Shoulder joint stiffness and pain with the limitation of movement The gap in the shoulder joint is gradually getting smaller. An attached shoulder can take months to years to heal. The adhesion of the shoulder develops in stages. In the early stages, during the adhesion phase, the patient experiences shoulder pain and difficulty moving. This stage usually lasts about 4 months, and over the next 4 months, the shoulders will be very painful and the arms will be moved very little. This is called a stuck shoulder joint. In the last stage, the pain subsided, and the arm moved again. The longest period is about 4 months.