Online Physiotherapy for Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) makes the shoulder painful and then stiff, often over many months. It is most common between 40 and 60, and in people with diabetes or thyroid problems. It does get better, and physiotherapy helps you keep and recover movement while it does.
Common signs
- Shoulder pain, often worse at night and when lying on that side
- Gradually losing the ability to lift the arm, reach behind your back or turn the arm outwards
- Sharp pain with sudden movements
- Stiffness that stays after the pain has eased
What usually causes it
- The shoulder joint capsule becomes inflamed, then thickened and tight
- Often there is no clear cause; it is more common with diabetes and thyroid conditions
- It can follow a period of not moving the arm after an injury or surgery
How the online consultation works
What Dr. Bajpai checks on the video call
- Comparing the movement you can do yourself with assisted movement, in each direction
- Telling frozen shoulder (a stiff joint) apart from rotator cuff pain, which is treated differently
- Identifying the stage — painful, stiff, or thawing
- Checking the neck, since neck problems can send pain to the shoulder
A typical treatment plan
- 1. Early
Painful stage
Gentle, pain-respecting movement, positions that ease pain, and strategies for sleeping.
- 2. Middle
Stiff stage
Progressive stretching and mobility work, and strengthening around the shoulder blade.
- 3. Later
Thawing stage
Restoring full range and strength, and returning to normal use of the arm.
How long it takes: Frozen shoulder often runs over many months — commonly one to two years in total, and sometimes longer. Physiotherapy cannot skip the stages, but it helps reduce pain and preserve movement along the way.
What you can do at home
- Keep using the arm within comfort rather than holding it still
- Gentle pendulum swings a few times a day
- Use heat before stretching
- Sleep with a pillow supporting the arm
When to get urgent or in-person care
- Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness or sweating — emergency care now
- Sudden loss of arm movement after a fall — possible dislocation or tendon tear
- A hot, red, swollen shoulder with fever
- Shoulder pain with pins and needles down the arm — the neck needs checking
What it costs
The first 15-minute call is free — it is where Dr. Bajpai tells you honestly whether online physiotherapy suits your problem.
Free Discovery Call
15 minutes · No obligation
- Describe your condition to Dr. Bajpai
- Ask any clinical questions
- Honest view on whether online physio fits
- No payment, no card required
Full Consultation
45 minutes · Written report included
- Full 45-min video assessment
- Clinical diagnosis, explained plainly
- Detailed written report within 24 hours
- Personalised exercise plan, step by step
- WhatsApp follow-up support
3-Session Package
Save ₹3,000 vs three single sessions
3 × 45-min sessions
- Everything in Full Consultation × 3
- Progress tracking across sessions
- Exercise plan updated each session
- Priority WhatsApp access
- Ideal for post-surgery & chronic pain
Questions about frozen shoulder
Will my frozen shoulder go away on its own?
Most frozen shoulders improve over time, but it can take a long time and some stiffness can remain. The right exercises at each stage help you keep more movement and recover it sooner.
Should I push through the pain when I stretch?
Not in the painful stage — forcing it tends to flare things up. Stretching becomes firmer in the stiff stage. Knowing which stage you are in is the main reason to have an assessment.
What about steroid injections?
Your doctor may suggest one, usually in the painful stage, and physiotherapy is often combined with it. Dr. Bajpai does not give injections, but she can work alongside your doctor.
Can frozen shoulder be treated online?
Yes. Shoulder movement is easy to see and measure on video, and the treatment is mostly exercises you do at home.
What the evidence says
- 37 clinical trials, 4,288 participants. Telerehabilitation improved every clinical outcome studied versus control (SMD 0.24-0.91), and when compared specifically against face-to-face rehabilitation the difference was not statistically significant — i.e. comparable, not superior. It was also USD 89.55 cheaper per person. Molina-Garcia et al., 2023
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Jyoti Bajpai, MPT (NIRTAR) · Last updated 25 October 2026 · How we source claims
Further reading
- Frozen Shoulder: The 3 Stages and How Physiotherapy Helps Each OneFrozen shoulder is notorious for slow recovery — but with the right physiotherapy at the right stage, recovery is dramatically faster. Most patients do not know there are 3 distinct stages, each requiring a different approach.
- Rotator Cuff Pain & Shoulder Impingement: The Best Exercises That WorkA painful arc when you lift your arm, pain reaching behind you, aching at night — the classic rotator cuff and impingement picture. The good news: most of it settles with the right exercises, no surgery needed.
Prepared for Hope Physiotherapy from Dr. Bajpai's treatment approach and checked against the sources cited above. Last updated 25 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. See the medical disclaimer and editorial policy.