Frozen shoulder

[jmh740]

Does anyone have any advice I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder today. I'd never heard of it before but someone suggested that could be what I had and the gp agreed. I found some exercises on u tube and did them this morning will carry on with those
The gp said it could last from 1 to 3 years and its likely it will get worse before it gets better. She prescribed naproxen. Can any one offer and advice for me to deal with this?
Thank you

[Autumnchill]

I realise this is an oldish thread but I'm just in tears with the pain.

Started just after lockdown in April and I ignored it but couple of months later, tingling in hand and arm felt heavy. Got to the point were I couldn't get dressed properly and struggling to blow dry hair.

Rang Drs in September, diagnosed tendentious over the phone, given anti inflammatory but no improvement. Went onto stronger tablets and referred to physio. Had 6 sessions in run up to Christmas and small difference but over Christmas went noticeably backwards and in January he advised he couldn't do any more now due to the pain I'm in so referred me for MRI as he's concerned I've turned something.

I can go private through work so just waiting on that and I've continued working with the resistance band but I'm just so tired of it.

Deep freeze gives me instant relief till I knock it or put it in the wrong position and my sleep is all over the place.

People have mentioned an operation, what is this and please please tell me this pain will stop eventually 😩

[spongebunnyfatpants]

I've had it twice, once in both shoulders and its starting again in one shoulder and I'm only 45.

Needed multiple injections with both and ended up having both operated on.

Most horrendous pain of my life (worse than child birth). Specialist says its in the top 5 of most painful conditions you can have.

First time was 18th months of pain before the op. Couldn't move my arm at all because of the pain it caused, couldn't drive, couldn't function, 6 months off work.

Physio helped to start with, but once it gets to the freezing stage, it does nothing.

I have about 95% movement in one shoulder and about 85% in the other.

My advice would be get referred to a specialist as soon as possible. Don't let the gp try and give injections.

Good luck.

[Autumnchill]

Thank you for responding. I'm being referred through work medical insurance so hopefully I'll get seen quickly because no way I can stand another year of this.

I genuinely don't think people understand how painful it is and I suppose I would be the same if I hadn't got it and a friend was complaining about it.

[Flupibass]

I’ve been free of it for a year now, and am still so grateful that I can put my tops on without pain, or reach for something. I had it in both shoulders at the same time. I saw a specialist who would have liked to have done surgery, but I chose not to. Frozen shoulder runs it’s course. The surgery just quickens the process slightly. The surgeon also said that physio wouldn’t really help! I do yoga and Pilates, was very restricted because of the pain but am convinced Pilates in particular has aided recovery better than anything else. I wouldn’t have an invasive procedure for something that will get better on its own.

[Autumnchill]

How on earth did you manage with both!!! If my husband isn't here I can't wear certain clothes as I can't get out of them and if I can avoid putting my bra on I do

[Autumnchill]

Just a quick update for anyone that stumbles across this thread like I did, got to have keyhole surgery as scar tissue too advanced so hopefully getting it done private in three weeks

[Unsure33]

Can I ask how the pain feels when it starts? I seem to have a pain that moves about ? Hurts when I breathe , sometimes feels like it’s inside my breast . Sometimes like it’s my shoulder blade .

[PuppyMonkey]

I realise this is an old thread resurrected but hope you’re ok Autumn. Had frozen shoulder in one shoulder for a year or more, followed by the other.

The zingers are the most excruciating pain I ever experienced. Hard to explain the agony. Hope the procedure works, nothing like that was offered to me - only thing I had was the steroid injections, first time, never did a thing for me. I didn’t bother the second time and the process took exactly the same amount of time.

For me, my shoulder started aching, then “froze” over a few months - that frozen stage is when you get the zingers if you knock your arm or move it in a particular way or just look at it wrong. No point doing physio imho - the freezing will happen. Nothing you can do about it.

Gradually after several months one day you will notice the pain is ever so slightly better, and that’s when you can start doing gentle physio to increase movement and thaw the shoulder out. It’s a long haul though.

To the pp who thinks she’s getting it again after having it in both shoulders, you can only get it once per shoulder as far as I’m aware.

[Autumnchill]

This started with pain in right arm bit like when you've sat at your desk too long and then ended up as tingling in hands and shooting pain if you moved a certain way. It then progressed back up arm where I can't now lift my arm past shoulder height or even touch the small of my back as if doing your bra up.

