therapeutic massage with evaluation is $130 for 60 minutes. Free parking at 1445 Rio Road East, and HSA and CareCredit are accepted. Book online or call 434-465-2905.
Book an appointment online or call us — no referral needed. We'll pinpoint your stage and build a plan to restore motion.