Painful frozen shoulder - steroid injection???

[thebeachismyhappyplace2]

Been in so much pain for the last week or so with right shoulder and arm, literally can’t move arm. Physio has said all the signs point to Frozen shoulder and has suggested having a steroid injection. But I’m keen to find out more about it? Would love to hear people experiences of steroid injection and if there were any side effects? Any tips for getting through Frozen shoulder? How long does it last? Will the steroid injection cure it?

@PuppyMonkey The zingers - yes! Absolutely excruciating. For one of mine I cried out so loud the whole house came running. Great name for it.

What is a zinger? Had a really bad night - gave up about 2am as lying down the pain was just too much so got up and ended up watching Piers Morgan Life stories of Captain Tom with a cup of tea and a jam doughnut, a good distraction then afterwards think I might have got about 1 hour sleep on the sofa 😩

A zinger is when you move your arm suddenly and get a vicious jolt of pain. There’s no mistaking them.

Yes, a zinger is exactly as BestisWest describes - if you hit your arm accidentally or jolt it even slightly or anything sudden - a huge excruciating wave of agony that continues for a couple of minutes, the only pain that has ever made me sit screaming and sobbing until it passes. I didn't invent the term, it's something I got from one of the numerous FB groups devoted to frozen shoulder - OP you might want to check those out, although they used to make me more depressed with everyone moaning actually.

The worst zingers I got were once when I was walking past someone in a crowd and they slightly knocked into me, and then another time when I was walking in the sand, toppled over slightly so automatically put my hands out in front to stop myself falling. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

I've had a steroid injection twice in my hip. It was like magic, I went from hardly being able to walk to dancing the night away in 2 days.

So I had my first acupuncture appointment yesterday and it’s really helped improve the pain. He said in my case it has definitely been caused by a build up of long term stress/constraint. I actually managed to sleep last night pain free. Amazing. He has got the blood flow working again in the arm so it feel like some life has come back into it although I still can’t lift it beyond my belly button. I will go for more sessions. So whilst I know that acupuncture definitely helps with the pain, I now have the physio guy saying that I still should have the steroid injection as it’s going to stop it spreading and causing me any long term problems. I’m so confused as what to do now as acupuncture guy thinks a steroid Injection isn’t going to sort out a stress related frozen shoulder. Any thoughts??

Ok I know what a zinger is now. Ouch!!!!

Goose - that’s great news. If I ever get my arm back I will also be dancing the night away too!! 😘

I had surgery after 2.5 years of hellish pain particularly at night, and no improvement in movements despite injections, physio and acupuncture . The operation xwas a brilliant success.

Good info here about shoulder problems

www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/

www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/

So the plot thickens - I had a consultation today with a private doctor who isn’t convinced I have frozen shoulder. He thinks it’s either subacromial impingement or tendon injury/tear. I have to go for a scan next week. So I’m presuming if this is the case it’s not as serious as frozen shoulder??

If it's a tendon injury/tear, chances are it'll be swollen and inflamed, so the steroid injection would still help, even if it doesn't make it completely go away.

I've had frozen shoulder twice. The first time about 15 years ago recovered after two steroid injections. The second time (other shoulder), about 5 years ago, I had two injections, then hydrodilation with a load of physio, then surgery to repair a tendon, and finally two more injections and even more physio. That all took about a year, but I am 100% OK now and pain free (probably won't be doing cartwheels or throwing javelins, but I'm fine with that!)

Turkey trot - wow you have been through the mill with your shoulders!

Hoping I don’t have to have surgery but let’s see what the scan reveals. Has anyone had subacromial impingement?

Is it normal after 2 weeks of frozen shoulder for the pain to ease but for it to still Be
Impossible to move arm?

I suppose every case s individual but my pain lasted until I had the hydrodilation and that was about 5 months. The zingers stopped after that and the really bad pain when lying on it but it hasn’t gone completely yet.

I think what is worrying me more than pain is the fact that I can’t move my arm

I agree it's an awfully painful condition. I've had it twice the first time was as a result of a rotator cuff tear. I don't have a clue what the second one was. In both cases I was rigorous with my physio. I've only had steroid injections for bursitis in my hip. like magic though bloody painful at the time.

Hi OP how is your shoulder now? I've had this for four months now and am finally due to get a steroid injection in two weeks after having copious amounts of paracetamol and codeine. It started during lockdown and physio said more use of computer may have made things worse from what could either be a previous injury or just inflammation. I stumbled yesterday and 'jerked' my arm. I guess that's what a zinger is? It's the third time I've had a 'sudden movement' of the shoulder and I was sobbing with the pain. Unless someone has experienced it themselves, I don't think they can understand the intensity of it! It's awful. I do find that heat helps and I use a hot water bottle at work and home to help relieve the constant ache it causes. I hope the injection helps as it's agony.