What causes a frozen shoulder?

Most often, frozen shoulder occurs with no associated injury or discernible cause. There are patients who develop a frozen shoulder after a traumatic injury to the shoulder, but this is not the usual cause. Patients who have had recent shoulder surgery may also be prone to developing a frozen shoulder. Some common risk factors for developing a frozen shoulder include:

• Diabetes

• Thyroid Disease

Because of these associations, patients with frozen shoulder for no other apparent reason should have basic blood tests to ensure they do not have diabetes or thyroid conditions. In some patients, the first sign of one of these disorders may be a frozen shoulder.