Another fun thing about middle age: Frozen shoulder

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Here’s one more thing you can (not) look forward to in middle age: something called frozen shoulder. Formally known as “adhesive capsulitis," frozen shoulder is a painful condition where inflammation immobilizes the shoulder joint for months or even years.

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes it. Unlike many other orthopedic problems, it’s not often triggered by overuse. Midlife women are especially prone to it.

At least 2% to 5% of people experience a frozen shoulder in their lives, according to studies, though the condition isn’t well-tracked. A 2022 study found a nearly 40% increase in frozen-shoulder diagnoses during the first year of the pandemic compared with the previous year. Some doctors say they are seeing more patients with frozen shoulder as the population ages and rates of diabetes and other health problems that can contribute to the condition increase.

Its propensity in midlife women, some doctors say, could be linked to declining estrogen levels during menopause, which hurts bones and muscles. Preliminary data suggests that hormone therapy could help prevent it. Frozen shoulder sometimes happens after an injury or surgery, but it often develops out of the blue.

The condition occurs when the shoulder’s capsule becomes stiff and tight as adhesions—thick bands of tissue—develop. Symptoms come in three stages: The “freezing" stage typically occurs first, with worsening pain that makes it hard to move your shoulder. During the second—or “frozen"—stage, pain lessens but stiffness remains, and your range of motion is limited.

The final, “thawing" phase is when your range of motion returns to normal. Frozen shoulder can last from three months to two years. On average, it lasts