Frozen shoulder excruciating😫

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

I’ve had it for 6 months. Seen 3 crap nhs physios and now waiting for a second opinion from the last one who thinks I’ve got atypical frozen shoulder.

I’m going mad with pain, and despite being on antidepressants I’m crying every evening, so it must be bringing me down too.

I want to cut my arm off. The pain is unreal. How is it acceptable to be in so much pain and nothing gets done. I can’t drive either.

I’ve asked for a steroid injection but they won’t do anything g until the ‘urgent’ 2nd opinion 6 weeks away. I can’t take anti inflamatories, so just eating dihydracodeine and paraceatamol. But it’s still fucking unbearable

Go to the chiropractor , do some research first who's the good one in your area and go.

I had a horrendous back pain for 13 months and went 3 times to my chiropractor and it's massively better.

You need to go to a shoulder specialist privately. In the meantime can you get your GP to prescribe Amitripyline or Gabapentin for pain?

If you can afford to go private that’s likely your best option.

I’m on Amitryptiline already.

I can’t afford a private shoulder specialist. I need to know what and how to ask for stuff on the NHS.

I'd suggest an osteopath. A friend had a frozen shoulder, couldnt drive and had to stop work. Osteopath was the only one that got it moving again.

Yes I had frozen shoulder and a cranial osteopath is the only thing that helped me. I really feel for you, its awful

No advice, but lots and lots of sympathy. Both my sister and I (both Mums) agree that we'd sooner have a baby with no pain relief than the months of a frozen shoulder.

Mine was fixed with a steroid injection my poor sister had to have a general anaesthetic to manipulate hers. I know that frozen shoulders are so very painful, and can last so long.

Mine was many years ago, and the only thing that gave me any relief at all (small as it was) was the regular use of a tens machine.

I wish you well

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow I've had my frozen shoulder for 18 months now, and the freezing stage lasted about 8 months it was the single most painful thing I've ever been through - I'd rather give birth daily! I saw physios, had a steroid injection but nothing helped as awful as it is you do have to wait it out it, once you get to the frozen stage the pain will ease I promise you (I still can't lift my arm up though!) and I can't wait for the thawing stage! have a look on fb there are lots of support groups on there,

What is the frozen phase?

I can move my shoulder although it’s agony.

GP can do steroid injection into joint.
Physio doesn't tend to be successful. Frozen shoulder eventually settles down on its own.

What dose Amitripyline are you currently on?. Has GP suggested Gabapentin? Next step if Amitripyline not working.

I'm grinding my way through a bout of frozen shoulder.
Things that have helped:

Electric hot pad (godsend)
Massage
Accupunture

Physio was vile and even when I tried to do the exercises, it made it worse - I started getting tennis elbow as well.... so that didn't last long

You have my sympathy, it is grim

Poor you, OP, it's horrible and I feel your pain (I literally did - had over a year of agony with it myself - also couldn’t take ibuprofen or similar and also couldn’t drive).

What is it that makes the physio think it's 'atypical'? Usually you get the 'freezing' phase, as it gradually stiffens up, the 'frozen' phase when I personally found it v v painful, and then the 'unfreezing' phase when it gradually wears off. They do tend to resolve naturally but it does take time and the problem is the awful pain - so of course sufferers want treatment to sort it out more quickly if possible.

I had a crap response from the NHS, I'm afraid (& I hate to say that). I paid to have a guided steroid injection with some hydrodilation and also lots of private physio. It got better after the steroid but still took a long time to improve.

I definitely second getting a TENS machine. I was virtually hooked up to it 24/7 for a while and it really did help.

I’d be pushing as much as you can for the steroid injection if I were you. Sorry to hear you’re having such a frustrating time, it really is awful, I know, and you feel so low and powerless. I couldn’t believe the pain.

Not had a frozen shoulder but I had a private guided steroid injection in my ankle at a physio for £100. So don’t think you’d have to see a dr and pay private doctor prices.

I had same problem and a cranial osteopath fixed it in what seemed like no time at all. I see a PP had a similar experience.

