Frozen shoulder, anyone had one & how was your recovery?

[goldangel]

That's it really, need to know if it will get better, when, how.... what did you do?

Steroid injection hasn't helped, in fact seemed to have made it worse as I had a flare. Next steps are surgery or to wait it out. Pain is awful, sleeping is awful, it's my dominant arm so affecting my everyday life 😢 I have total respect and sympathies to all those suffering with pain. Frozen shoulder is not a joke although it can sound funny to some as I've found out!

Any experiences, tips would be much appreciated, thanks so much.

I've had surgery on both shoulders (one two years after first) for this & it was wonderful. Pain was about 80% less post op & pain free after 3/4weeks.

I was amazingly good about following the physio's instructions for exercises & did them religiously 4 times a day.

The range of movement went on improving for 18 months and after 6 weeks I could swim front crawl again.

I am SO glad I went for the ops.

I had this. So much worse than it sounds. I couldn't brush my hair for six months . Apparently it correlates with having a thyroid or diabetic condition (I have the former) which doesn't help with recovery but is interesting to know.

I had the injection, which did nothing. I was scheduled to have surgery. Then quite suddenly it started to resolve and within two weeks it had gone, never to recur (this was 11 years ago). I was having acupuncture at the time - it's possible that helped the situation to resolve but it's also possible it was coincidence.

A true frozen shoulder is self-limiting and will eventually go away of its own accord. It doesn't help in the mean time though.

You have my sympathies! Worst pain ever.

I had a brilliant physio who wrote to my GP saying I should have stronger painkillers. The physio itself helped a bit with mobility for a few days afterwards - but I do remember sleeping in a chair for many nights as I couldn't bear the pain of lying down. At its very worst I had to choose between the pain or being zombied out on drugs.

I think it should have a name that attracts more sympathy - frozen shoulder sounds so trivial!

Many people said the Bowen technique worked - didn't for me.

I did find the steroid injection helped although the GP warned me it was hit or miss. All in all I had it for about two years which is pretty normal.

Hope you get some relief.

Thanks for the replies, good to know it will go away eventually but my goodness this is bad! Read it could be part of menopause! Yes yes rightreckoner it is much worse than it it sounds and I agree OllyBJolly it should have a name that sounds less trivial! Great the injection worked for you.

magimedi wow both shoulders, I just can’t imagine 💐 great the surgery helped, can you remember what surgery you had? My 3 next options are hydrodistention, arthroscopic capsular release or wait it out. I won’t want to do the hydrodistention as it involves steroids which caused a flare and excruciating pain for 2 days! The arthroscopic is under general and I don’t think I can wait it out as it sounds like it can go on for years!! 😩 did you have to stay overnight after the surgery?

rightreckoner I wonder if I should just try accupuncture in the meantime at least it will reduce the pain. Can you remember how many sessions did you have before it resolved?

Thanks so much all.

I think I probably had six sessions. Once it started to improve it was so quick but I have no idea what causes it to start reversing. Hideous

I had arthroscopic capsular release for both. The first time I had an overnight stay - the second time my op was v early in the morning & I was home by supper time.

My first one had gone on for 2/3 years before the op - getting steadily worse & was my dominant arm/hand side.

The second one I picked up on much faster & went straight for surgery.

I was very lucky as where I was living then had one of the best shoulder surgeons in the UK & he did both my ops.

I tried both accupuncture & the steriod injection - neither worked for me.

The only things that can give me any pain now ( some 15+ years on) are ironing or painting (DIY, painting walls) if I do them for any time. As I loathe both I am happy to leave those jobs to DH!!

Do feel free to PM me if you want more details. Am wary of putting locations on my posts.

Thanks rightreckoner another one of life’s great mysteries I guess!!

Very helpful information magimedi thanks so much, the arthroscopic capsular release would be my choice and so pleased to hear it worked for you twice!! I can handle never ironing again! 😉 my Orthopaedic surgeon looks great on paper but would be good to know your surgeon, I’ll PM you, thanks again.

