Frozen shoulder usually develops gradually in stages which may last several months. Symptoms include: Dull, aching pain over the outer shoulder and sometimes the arm. Loss of motion. Complete inability to move the shoulder. Stages of frozen shoulder and their approximate durations are: Freezing stage (6 weeks -9 months): Any shoulder movement causes pain which increases over time until range of motion becomes limited. Frozen stage (4-6 months): Pain may diminish, however, loss of motion remains. Daily activities become more difficult due to lack of shoulder mobility. Thawing stage (6 months-2 years): Shoulder motion slowly improves.