Having ultrasound guided injection for frozen shoulder

[gingerhobo48]

. . . on Saturday and am feeling really nervous.

Hi everyone, I have had a frozen shoulder, on and off for the best part of a year now. Its my dominant arm and I'm finding it so disabling this time round. I had one in the other shoulder in 2008/9 which went eventually with physio. This one though is so much more painful. I also have bouts of numbness in my hand which my consultant thinks is mild Carpal Tunnel. I am having the shoulder and wrist done together. I am really worried about the pain as I am so stiff. When I had my MRI and nerve conduction test I 'YouTubed' it to get an idea of what to expect. I have had a look but I'm worried about how it feels afterwards and what to expect really. I know it is an individual thing but I haven't been given much advice other than not to drive and there is a small possibility of post injection infection. I know I won't get 100% movement back but anything really would be a bonus. I have been able to hide it so far from work (I'm a teacher so on Summer hols) but it really is starting to have an impact on my day to day life.

What was it like for you? Thanks for sharing.

Just to add, I don't have young children to care for (both teenagers) and have a husband at home who can help me should I need it. I'm just thinking I'm going to be really numb for some reason and its going to feel strange. Do I need to stay there afterwards to check that I don't have a reaction/faint? I'm just starting to freak out slightly, sorry. I don't have a fear of needles which is a good thing I guess.

I have had two frozen shoulders ( left & right) & ended up having both of them operated on.

This was at least 10 years ago and I had a steroid injection in one of them, not ultrasound guided & I am sad to say it did not work.

I certainly did not feel numb. I would deffo stay for a bit afterwards & I think the hospital will want you to.

Here's a link to a thread with more frozen shoulder stuff:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1997007-Could-this-be-a-frozen-shoulder?msgid=45069288

You have my hugest sympathy, the pain was awful.

Thank you magimedi. Yes, the pain is awful, it makes me feel sick. I just feel so old. I can't do so many things, I can't even tie my hair back properly. I feel ok if I can drive which I can at the moment but the pins and needles in my hand at times is concerning. I am starting a new job in Sept (job share for a term).When I accepted the role I didn't feel too bad. I can just about endure the pain but the loss of sensation is scary. I have also just secured my dream job (working with children with learning disabilities in the holidays) so there is a lot of new, exciting things happening for me.

I well remember how debilitating it was.

I have to say that both ops were 100% successful - I was very good about keeping up doing the exercises & both times the shoulder went on improving for at least 18 months.

If you get no joy from the injections I would seriously consider having the operation - it is keyhole & I was in only overnight.

Do let me know how the injection goes & feel free to pm if you want any more info/support.

Thanks I will :>).

Ooh another fellow FS sufferer, I would wave but that hurts to much

I've had mine since March, really painful. I've had two steroid injections, wouldn't say either has made a blind bit if difference tbh. Am a bit unsure what they'll suggest next - probably the op but am a wuss so don't know about that.

There is a really good FB group - Frozen Shoulder Friends. Mostly US based people but you do get a good selection of opinions on all the treatments, or what happens when you just let it do its thing for three years or whatever. Good luck

Puppy - I am wuss about anything medical but those ops I had really changed my life.

Six weeks after the first one I could swim proper front crawl again!

Im back at physio in a few weeks so I think we will be having the op chat.

I had the ultrasound injection for frozen shoulder. It didn't really hurt but it also didn't help. I was in a lot of pain for six months and remember not being able to wash my hair or open envelopes .

I had an appointment to see the surgeon again to get the op when suddenly it started to resolve and it was gone within two weeks. I had had acupuncture in desperation so if you believe in that you'd say it helped and if not you'd say it was coincidence. I still don't have full movement back, eight years on, but no pain.

The surgeon told me that a true frozen shoulder should eventually resolve itself whereas similar problems (bursitis) won't. He also told me it was correlated with thyroid and diabetic conditions and is itself an autoimmune condition as they often are. I am hypothyroid.

Hi, thanks for that .I have had my thyroid tested twice before and have low Vit D and was taking calcium tablets. I do believe it could be part of something else I have, as yet undiagnosed. I did read somewhere about there being a connection between peri-menopausal/menopausal women and oestrogen levels but when I asked about this on Monday, my consultant said it had nothing to do with that. He is convinced it's a frozen shoulder. This one is so much more painful than my previous one but you do forget with time. I remember I took to my bed last time because the painkillers I was taking then were so strong and they made me feel spacey! This time round I was taking Naproxen which made me feel sick and made me constipated. I think I am possibly arthritic as I twisted my knee in 2012 and the Dr I saw then said I had arthritis in my knee. In the mornings I am very stiff and can't come down the stairs one at a time and if I kneel on my knees for a long time I get fluid on my knee.

Hi Puppy, thanks for answering. I am not on FB but I will look up some related forums.