If you are still in the freezing stage there's not much you can do. It's good to start doing exercises to increase your range of movement as soon as you can, but if you are in that much pain you probably can't

I used to go to sleep with pillows wedged all round my arm to stop it moving in the night. Nothing really helped the pain I'm afraid to say but it did go away eventually.

Same as HotPenguin. Took Naproxen. Slept on a nest of pillows. Hot baths and heat pads. Stopped wearing a bra. Changed arm that held dog lead. The pain actually raised my blood pressure and heart rate so I ended up on meds for those. Eventually resolved.

Why won't your Gp give you a steroid injection I've had two frozen shoulders over 10 years after the physio didn't work I got steroids. Go back to your hp and ask and ask again.

I think it’s atypical as it’s manifesting in the upper arm as referred pain. The shoulders OK.

My gp ( who is generally lovely) said that it was up to physio to do injection referral. So I’ve got to wait until May. I just can’t afford to pay anymore out.

So far this month I’ve spent 400 quid on other medical issues as we seem to have no nhs anymore. I can’t afford to keep shelling out😢

You shouldn't have to shell out, just keep at the physio for a referral and see if you can get naproxen as a pp suggested, it really helped me especially at night.

I feel your agony! I am 18 months into my frozen shoulder and thankfully on the road to recovery. I started getting twinges in September '20 and by Dec/Jan I was in agony! I went to a physio thinking I had pulled a muscle and she diagnosed it as a frozen shoulder and said not much they can do when in the freezing/frozen stage as too painful to move it to do any kind of exercise. I went for a private steroid injection early December which didn't really do anything. By Jan/Feb I was barley sleeping, couldn't drive and was constantly either uncomfortable (when sitting still) or in terrible pain. I have never felt anything like the pain you get when you accidentally move your arm suddenly - it takes your breath away.

Eventually I got an appointment to have Hydrodilatation (where they inject saline solution into the joint) done on the NHS. However, it was about a 6 week wait. In that time, I had a bit of a 'funny turn' probably a combo of sever lack of sleep and codeine and I nearly passed out. Because of that I ended up having the procedure done privately. The actual injection itself was intensely painful (the specialist said my joint was particularly tight), but the relief was instant. It was still painful, but I could feel a difference straight away. It took a week or two to start sleeping again, but it has slowly been getting better since. I still get aches and uncomfortableness now, but I would say I am about 80% recovered. I am working on mobility, but I can move my arm now although not with full range. I can do my bra up and wash my hair - none of which I could do before.

I would definitely ask for a referral for this from your GP - I just phoned mine and asked for one. In the meantime, I would recommend a heated cape (like a mini electric blanket for your shoulders, and possible a tens machine) just to keep on top of the pain.

@Mrsjayy

You shouldn't have to shell out, just keep at the physio for a referral and see if you can get naproxen as a pp suggested, it really helped me especially at night.

OP said she can't have naproxen unfortunately.

Hydrodilation worked a dream for me - excruciating pain, getting worse, couldn't drive, dress myself etc etc - also pain not in shoulder, was referred to upper arm yet still had should mobilility (I thought) but consultant said women in particular are better at using other muscles to compensate for frozen shoulder and generally more flexible so (male) doctors don't realise how much pain we're in/ how frozen it is. I was massively overcompensating with other muscles and only when consultant had me flat on back with shoulder immobilised and then asked me to make same movements I'd done no problem standing up, did the should restriction become apparent.

Hydrodilation (although uncomfortable) was incredible - within the day I had some movement back which improved over the following days and is near normal now - and no pain at all.

Hmmm. My worst pain was basically in my arm, OP - it would shoot down all the way to my hand and ache appallingly all the time. The shoulder was stuck so moving was agony but I felt the pain in my arm. I’m surprised they think it’s atypical as I’m sure the same is true for a lot of people.

It’s bloody frustrating. I was sent for an NHS ultrasound and the lovely Aussie doing it said he could have done a steroid injection there and then but he wasn’t allowed to. I had to go back to the GP and be re-referred for the injection and go back on the waiting list.....approx 12 weeks. I could barely sleep for an hour at a time and the GP wouldn’t give me any painkillers, just told me to keep on with paracetamol. I was very lucky to be able to pay for the steroid injection.

Massive sympathies, I really feel for you.

Gabapentin really helped me.