Frozen Shoulder Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Painful shoulder
• Inability to move the arm at the shoulder joint, either by yourself or by someone else

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. The doctor will test the range of motion in your shoulder.

Tests may include:

• X-rays —a test that uses radiation to take pictures of structures inside the body, to rule out other possible causes
• MRI scan —a test that uses magnetic radiation waves to examine the soft tissues around the shoulder
• Arthrograms—x-ray pictures taken after dye is injected into the shoulder area (difficult to do with frozen shoulder)