Frozen shoulder

[FrozenShoulder]

Been told my shoulder pain and loss of movement is due to this.

anyone had this and how long did it take to resolve? Anyone found anything which helped, physio, injections, exercises, HRT? Thinking of asking the GP about steroid injections but bet there’s a major long waiting list so maybe I’ll just pay £200 to have it done privately

You have my sympathy OP. A frozen shoulder is horrendous. So painful. I don’t want to depress you but mine took roughly six months to freeze, six months frozen and six months to thaw. I did have the injection towards the end . It did help a bit.

I’ve had this twice, both times managed ok, getting out of bath was the biggest problem. I used the pain relief gel which helped the most and did exercises I found on YouTube which slowly releases the frozen muscles.

I knocked my arm yesterday on a doorway and actually literally crumpled to the floor sobbing in pain. I’ve never known anything like it. Had it since May/June but getting worse. I read it can be three years sometimes! I actually feel quite depressed about it. I’m normally down the gym 5x a week.

You have my sympathy. Horrific pain. I agree that 18 months overall sounds about right. The physio was the most useful for me, and it’s important because you want to get as much range of movement back as possible.

I’ll try some ibuprofen gel thanks. Am trying to do exercises but it’s so painful I manage less than a minute and give up.

I have had one following a shoulder fracture. Steroid injection and hands on physio seems to be resolving it but have been left with restricted movement and intermittent pain.

Oh god. 2-3 years sounded bad enough, never thought it might be permanent issues. Sorry to hear you haven’t had a full recovery.

I'd pay for the injection, and I disapprove of private health care, but needs must.

I'm 74, three go rounds with different cancers, unmedicated child birth and a frozen shoulder is still the worst pain I've ever had in my life.

I was lucky, one injection sorted it (though 30 years later I still recall the pain I felt after the injection) and wasn't itself painful.

My sister ended up having to have an operation to mend hers.

I had a frozen shoulder, had one injection. The only thing that helped me was going a gym, with a trainer.

When my other shoulder started off I recognised the first pains and increased the exercises and that stopped it.

Cost of the injection privately , ultrasound guided by a consultant, was about £600. In my case I am awaiting results of mri scan to see how much is due to frozen shoulder and how much due to fracture, but am unlikely to get full range.

Physio is the way to go. A decent physio should also be able to say if injection is needed. You also probably don't need to attend physio sessions for the whole process as long as you keep up the exercises.

I agree around 18mths for a approximate duration.

I've had frozen shoulder in both shoulders at different times about five years apart. The really painful stage was about 4-6 months. From the beginning to getting most movement back was about 2 years both times. It has a progression and does get better, but very painful.

With the second one I had the steroid injection on the NHS. It cut out about 80% of the pain so it was worth doing.

I agree about exercising once it starts to unfreeze and gets less painful. It's too painful before then.

I do bodypump, barre and Pilates and I have most movement back, but still don't have full movement in either shoulder. It can also still hurt a bit while doing certain exercises.

I’m not seeing a physio but am seeing a very good sports injury therapist.. I was seeing her before my shoulder due to bad lower back pain and torn ankle tendons.

I have ehlers Danlos syndrome and one ankle went in 2019, was meant to have surgery on the day of lock down, took 18 months to be rearranged, finally had surgery, it didn’t help, then kind of gradually got better, then the other ankle tendon went.

then my back went and I’ve been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.

this sports injury therapist has been great , better than any physio I’ve seen and I’ve done the rounds in town believe me. She fixed my ankles. She has given me shoulder exercises which I’m trying to do.

i could just cry, have spent 6 years struggling to walk….was feeling like they were nearly sorted and then a few weeks later my shoulder goes. I’m just sick of being in pain and incapacitated. I gave up running and took up cycling and weights and yoga and now feel I can’t do anything.

sorry for ranting, just feel so pissed off.

The wrong kind of movement or touch can be the most horrible pain when you have a frozen shoulder. Having been lumbered with other painful conditions as a life sentence, I was no stranger to analgesia and therapeutic exercise. But I was inestimably grateful to learn this would pass.
Mine was a year or so before Covid. On my very first GP appointment she said 'yeah, frozen shoulder' whipped out the steroid injection and administered it on the spot. Am I to assume that wouldn't happen now? It didn't actually work for very long, and I had a more targeted one in hospital about six months later. They were talking about doing the op when Covid hit, and I wasn't going near a hospital, even in the unlikely event of them letting me near the place.
Don't blame you for feeling down, OP. It's such a depressing and pointless affliction. I felt like that degree of pain ought to be a warning of something, but no, it's just a random way your body has of torturing you.

Yes, first shoulder took about a year to get better - I did exercises I found online. Then just as that got better, the other one started. That genuinely took 2 years from start to finish.

Such a strange thing. But yes, horrifically painful just trying to get your arm in a coat sleeve for example!

I’m actually really panicking about my other one going. What if it goes at the same time? I’m already having to use my left arm/hand for so much which is annoying when I’m right handed. Stuff like opening doors, unsticking the dishwasher, etc. if my other one goes too I’d be totally incapacitated.

That's what I dreaded - not being able to sleep on either side! But somehow as the first one got better, the second one started, so it wasn't simultaneous!

I've had a frozen shoulder and a mix of an injection and physio gave me most of the function back. I'm just a bit stiff now.

I have had three - luckily not on both sides at the same time. Each time took about 16 months to resolve itself. It is so miserable. You have my sympathies.

I had regular physio, and it only took a few months to completely sort it. I didn't have an injection.

About a year but I still get some pain but nothing like it used to be.

It’s horrendous pain isn’t it OP. You have my sympathy.

For me that first few months was excruciating nighttime pain but no pain when still during the day so I ended up forgetting and trying to open doors. Omg ouch. One time in M&S I got an electric shock from the fridge and fell to the floor with the pain as I snatched my hand away quickly.

I ended up knocking my opposite hip out of wack too and had 2 months of not being able to sleep without one side or the other waking me up in pain.

Anyway, NHS physio has been brilliant on my shoulder especially now it’s ‘thawing’. It’s been 14 months to this point and I can now reach behind my seat in the car to get my handbag! I’ve got one last physio session tomorrow and I have been doing my exercises with a stretchy strap which has also helped.

I had steroid injection on NHS 8 weeks into the injury but it didn’t really help unfortunately. I was then referred for hydro-dilatation but waited so long that I finally got an appointment 12 months after it all started but it was thawing by that point so I declined.

It’s been totally horrible. One of the most painful things that’s ever happened to me. ‘Frozen Shoulder’ seems like such a naff diagnosis but that’s just it.

I hope you feel some relief soon

Its so painful and you have my sympathy. Mine lasted about 3 years.

First one, years ago steroid injection and NHS physio - still a bit weak.
Second one (other side) couple of years ago, list of exercises (no steroid or hands on physio) - so I went to acupuncture- amazing at quick pain relief and getting movement back - 6 sessions though felt improved from session 1.
I know some people debate its effectiveness but I found it fantastic and there is evidence it is really good for pain and good at MSK issues.

I've had it with both shoulders. The first one was about 4 years from start to end. The second one wasn't as painful or bad and lasted about 2 years.

Use ibuprofen with it. It takes the inflammation down a bit. Try codeine if not. ~

I had NHS physio with both, which made no difference at all. I think letting it freeze actually speeds it up so if you possibly can, just limit your movement in that arm. I was lucky that my bad one was my left arm. When I had it in the right one it never totally froze and I had a better range of motion.