Have posted about my shoulder problems before, but as things have moved on since I last posted, thought it worth starting a new thread. I have been diagnosed as having subacromial impingement and a frozen shoulder. I was referred to a consultant who has recommended capsule release and manipulation under anaesthetic. When I went for the appointment, I had been expecting him to recommend a steroid injection under ultrasound, but the consultant thought that a steroid injection alone would have only a 20% chance of sorting the problem. He did also say that frozen shoulders will resolve on their own eventually, but total average time for this from onset of symptoms is 2-3 years, and that average obviously hides a degree of variation.
I am pretty cautious of medical intervention where not absolutely necessary, so keep wavering over whether to have the operation. I have started seeing a new physio, as if I'm going to go for the operation I need to be clear in my own mind that I have exhausted other recognised treatment options. At present, I am inclining towards the view that physio alone is not going to successfully treat my condition.
Would be grateful to hear of anyone else's experience of capsule release and/ or manipulation under anaesthetic. Did your operation result in (a) complete recovery; (b) not complete recovery, but enough of an improvement that you were glad you had the procedure; (c) no difference; or (d) made things worse (by which I mean long-term worse, I appreciate there would be pain immediately post-op).
How long did you need to take off work? (Counting in terms of the time you needed to be functioning normally on full-time hours.) Appreciate this will vary according to type of job. I work in an office, so no heavy lifting, but lots of typing and use of the mouse.
How long was it after the operation before you could drive?
How much pain did you experience from the operation? I know pain is a subjective thing, but how long were you in pain that prevented you from getting a decent night's sleep (even with painkillers), or significantly affected your everyday life?
How long until you were 100% recovered from the operation (or did you feel you didn't get to the point of being 100% recovered?)
Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to get all my questions down in one go! Unless my condition deteriorates rapidly, I have no plans to rush into surgery, so even if you're reading this three or four weeks after the original post, I would still appreciate replies.
TIA