Dawaa Reference

chronic

Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive capsulitis)

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

BESS Guidelines for Management of Frozen Shoulder 2015 · Ibuprofen 100 mg/5 ml SmPC section 4.2 (eMC product 4560) · Naproxen 500 mg Tablets SmPC section 4.2 (eMC product 2639)

Verified against3 documents
  • Ibuprofen 100 mg/5 ml SmPC section 4.2 (eMC product 4560)
  • Naproxen 500 mg Tablets SmPC section 4.2 (eMC product 2639)
  • Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder) - disease-level clinical article (frozen-shoulder-clinical.txt)

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Symptoms — what the patient reports (6)

  • Pain builds gradually then stiffens the joint, worsening over weeks to months
  • Initial pain gives way to stiffness, then a constant dull ache with sharp jabs on sudden movement or extreme reach [joint pain · shoulder pain]
  • The condition can last anywhere from a few months up to 2 to 3 years before resolving
  • The problem is scarring of the joint capsule itself, not the muscles or the tendons around it [scarring]
  • It picks out middle-aged adults, and diabetes or thyroid disease makes it both likelier and more severe
  • Red flag: it is commonly missed, and the delay is what turns it into long disability

Signs — what you find (5)

  • Both active and passive range of motion are markedly reduced across flexion, abduction, and rotation [reduced range of movement]
  • Motion is typically lost in a set order - external rotation first, then abduction, internal rotation, and flexion
  • Diffuse tenderness is found on palpation around the joint, while distal neurological exam stays intact
  • Neer, Hawkins, and Speed special tests are frequently positive as well
  • In advanced cases the arm no longer swings naturally on walking, and disuse-related muscle wasting can appear [muscle wasting]

Tests (3)

  • Routine blood tests are skipped unless an underlying condition such as diabetes or thyroid disease is suspected
  • X-ray excludes bone disease; MRI can show a thickened coracohumeral ligament or a shrunken axillary pouch
  • A subacromial lidocaine injection fails to restore motion here, unlike bursitis or cuff tendinopathy

SourceStatPearls "Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1

IBUPROFEN

1st line

Strength400 mg

Formoral.solid

Adult dose and duration

400 mg 3 times daily after meals

Paediatric dose

Rare condition in children; specialist referral needed

Dose source

Ibuprofen 100 mg/5 ml SmPC section 4.2 (eMC product 4560)

Why

Non-selective NSAID that controls the inflammatory pain of frozen shoulder, used alongside early gentle physiotherapy, which is the primary driver of recovery.

Cautions
  • Combines with early gentle physiotherapy within pain tolerance.
  • Screen for underlying diabetes mellitus or thyroid dysfunction.
Egyptian brands
Egyptian brandManufacturerIndicative price
DAJUANOFEN 400 MG 20 F.C. TABS.COPAD PHARMA5.00 EGP (0.25/unit)
FLABU 400MG 10 F.C.TAB.DELTA PHARMA3.75 EGP (0.38/unit)
NOVA-PROFEN 400MG 30 F.C. TABLETSSANOFI12.75 EGP (0.42/unit)
IBUPROFEN 400 MG 10 TAB.SEDICO6.00 EGP (0.60/unit)
MAFO 400 MG 30 F.C.TABSEIPICO42.00 EGP (1.40/unit)
BRUFEN 400 MG 30 TABS.KAHIRA > ABBOTT LABORATORIES78.00 EGP (2.60/unit)
PROFUSOL 400MG 20 S.G CAPS.EUROPEAN EGYPTIAN PHARM. IND.31.00 EGP
ANALGIPROF 400 MG 25 SACHETSEVA PHARMA37.50 EGP
NOVA-PROFEN 100MG/5ML ORAL SUSP. 100ML? strength differs? different route - not oral solidSANOFI2.25 EGP
BRUFEMOL-N SUSP. 60 ML? strength differs? different route - not oral solidARAB DRUG COMPANY (ADCO)4.50 EGP
2

REFERRAL & SAFETY-NETTING (NO DRUG THERAPY)

1st line
Dose source

Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder) - disease-level clinical article (frozen-shoulder-clinical.txt)

Why

Carries the referral criteria and warning signs for this condition, which apply whichever treatment is chosen.

Cautions
  • RED FLAG - New-onset arm weakness or numbness, or worsening symptoms, should prompt further medical evaluation as these suggest a diagnosis other than adhesive capsulitis (not just continued NSAID use).
3

NAPROXEN

2nd line

Strength500 mg

Formoral.solid

Adult dose and duration

500 mg twice daily after meals

Paediatric dose

Specialist referral required

Dose source

Naproxen 500 mg Tablets SmPC section 4.2 (eMC product 2639)

Why

Longer-acting NSAID alternative to ibuprofen for frozen shoulder, chosen when nocturnal pain persists between doses of a shorter-acting agent.

Cautions
  • Naproxen is a longer-acting NSAID alternative for persistent nocturnal pain.
  • Refer for intra-articular steroid injection if pain prevents physiotherapy.
  • Contraindicated in baseline creatinine clearance <30 ml/min and during the last trimester of pregnancy.
Egyptian brands
Egyptian brandManufacturerIndicative price
ORGOPROXEN 500 MG 20 TAB.ORGANOPHARMA > ORGANO16.00 EGP (0.80/unit)
NAPROSYN 500 MG 10 TAB.MISR > F.HOFFMAN LA ROCHE8.05 EGP (0.81/unit)
NAPROFEN 500MG 10 TAB.EL NILE.12.00 EGP (1.20/unit)
NAPROFEN 500MG 20 TAB.EL NILE.24.00 EGP (1.20/unit)

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.