Frozen shoulder. Fuck me, the PAIN!!! Help!

[Couldhavebeenme2]

Just been diagnosed, fortunate to have had the steroid injection which has reduced the pain to dull ache during the day (still a nightmare from about 5am though). Am still taking painkillers when I need to.

Just caught my arm on a hot oven tray and automatically recoiled my sore arm. Big mistake. Huge. Felt like I'd been struck by lightning and could hardly breathe through the pain. 10 mins later and after scaring my kids to death, it's settled down but my fingers are still a bit tingly.

Please tell me the mumsnet vipers have some sort of old wives tale remedy of dead frogs/virgin sacrifice*/spell that will make this horrible condition less painful?

*may have sacrificed the chicken that's been cooking for an hour to the dog after it fell on the floor

Dh had this. He was given cocodamol and naproxen. But it didn't improve until he had the steroid injection.

Oh, the pain of a frozen shoulder is immense. And the not quite knowing which movement would set it off.

I had the injection and was told it would get worse before it got better. It did. But within a couple of weeks, I was ok.

My sister ended up having an operation to a cure her frozen shoulder.

It's horrendous. Poor you. Have you had physiotherapy? That's what eventually solved mine.

I had this and the pain was utterly horrendous, agony. I had physiotherapy and acupuncture and that was better for the pain than any painkillers. To be honest it took months/years to clear up.

Having physio for a shoulder injury and you have my sympathy. Have even had to buy front fastening bras because reaching behind no longer possible without excruciating pain. Have to always put bad arm in first.

I sympathise massively! Had a frozen shoulder on the left side for around 2 years- the steroid injection worked pretty well to ease the pain after about 2 weeks but it didn’t make a difference to the mobility. I wasted a lot of money having acupuncture which didn’t make any difference at all for me. Also had physio which unfortunately made it worse.

It finally eased about 6-8 months ago but has left some weakness and now my right shoulder is starting to go the same way! Sorry I have no words of wisdom on how to make it disappear I wish I did!

Sympathies. The pain is horrific.

Oh god. I've never had a frozen shoulder, but I did suffer an almost-full tear of the supraspinatus tendon a few years ago which was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. I have a high pain threshold and by the time my op date was a month away I was begging for all the drugs to help with the pain.

You have my sympathy.

@Cattitudes I've just ordered front-fastening bras, hard to find affordable which wasn't either granny-like or something from Ann Summers!

@blueberry40 I had the steroid injection a week ago, the range of movement I know won't improve for ages (going to be a challenge once term starts again) but I pray the pain dulls.

Does anyone have any tips for things like doing my hair, lifting things out of the oven (without killing my shoulder), kitchen shortcuts etc? Of course, it's my dominant arm...

@user1471453601 ha, which movements are going to set it off today - should I risk using dodgy arm to wipe on the loo or not? Navigating through a room for arm-height furniture to inevitably bang against, am I going to be able to drain this pan without tipping the entire contents straight down the sink (again).

Oh joy!

@beccahamlet I've got a physio referral underway already for a bad back (I'm falling apart!), hopefully they'll be able to sort both out.

Have you had your blood sugar checked recently? I had a frozen shoulder and discovered I was pre diabetic, got my blood sugar levels back to normal and my frozen shoulder improved massively and got back to normal as my blood sugar levels normalised.
Apparently it is very common in diabetics.

So sorry OP, the pain is terrific I know. I had 9mths of physio, it’s a lot better than it was, but not 100%. I don’t this it ever will be.

@rosesarered321 after breaking down in front of my gp a few weeks before the FS started, I had a full check, just had a diagnosis of underactive thyroid as part of that, also now taking iron tablets, no diabetic stuff identified.

Bodies are amazing really, just not so simple to fix!

No witchcraft suggestions anyone?

@Couldhavebeenme2 have you seen your blood tests? My husband had a pre diabetic blood test and the gp didn't tell him, another gp did when he had his annual blood test the following year! Just a thought.

I hope you improve soon its miserable, I paid for private physio who also did some dry needling, she really helped.

My mum had this, from a similar incident (jerked arm back to avoid boiling water when kettle lid fell off).

She went to see an osteopath who totally sorted it.

In the meantime whilst she was waiting for that she had two things which helped. Firstly she wore her arm in a sling to prevent her using it absent and do she could relax mentally about it, not always be tense snd on edge. Secondly, I massaged her shoulder (very tentatively) each evening for a short while.

I had this in my dominant arm, I gave up trying to lift anything, you will need to get someone else to lift heavy pans, use your other arm or make stovetops. I have shortish hair and washed it under the shower, I just had to get used to using my other arm. I couldn't reach round to properly wipe my bot so that was always a quick hose down too. I wore cardigans and front fasting tops, nursing bras are easy to find, shopping took forever, in fact everything seemed to take so much longer. For pain I was on co codomol and diazepam when it really flared up and the physio or doctor sort of strapped it up for me and I wore a sling

I’m 16 months into my second frozen shoulder. It stopped being painful months ago and I’m gradually getting the mobility back. I can now put my bra on again without too much difficulty.

My first one made a complete recovery within a couple of years so I’m expecting the same from this. I saw a physio and she gave me some exercises but said that it should clear up on its own whether I did the exercises or not.

Oh OP! It is the worst pain that goes on for ages. Least it feels like that. I promise it does get better.

I had it building up for months before the first lockdown. Then, it hit with a vengeance whilst everywhere had shut down. I would have been too scared to get it sorted anyway. My poor kids had to help me dress. I didn't wear a bra for over a year as couldn't put one on. Every little knock would make the room spin with the pain. It's a bloody good job I didn't have to work out of the house with it. I just don't think I'd have managed.
A year on and I still haven't got full movement back and every now and then, it feels sore. It apparently a common complication of diabetes (I'm type 1) and if I get it again, I will definitely get help from GP and beg for the injection!

Had it twice. Zingers. Worst pain ever.
I had hydrodilatation the second time - where they inject water and try to burst the capsule. It stopped the zingers and freed the arm a bit, enough so I could reach my armpit to wash.
Nearly three years on now and beginning to get movement back.
Would recommend.
Also swimming helped after I’d had the hydro treatment.

I got these bras which hopefully are not to granny or kinky! Think mine is a tear as I came after an injury, just waiting for further investigation. In terms of kitchen short cuts I am telling dh and dc (secondary age) that if I don't get better soon I will need an operation so they will have to empty bins, dishwasher etc. Working so far .

I was initially diagnosed with a frozen shoulder but the physio said I wasnt making any progress so advised me to push for an MRI. I did and I had a capulitis which needed an operation, once that was done the pain went and the exercises afterwards were painful but I got full movement back.

You have my every sympathy. I've had 2, apparently it's quite common in people over 40. My arm felt like it was full of gangrene and then someone had whacked it with a baseball bat. I once nearly tripped on a pavement and had to stuff my fist into my mouth to stop me screaming in public.

@Couldhavebeenme2 if you only had the steroid injection a week ago it won’t have fully kicked in yet- it was exactly 14 days until I noticed any difference. Really hope it eases it for you! The stiffness is an inconvenience but the pain is horrendous- hopefully the injection will at least help with the pain. I don’t really have any creative solutions other than to get front fastening bras and ask for help from friends/family. If you can afford a cleaner and someone to iron that would be amazing- I couldn’t but know these things would have helped a lot. It is so debilitating so you have my full sympathy