I've just got a static shock and automatically jolted my arm back and the pain brought me to my knees. It's so intense.

I've never had it anywhere else, just the arm/shoulder

Pain in your breast should be looked at especially with the breathing as this has never caused painful breathing

[PuppyMonkey]

Unsure, the initial pain for me was pain in the upper arm usually when lifting the arm up.

[Autumnchill]

@PuppyMonkey zingers is the right word although not what I was just shouting (thankfully husband away but terrified cat). You just can't tell anyone how bad that pain is. They did an x ray tonight and I had to sit and put arm out and reach with it, I cried! Thankfully x ray man had had it so was as quick as he could be and kept apologising

[Oblomov20]

I have it now. Had it for 3-4 years. Had an MRI to see if they are going to operate.

[PuppyMonkey]

Autumn, sounds like you are at frozen stage. Although I couldn’t lift my arm anywhere near shoulder height tbh.

I gave up wearing bras!

[Autumnchill]

@Oblomov20 I hope you get it sorted! I've only had it 10 months and probably left it too long to get treatment. I couldn't imagine having it for years. When will you find out?

[Autumnchill]

@PuppyMonkey that's what he said. I'm past stage 1 so pointless injecting. Says I'm in frozen stage and he needs to get in there and cut all the scar tissue away to free up the movement. I could have kissed him!

[Oblomov20]

I'm the 3rd diabetic on this thread. I've had 3 steroid injections. Physio did nothing. I'm well fed up.

[Autumnchill]

I can imagine. Weirdly he asked me if I was diabetic so is it something that diabetics are known to suffer with more

[glasgowLil]

Frozen shoulder is very unpleasant! My husband had frozen shoulder in both shoulders last year. He used a tens machine a lot but didn’t find anything else very helpful. In the end, what seemed to help him turn the corner was us going to lanzarote on holiday and him swimming in cold water but that was after several months of it being really painful. Big hugs xx

[Autumnchill]

The cold definitely helps. Deep freeze spray is like nectar 😁

[SusannaSpider]

Took me 2yrs to shift mine. It was really frustrating, I'm a badminton player and it was my right arm. After pratting about with the NHS, I ended up paying for private physio, which was bloody hard work, but did work. He advised against surgery or water treatment, I had exercises to do and I now have about 95% of movement back (and play 4hrs of badminton a week), I really need to work on the other 5% but I'm lazy. I did have a few sessions of cryotherapy when the pain was really bad (the zingers were awful), it didn't cure anything, but gave me a good few hours of relief and I stretched it whilst it was pain free.

[rosegoldwatcher]

I have no advice, sorry.

My right side froze when I was peri-menopausal. I could not reach to the side, above or behind me without mind-boggling pain and sleeping was a bastard.

For a month or so I had it in both shoulders and DH had to dress me. One notable morning, after he had left the house, I decided that the dress I had on was too flimsy for the cold weather and had to cut it off.

From first symptoms to being entirely well again took more than a year.

[42isthemeaning]

I've had this issue since the first lockdown. I've had an x ray which was clear, exercises to do from the physio and the steroid injection hasn't helped, so I've been referred to a shoulder specialist to see about getting hydrodilatation. Has anyone else had this? I can't lift my arm above my waist and I'm woken up every day with the pain. It really is debilitating OP. For me the pain is exacerbated by working on the computer all day and my arm aches as if I've just had an injection. Good luck op, I hope the op helps!

[Autumnchill]

@rosegoldwatcher fully understand that! Was WFH last week and husband away. I lived in the same baggy jumper and leggings as I knew I could get them on and off on my own.

Oh I feel like I've found my people who understand how awful this pain is

[percheron67]

I had this several years ago. Saw my Osteo who diagnosed it. He used an electrical impulse machine on it and it did help. Flipping painful (the shoulder not the machine!) and gave me exercises to do at home. It did disappear.

[Noideawhatdateitis]

Hydrodilatation worked brilliantly for me after I had a frozen shoulder torn rotator cuff, tendonitis and bursitis following a fall when I a cup on a coffee table! Nothing worked before the procedure (physio or steroid injections) but since it I have had no problems at all