I had hydrodistension which was a miracle for around 8 months. Then it started again so I'm in the process of doing it all again, I imagine. No one understands how agonising the pain can be

I've had mine for nearly 3 years now (didn't know it could be menopausal but that makes sense as I have most everything else). The first round of injections (which reinflated it though I can't think of the medical term) gave me a few pain-free months but the second (steriods) only gave a little relief for a few weeks. I have decided against surgery which my physio agrees with as the results are around 50/50. We have some lucky people here I think and as I've already had back surgery that has left me half crippled and in daily pain I can't chance it. Interesting about the acupuncture though as I was thinking about it. I manage most things but getting dressed or undressed is a struggle (my back doesn't help either!). You must be unlucky too goldangel as the flare up is quite rare. I'd do lots of research if you are going for surgery.

Sorry to hear that you are going through it again Bluesheep, after my flare I won't go near steroids again so the hydrodistension is a big no for me. Hope it all goes well.

allypally999 sorry about your back and shoulder, I don't blame you not chancing the surgery. I've had almost everything else peri menopausal so this doesn't surprise me too or the flare, if only I was so lucky with the lottery! I had 6/7 sessions with a physio before being referred to an orthopaedic surgeon as it was just getting worse not better, he thought I had a shoulder impingement and I wonder if the exercises made it worse? Who knows! I think I might try accupuncture too. I'll definitely do lots of research.

Thanks both for replying, you have my sympathies 😢

Reflexologist sorted mine. Needed a few appointments as the effect wore off. Brilliant

I’ve had this twice now, many years apart. The first time, a steroid injection cured it. The second, a steroid injection eased it a lot. I still have limited movement but I don’t have the pain.

Sympathies. It is very painful. It should be self limiting. The freezing stage, which hurts, the frozen stage with less or no pain but limited mobility and finally thawing. According to Google.

Timeframes are variable but injury related are supposed to recover faster than others.

There are treatments with variable success and risks. There should be stats on the relative success of these.

If you go for surgery ask things like how many of these procedures do you do per year, how do you measure success and what is your success rate. What is the recovery period post op.

Good luck

Suffered this about 10 years ago, the pain was so bad I actually took an overdose of morphine. Admitted to hospital where I had an xray and found the tendon in my arm completely calcified. It looked like an extra white bone in my arm . I couldn't move my arm from in front of me for around 3 months. Had surgery to shave away some bone around the shoulder but still get the odd twinge now and again. I wouldn't wish that pain on my worse enemy.

Mine took ages- physio made it worse, then it just seemed to fade until I made the mistake of having a massage and it came back

I’ve got it for the second time, different arm this time, like you, it’s my dominant arm and it’s agony. I almost blacked out with the pain one day this week when I moved it in the wrong direction. Can’t sleep very well even with Amytriptaline, cocodamol and ibuprofen.

I’m booked in for hydrodilatation on Monday.

This is an interesting thread for me - I had heaps of physio and still not better so am trying without (and very little of the exercises). I am being forced to rethink a few things but won't bore you all with that pity party

My husband has had this - in both shoulders. The first time he had lots of intervention via private health insurance and it lasted 6 months.

The second time it happened he couldn't face the interventions and it also lasted 6 months. So it does seem to be self-limiting.

I hope it gets easier for you.

Strong painkillers and physio were great for me, mine was caused by a torn rotator cuff. So I don't know if that is why physio worked so well

Physio worked for me

Mine was painful for a few weeks, then frozen for a few months, then it gradually got better on its own. I saw a physio and she gave me some exercises but basically recommended waiting it out.

I had acupuncture on the nhs for mine. (years ago) it was amazing - I could feel my whole shoulder and arm tingling and getting warm, and it seemed to fix it, over 6 sessions, but as pps have said maybe it would have fixed itself anyway. In all it was over in 4 months or so.

It is miserable op, and like you say people don’t take it seriously. I once tried to lift a full jug of water in a restaurant, forgetting not to use my arm, and the pain was unbelievable. Sympathy and

Thanks all for sharing and sympathising, it’s good to hear it does get better and it doesn’t necessarily go on for 2 years! I’m 4 months in from when the pain started so maybe nearly on the home stretch.

Giving acupuncture a go for now, brinkpink I had that tingling too! hoping to avoid surgery if possible so will see how things go.

Thanks again.

Ps good luck Monday BestisWest 🤞

Thank you