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How to get more frozen shoulder patients: a plan for orthopedic and sports medicine practices

The front desk of an orthopedic and sports medicine practice seen from the waiting area

Adults call about shoulder pain and stiffness, trouble raising the arm or reaching behind the back, pain at night, or a follow-up visit. This guide covers frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) in orthopedic, sports medicine and physical medicine practices; shoulder pain, rotator cuff, arthritis, sports injury and thyroid have their own guides. The orthopedic or sports medicine clinician or the treating clinician (the clinician below) evaluates the patient and decides the plan, including whether and which procedure is needed.

In short

  • Speak to adults with a painful, stiff shoulder in plain words, without blame.
  • Keep landing pages simple: symptoms, evaluation, clinician, price, one way to book.
  • Book the visit with a short script that never names a treatment.
  • Relay the two MedlinePlus routing lines whole, then tell the clinical team.
  • Follow up with consent, without pressure, and track each request.
  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Who the patients are and what they search for

Callers are adults of any sex with a shoulder that hurts and will not move freely. They struggle to reach a high shelf, fasten clothes behind the back or sleep on that side. They search for frozen shoulder, adhesive capsulitis, a stiff shoulder, shoulder pain at night or a shoulder doctor near them. Use the same words on your pages.

The MedlinePlus frozen shoulder page says “Frozen shoulder is a condition in which the shoulder is painful and loses motion because of inflammation.” Its main symptoms include “Decreased motion of the shoulder”, and it says “Over time, you are not able to do movements such as reaching over your head or behind you.” It also says “Most of the time, there is no cause for frozen shoulder.” The MedlinePlus shoulder injuries and disorders page says “Your shoulders are the most movable joints in your body.” Staff never guess the cause. Aim ads at adults only, and never build audiences from health information.

2. Landing page basics

  • Name the symptoms people notice. Care starts with an evaluation; MedlinePlus says “Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and examine your shoulder.”
  • Give the clinician’s name and real credentials.
  • Give a starting price and what it includes. Self-pay patients may be entitled to a good faith estimate.
  • Show one way to book.

Never blame a patient’s job, hobbies, age or health, never say who needs a procedure, never name a treatment, and never promise any outcome. Avoid “unfreeze your shoulder”, “full motion again”, “fixed in one visit”, “risk-free” and “insurance will cover it”. Better: “the clinician will examine your shoulder, ask about your symptoms and talk through the options with you”.

3. The phone script

Staff collect answers and book. They never judge urgency, never say what condition a caller has and never name a treatment.

  1. “Thanks for calling. May I take your name, your age and the reason for your visit?”
  2. “Which shoulder is it, which movements are hard, and did a doctor refer you? Please bring a list of your medicines and any notes from earlier care.”
  3. “The evaluation starts at [price]. Further care may be extra. We will check your plan, but cannot promise coverage.”
  4. Which treatment, and will it work? “We cannot tell that on the phone. The clinician will examine your shoulder, ask about your symptoms and decide with you what the options are.”
  5. “I can book your evaluation now. May we text or email you about it?”

Note both shoulders if the caller names both; the clinician decides what to look at. Book adults only; pass any caller under 18 to the clinical team. Staff never advise on medicines, activity or home care; they pass those questions on. A caller with a question after earlier care is booked or passed to the clinical team, never advised. See the new patient phone script.

4. Routing and safety lines

Relay only what the source says, then tell the clinical team right away.

  • The MedlinePlus frozen shoulder page says “If you have shoulder pain and stiffness and think you have a frozen shoulder, contact your provider for evaluation, referral, and treatment.” Relay that.
  • The same page also says “Contact your provider if you develop shoulder pain that limits your range of motion for an extended period.” Relay that too.

The saved sources give no other urgent line, so staff add none of their own. Any other report that worries a caller, such as a new injury or a problem after earlier care, goes to the clinical team right away.

Make follow-up and post-procedure visits easy to book; the clinician decides what each visit covers and how often to see the patient.

Text or email only with the patient’s own contact details and consent; see texting patients and the TCPA. Follow up without pressure (see consultation to treatment), never pay or take payment for referrals (see patient referrals for medical practices), and track each request from first contact to evaluation.

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more frozen shoulder patients?

Answer quickly, give clear prices and real credentials, keep claims inside the sources, and book an evaluation where the clinician decides the plan.

Can we tell callers which treatment they need or that it will work?

No. The orthopedic or sports medicine clinician or the treating clinician examines the patient and decides the plan after the evaluation, including whether and which procedure is needed.

What should the front desk do when a call sounds urgent?

Relay the MedlinePlus lines from section 4 if they match, then tell the clinical team right away. Staff never judge urgency and never say what condition a caller has.

Does insurance cover frozen shoulder care?

Coverage varies by plan. Check each patient’s plan, and do not promise coverage in ads or on the phone.

General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check device labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your clinicians. Last reviewed October 2026.

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