I had a non guided steroid injection in my left shoulder (non dominant) and it appeared to work. I had had the condition for almost three years by then though so it may have actually resolved itself. (They say a year coming on, a year when it is at its peak and a year to resolve itself don't they? ). I feel for you, it is horrible. I don't think I slept properly for a year.

Interesting that you say about low vit D. Mine was very low and I turned out to have primary Hyperparathyroidism which meant my blood calcium was very high and vit D very low. I've subsequently read that frozen shoulder can be caused by high levels of calcium.

Good luck.

Hi, I do remember having something else along with the low Vit D , I think it was calcaemia or something but it was borderline. I think I need to do a bit more research and go back to the one decent Dr at my surgery (they really are awful).I remember at the time asking about my thyroid and I had the tests but I don't know what my scores were. All I know is that I am sick of living like this, I feel like my body is slowly giving up on me (slightly dramatic I know but I'm so fed up) I am worried about being well enough to start my new jobs and I hate the stress of hiding it. If I can't work I won't get any money as I'm a supply teacher :>(.

If your calcium is high (hypercalcaemia) please please get them to check your parathyroid hormone (pTH). Primary Hyperparathyroidism is a shit disease with all kinds of symptoms but is easily treated by surgery to remove the affected parathyroid gland.

Even if your calcium is only slightly high (over 2.6) ask for the test.

Is it a steroid injection or ultrasound guided hydrodilation injection? I had a SLAP lesion operated on and a post surgery frozen shoulder. The hydrodilation did help for a year or so but unfortunately the SLAP repair failed and I ended up having the surgery redone anyway (with mua for the frozen shoulder). Perhaps if the repair hadn't failed, the hydrodilation would have worked for longer or even solved the problem completely.
The actual ultrasound guided hydrodilation was ok. I had a local anaesthetic so that was the only pain - just a small needle. Then I could lie back and watch the big needle on the screen. When they were pumping the saline in it definitely felt weird and quite uncomfortable. However they usually do two sessions so the 2nd one they were able to get more saline in and it wasn't really uncomfortable at all. I started my physio exercises as soon as I could (I think after a few days) and had quite a lot of movement back quite quickly.
I also had steroid injections (about a year or 18 months after this) but they weren't ultrasound guided and weren't very effective for longer than a few weeks as I needed the SLAP repair again by then.
Hope this helps and good luck on Saturday.

Every sympathy as I have been through the horribleness of frozen shoulder this year. The pain was worse than anything I've had before. Physio had no benefit and the wait for a Ortho appt on the NHS just for a first appointment was very long. Considering I'd been in significant daily pain for about 6 months by this point. I was prescribed naproxen but it didn't really touch the pain. In the end I couldn't take it any more And saw a consultant privately. I had a hydrodilatation injection done in clinic followed by physio. It worked brilliantly for me. I did work hard at doing the exercises and got full movement back and virtually no pain within a few weeks. Injection itself was painful but over in a few minutes at the most. Unfortunately I now suspect I am developing it in the other shoulder. I was later told by my GP that I wouldn't have been offered hydrodilatation on the NHS in my area. Not that I would have known to ask for it anyway.

Hi BestIsWest, I am going to ask for another blood test, thanks. It is good to know about the numbers that does help me.

Hi slkk, its an ultrasound guided injection but I can't remember what else it said on the referral form. I am meant to be having a follow up appointment with the consultant in 6 weeks so I will be back at school then. I am hoping he is going to recommend physio. Your post has been very helpful.

Hi MrsTraveller, I was in the same position. I think I would have had to wait about 90 odd days for an NHS appointment. My husband has BUPA insurance through work so we have gone that way. Its stressful having to phone them all the time and check that I can have the next round of treatment but so far they have said yes to everything. I am the same about the naproxen they didn't really help me with the pain, nothing is helping me with the pain if I'm honest.

Ginger, I've actually just read that the range for calcium is 2.12 to 2.57.

I've have non guided and guided. I got months relief from non guided which was done by my GP. No problems with that and drove home. Much the same with the guided at the hospital. Unfortunately that did not work. I did however have more than a frozen shoulder and ended up have to have an op as a day case.

18 months recovery for that, recovery probably extended as I got frozen shoulder during recovery. Private physiotherapy stopped me having to have my shoulder manipulated under anaesthetic.

NHS physio I found to be nowhere near as effective as private.

They tend to mix the steroid with local anaesthetic and, if good and patient, it is hardly painful at all.

My shoulder was impeded rather than frozen but you do have to expect it to be worse for 2-3 days before it starts to have a positive effect.

Just an update really. It did work, it took a while but I almost got my full range back but now I feel like I'm back to square one. I'm so fed up. Don't know what to do. Teaching is becoming really hard. I can't reach up to write on the whiteboard, I can't mark for very long as I get a pain that feels like it is right inside the muscle. It's making me so grumpy.

You may have to go for the operation.

I was in & out in under 24 hours and as I have said upthread & on links it bought my life back to me.

And I totally understand the grumpy - it made me RAGE with the pain & fatigue.

Feel free to Pm me if you want more info.