Frozen Shoulder Exercises: 6 Gentle Stretches by Stage

Frozen shoulder gets better on its own, but slowly. Gentle, regular stretches matched to your stage help keep and win back movement without stirring up pain.

How to use this

Who it’s for: frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) diagnosed by your GP or physio: pain, then stiffness in every direction, especially turning the arm out.
Painful stage (“freezing”, about 2–9 months): gentle, small movements within comfort, little and often. Don’t force stretches. Pain relief or an injection can help.
Stiff stage (“frozen”, about 4–12 months): pain eases; hold each stretch longer, into a mild stretch but not sharp pain.
Thawing stage (about 5–24 months): movement returns; stretch further and add light strengthening.
Pain rules: mild discomfort is fine if it settles within about 30 minutes. If pain stays raised or wakes you more at night, do less.
Based on: a 2020 review of 65 frozen shoulder trials (JAMA Network Open), the UK FROST trial (Lancet 2020) and long-term outcome studies.

Your exercises

PendulumLean forward with your good hand on a table. Let the sore arm hang loose and swing it gently in small circles, then forwards and back, using your body, not your shoulder muscles.1–2 minutes, 2–3 times a day
Table slideSit at a table with your sore hand on a towel. Slide the hand forward by leaning your body forward, then come back. Go only as far as is comfortable.10 slides, hold 5 seconds at the end; 2–3 times a day
Finger walk up the wallStand facing a wall. Walk the fingers of your sore arm slowly up the wall as far as is comfortable, then walk them down. Don’t shrug your shoulder up.5–10 times, 2–3 times a day
Turn the arm out with a stickHold a stick (or umbrella) with both hands, elbows bent and tucked at your sides. Use your good arm to push the sore hand gently out to the side. Elbows stay in. Can be done lying down.Hold 5–10 seconds, 10 times; 2–3 times a day
Across-the-body stretchWith your good hand, gently pull the sore arm across your chest at the elbow until you feel a stretch at the back of the shoulder.Hold 20–30 seconds, 3 times; twice a day
Towel behind the backHang a towel over your good shoulder and hold the bottom end behind your back with your sore hand. Pull up gently with your good hand so the sore hand slides up your back.Hold 5–10 seconds, 10 times; twice a day

Tips: warm the shoulder first with a shower or heat pack. Short sessions several times a day beat one long, painful one. Keep using the arm for light tasks, and sleep with a pillow hugging the sore arm. With diabetes, keep sugars well controlled. More about the condition: our frozen shoulder fact sheet.

Stop and see your GP or physio if

Pain is severe, keeps you awake most nights, or isn’t controlled with simple pain relief
The shoulder hasn’t started to loosen after about 6 months of the stiff stage
Weakness lifting the arm, or the problem began after a fall (this may be a tendon tear)
A hot, swollen shoulder with fever: see a doctor the same day
Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness or sweating: call 000
Pins and needles or pain running down the arm, which may be coming from your neck

Want a supervised program?

A physio can guide the right amount of stretching for your stage and add hands-on mobilisation. A steroid injection into the joint is the treatment with the best short-term evidence for pain, especially when given in the first months alongside home exercises. Hydrodilatation (stretching the joint capsule with fluid and steroid) and, for stubborn cases, manipulation under anaesthetic or keyhole release are options; in the UK FROST trial, physio plus injection, manipulation and keyhole release gave similar results at one year. If you have a chronic condition, ask your GP about a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP): it gives a Medicare rebate for up to 5 allied health visits a year.

Common questions

What exercises help frozen shoulder?

Gentle range-of-motion exercises: pendulum swings, table slides, finger walks up a wall, turning the arm out with a stick, and reaching across and behind your back. Do them little and often, within comfort.

Should I push through the pain with frozen shoulder?

No, especially in the early painful stage. In a Dutch study (not randomised), 89% of people doing gentle exercise within their pain limits had a normal or near-normal shoulder at 2 years, versus 63% with intensive stretching.

How long does frozen shoulder last?

Usually 1 to 3 years, through painful, stiff and thawing stages. In a UK study, about 6 in 10 people had a normal or near-normal shoulder after an average of 4.4 years; most of the rest had mild symptoms.

Do exercises speed up recovery from frozen shoulder?

They help you keep and regain movement, and in a 2020 review, adding a home program to a steroid injection may have given extra benefit over the following months. They don’t switch off the condition, which runs its course.

Can I use my arm with frozen shoulder?

Yes. Use it for light everyday tasks within comfort. Avoid slings and resting it for long, and avoid sudden jerky reaches that spike the pain.

Evidence and more information

Reviewed 8 November 2026. General education, not personal medical advice. Everyone is different, so check with your GP or physio if you’re unsure an exercise suits you.

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