tears or tendinitis of the rotator cuff e.g. supraspinatus tendinitis or the painful arc syndrome - pain present in a small arc of movement, and only during active movement and, unlike frozen shoulder, the range of passive movements is generally normal
stiffness following shoulder injury - stiffness is greatest immediately after the injury and then declines. In a frozen shoulder, stiffness gradually increases after the injury over a period of several months
stiffness from disuse - a shoulder which is not used will gradually become stiff, for example, a broken forearm which is nursed overcautiously. However, the pattern of stiffness differs from that of a frozen shoulder
reflex sympathetic dystrophy - shoulder pain and stiffness may follow a stroke or myocardial infarction. A mild reflex sympathetic dystrophy may quite closely resemble a frozen shoulder, but severe forms of the disease also induce trophic and vasomotor changes in the hand
arthritis of the shoulder joint
polymyalgia rheumatica - especially if both shoulders are affected
infective arthritis in an immunosuppressed patient
polymyositis
Pancoast's syndrome
a posterior dislocation of the glenohumeral joint that has become locked
early Parkinson's disease (1)
Reference:
Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2000; 38 (11): 86-88.
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