Has anyone experience with frozen shoulder?

[drivinmecrazy]

I've been diagnosed with frozen shoulder, the doctor said to expect up to two year recovery time. Is this right?
Frankly I was relieved it's 'just' frozen shoulder because I'd takes myself into a corner and convinced myself it was something more sinister.
It's affecting almost every area of my life and the thought of years of it is quite daunting.
Any helpful tips or exercises to relieve the pain, especially at nigh?

My relative had physio for it , they gave exercises to do. They've had it about 18 months so far but it's much better than it was at its worse.

I had a frozen shoulder a few years ago, probably caused my strong dog, at the time pulling me on walks. I had physiotherapy for a few months, some manipulation of the area and use of the tens machine to stimulate the blood flow to the damaged area. Hot baths before bed helped to me to sleep at night and the exercise I was given was holding a towel across my back from shoulder to waist then raising my arm up and down. As If I was drying my back after a bath. I also took some ibuprofen as an anti inflammatory or if I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t sleep a couple of co codomal tablets.

About two years is correct. The pain was horrendous - really debilitating condition. I struggled with the pain relief as it did turn me into a zombie - I could sit on a chair for hours staring into space. And the constipation...

I went to a private physio (recommended by dr). She was brilliant. Completely understood the condition and would do a bit of massage and some pushing and pulling to maintain some mobility. There was a time when I just couldn't lift my arm more than about 20 degrees.

There is a "pathway" so you do have to go back to the doctor to get more pain relief as the condition worsens.

I found sleeping upright on a chair with strategically placed cushions worked best for me.

What finally worked - despite warnings of a low success rate - was a steroid injection. About 3 weeks later pain was greatly reduced and had much more mobility.

You have my sympathy - horrible condition.

Mine lasted nearly 2 years, but wasn't frozen the whole time. There was a few months when I could move it but it was painful, then gradually I could move it less and less until it froze.
There wasn't any pain if I kept still but the slightest movement was excruciatingly painful, sleeping was difficult.
Eventually it very gradually started to loosen up and by 2 years was fine.

I found out too late that it's important to exercise the shoulder, even when painful, so if you've got any movement there take strong painkillers and do the recommended exercises.

Hi. Husband had his manipulated under anaesthetic to unfreeze it. That worked for a while but ultimately it was something more bone spur related and he had proper surgery. I feel for you as I know he was in a lot of pain.

Hi I had a frozen shoulder a few years ago. Physiotherapy didn't seem to help me and was very painful. I had the cortisone injection, after which the pain started to ease and the shoulder started to loosen up. It probably took a year from start to finish!

Yes, up to 2 years sounds right. This happened to me, physio didn't help but then I had a couple of steroid injections, about 6 months apart, which eased the pain. I was the referred for further physio which helped a lot. That was around 2 years ago and I would say my shoulder now has 95% range of movement and no pain thank goodness.
It's a long haul, but keep going to the GP if you need to.

I am now at 6m had several sessions of private physio which were great and now doing exercises on my own. It’s when there is a spasm of pain it gets me-not taking pain killer as pain not there all time. Steroid inj helped a bit - good luck

About two years sounds right to me. It’s the most awful pain I’ve ever had. Sympathies x

you can get an injection hydro distension - true story though, i went to the alps and the altitude did something and solved it - we drove there.

Dreadful pain. Mine was caused by typing on my dining room table with a chair that Wasa bit too low. So simple. I found that unless I had a TENS device (wonderful things!) attached, I was in too much pain to sleep. I had just over a year of mostly agony.

A steroid injection and massaging the hell out of it, loads of exercise and challenging the bastard thing as much as possible. That shortened recovery to six months, compared to the usual two years I'd had previously following a dislocation (only difference between the two was in one quick, large injury compared to thousands of tiny microinjuries accumulating into the same effects of pain, immobility and more pain).

At the first hint of it happening on the other side, I battered the everlasting fuck out of it with massage and movement to break up and stop any scar tissue from forming. Probably more painful that way, but it did stop in its tracks, so it was worth it.

If you can afford it, see a sports physio privately. Get it being treated and looked after properly from the outset, rather than the GP version of 'it'll probably go away in a couple of years'

I also went skiing and it fixed my shoulder! I thought it was because I’d drank too much grappa and couldn’t feel it

I’d had physio and steroid injections, it was absolutely bloody awful.

The first one started to twinge shortly after my 40th birthday; I cancelled the surgery scheduled on my 41st as it had eased to the point where I no longer thought the risk and recovery of surgery was worth it. So from bearable to bearable in a year - but peaking somewhere in between at the point where I was wondering if you could amputate a shoulder.

It was properly better after another 6 months or so.

The other one never got as bad, and didn’t last as long - but never full recovered either, I’m still lacking some mobility there.

I have two frozen shoulders at the moment.

One is 'unfreezing' and I have about 80% range of movement. Happened two years ago. I had two steroid injections.

My other shoulder, my dominant arm, is absolute, raging agony. Like being struck by lightening - even when only a millimetre movement. I had a steroid injection on Tuesday (had to have both COVID vaccines first). This was local anaesthetic, water then steroid. Haven't slept since. Been propped up in corner of sofa with pillows and cushions. Dozing 20 min at a time max. Cannot do a thing. Learning to use left hand for stuff is frustrating. When upright/walking I have to take the weight of my bad arm with my good arm as it's agony to let it hang normally.

It's quite debilitating.

The steroid made the pain worse. GP says to go to A & E for intravenous painkillers.

The cocodamol and naproxen I've got don't touch the pain.

I have so many commitments that I can't fulfil it just makes me feel awful.

Was reading that it can happen more than once - just my luck ....

Awful pain, I have had a lot of physio, much better than it was, but the pain still catches me sometimes. But at least now I can turnover in bed & put my coat on. Heat helps me.

Mine has lasted longer than 2 years 😔 dry needling seems to have helped the most - painful at the time but worth it 👌

I had acupuncture for mine and it really worked and fixed it over a few weeks. Before that I’d had physio that didn’t help.

The pain is awful. I used to lie on the bad shoulder at night as it seemed to help slightly. To kind of squash it.

Hope you find something that works for you.

Sympathies. I think the only way is to be brutal with it-do ALL the physio stuff, even when it hurts like stink. I really rate tens machines for the pain-nothing fancy, just a Lloyds cheap thing and turn it up to 11.

Yes about 2 years. I think mine was caused by my son wanting to be swung. Horrendous pain. I had an injection into the joint which was also mind numbingly painful (and didn't work. Physiotherapy worked for me - but it was essentially forcing the arm further each time.

Gosh didn't expect so many replies.
It was my 50th birthday yesterday when I was diagnosed so spent the rest of the day trying to forget it!!
I feel such a fraud when I can do so much but there's also so much more I can't.
I'm not sure DH believes me about the pain, tonight he asked if I was going to Hoover there stairs!!
I've taken what you've all said on board and I think my next step is some sort of physio.
Should that be a sports physio or osteopath/chiropractor?

Sports physio, definitely. Stuff like this is their absolute specialty.

Thank you for that. Will seek one out.
Any recommendations in Essex would be appreciated

I have a frozen shoulder at the moment. I went to a specialist shoulder physio and he said there were 3 phases the initial trauma, the pain and the healing. I recommended took ibuprofen for the pain but there was not a lot they could do until phase 3. Said everyone’s bodies are different and some heal quicker than others. Others don’t heal properly and need surgery. My movement is slowly coming back after 5 months. I am doing lopsided breaststroke for swimming and cycling. Thinking of going back now for more physio