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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Has anyone had surgery for frozen shoulder?

15 replies

AbsentmindedWoman · 09/02/2022 22:26

What was the recovery like? Also, did you have steroids?

I have 50% lost movement in one shoulder and 65% lost in the other. No pain anymore (unless they get really pulled too far beyond the range of where they can move, then it's a sickening searing pain) and I want my mobility back.

OP posts:
RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 09/02/2022 22:34

I didnt have steroids

The recovery was pretty straight forward, painkillers and I think I had a wee bit of physio

Full mobility was back very quickly, had the op in the april and was on all the rollercoasters in florida with no problems in the august

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 09/02/2022 22:36

God that sounds amazing @RufustheFloralmissingreindeer How long had you had it for prior to the surgery? Did you have it under a local or general anaesthetic?

OP posts:
RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 09/02/2022 22:45

I had it from the august 2015, had some physio and got to marchish 2016 and no real change it was honestly agony

Went private in the april cos it occurred to me that I would be completely unable to go on any rides in the august

I did have a bone defect which was causing me problems but they corrected the frozen shoulder at the same time

It was a general anaesthetic

amicissimma · 09/02/2022 23:00

I've had two frozen shoulders, years apart. Both eventually sorted themselves out after about 18-30 months. An osteopath gave me some exercises that helped.

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 09/02/2022 23:01

My other frozen shoulder seemed to correct its self eventually

But ive not got the range of movement i once had

Heronatemygoldfish · 09/02/2022 23:05

DH has. And physio, osteo, you name it... after 12 years he is resigned to the pain never going away. The only thing to really help was acupuncture as he thinks it interrupted the pain signal down the nerves. Be aware that most shoulders heal, but not all of them.

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 09/02/2022 23:07

Thanks @RufustheFloralmissingreindeer glad you had such a speedy result that your holiday was saved! Wow! Smile

OP posts:
Blossomtoes · 09/02/2022 23:08

My frozen shoulder was cured with a combination of physio and Naproxen. I didn’t even know surgery was available.

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 09/02/2022 23:10

@Heronatemygoldfish

DH has. And physio, osteo, you name it... after 12 years he is resigned to the pain never going away. The only thing to really help was acupuncture as he thinks it interrupted the pain signal down the nerves. Be aware that most shoulders heal, but not all of them.
Crikey, this sounds awful Sad does he manage the pain with regular acupuncture now?

My shoulder first started going wrong in 2016. I'm mostly pain free with them both now, unless they get pulled the wrong way, but I long for free movement.

Still, I am worried that in case surgery makes everything worse and they end up painful again!

OP posts:
Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 09/02/2022 23:13

@Blossomtoes

My frozen shoulder was cured with a combination of physio and Naproxen. I didn’t even know surgery was available.
I think it depends how quickly you get them seen?

NHS said I had fibromyalgia.

But orthopaedic surgeon here in NYC has diagnosed two frozen shoulder, and so much time has passed now since they went wrong adhesions have formed that need to be broken down. Physio won't cut it, apparently. Which I well believe - as even trying to cautiously attempt any movements beyond the limited range is so painful it makes me instantly nauseated.

I guess I've just accommodated the lack of movement but if I piss them off they're still incredibly painful.

OP posts:
RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 09/02/2022 23:13

@AbsentmindedWoman

Thanks *@RufustheFloralmissingreindeer* glad you had such a speedy result that your holiday was saved! Wow! Smile
It was really good

First dr appointment was supposed to be 6 weeks after booking (end of march) then I managed to get it to four week, then 2 and i realised that best case scenario i was looking at july to get xray results and that left no time for a potential operation so we ‘had’ to go private

And obviously they would have operated anyway (cos money) but basically my bone was growing into the tendon so i really did have a reason for the operation and they said they would do the frozen shoulder at the same time

Its a pig of a problem though because you can’t see anything its just very painful!

ABitOfAShitShow · 09/02/2022 23:13

My former boss had the surgery. Given how much pain she was in before, I expected her recovery to be slow but she was working the same evening and back to normal remarkably quickly! I was super surprised.

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 09/02/2022 23:16

I did have acupuncture but i found someone stabbing me with needles very painful

And the whole ‘relax for thirty minutes’ 😒

Mate …youve just stabbed me with a shit load of needles!!!!

GrandmasCat · 10/02/2022 06:53

I had it for 8 months (2 of excruciating pain at night and 6 in recovery). I had about 8 weeks of accupuncture and sports massage in a row, plus about another 4-6 fortnightly sessions.

Before then I had 6 weekly sessions of osteopathy that didn’t make any difference. I suspect my osteopath was not very good, so it may work for others.

I am almost back to how things were before it happened.

Exteachergirl · 10/02/2022 21:55

I have had the surgery on both shoulders. Recovery was pretty quick but you must do the exercises afterwards to get your movement back. They weren't easy but they worked. It's ten years ago now and I have no pain at all and I still love being able to move my arms! Having frozen shoulders was awful.

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