Frozen shoulder or something else?

[WildFlowerBees]

I didn’t injure myself just pushed my arm behind my back just over a year ago, hurt a little but nothing else happened, 11 months down the line and I started getting excruciating pain, still have mobility but not as much as the other side.

Had an X-ray showed nothing, injection which was guided and told wasn’t rotar cuff but injection did nothing. Had months of physio which hasn’t done a thing, now I have to take gabapentin daily which doesn’t make me feel great but if I don’t take it at night I go numb then my neck hurts my arm hurts and I can’t sleep.

GP said it’s frozen shoulder but surely I’d be in the freeze stage before now.

I’m getting earache, jaw pain it’s starting to really get me down nothing seems to help. Tens machine does help a bit.

Has anyone else had the same?

Shoulder impingement might be a possibility. Are you limited within a specific range of movement I.e putting a coat on or reaching behind for something?

Yes, putting my coat on hurts, I can get my arm behind my back just enough to do up my bra. Pain goes along my bicep not always in my shoulder.

Yes, putting my coat on hurts, I can get my arm behind my back just enough to do up my bra. Pain goes along my bicep not always in my shoulder.

The NHS site doesn’t give much information on Shoulder Impingement but there are more detailed sources online. Not a professional (but I have a shoulder impingement) so I wouldn’t want to recommend anything directly.

What does your physio think it is?

Mine is more top of bicep on the outer side and it can radiate down my arm occasionally.

How old are you? One thing to consider is hormones. Apparently there’s an eastrogen receptor in the shoulder. Frozen shoulder apparently common post menopause. This is why I started HRT. Didn’t fix C7 issue but effect on rest of me was like the CastrolGTX advert! (Only the oldies will know that one)

46 and peri, I could do with some GTX! I’ve had differing opinions from physios one says rotar cuff and seems to brutalise me so I stopped going as I felt so bruised afterwards and didn’t help. Other one did ultrasound with the injection and said it looks fine just frozen shoulder. I’m more inclined to think it’s between my C6 & C8.

I don’t know what else to do at this point.

46 and peri, I could do with some GTX! I’ve had differing opinions from physios one says rotar cuff and seems to brutalise me so I stopped going as I felt so bruised afterwards and didn’t help. Other one did ultrasound with the injection and said it looks fine just frozen shoulder. I’m more inclined to think it’s between my C6 & C8.

I don’t know what else to do at this point.

I had very similar experience. I saw physios for months for frozen shoulder, which reduced me to tears, so bloody painful and did no good at all. The GP gave me a steroid injection which made no difference.
Eventually I tried a physio recommended by a friend. He listened to the story and treated me for a trapped nerve in my neck. After perhaps 6 months of treatment, I had been to see him on a Friday lunchtime. On the Saturday, we went shopping, and as I got into the car, I reached behind me to close the door and got a jolt of extreme pain right up the arm and into the neck. It was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced BUT it was the beginning of the end. I quickly regained the full range of movement and the pain just dissipated.
It's difficult for you - there are so many possible causes of the symptoms you describe. I'm hoping you'll hit on a solution sooner rather than later.

I had saw a rheumatology (I think) consultant, had an MRI to isolate the C7 and was told cervical radiculopathy (fancy name for nerve impingement)
Advice was to wear collar immediately reducing to night only for a period to keep vertebrae separated during acute stage and commence physio and nerve glides for the C7.
I actually used a combination of the Dr Jo videos on You Tube as she has short 10 min videos and a worksheet from NHS Scotland (as this was during lockdown) which certainly helped with the acute stage.

Long term it’s about posture and correcting the muscle imbalances resulting from poor posture.

Ultimately only the correct exercises are going to help that regardless of the cause.

good luck. It’s a bitch getting older. Fine balancing act between enough exercise and not too much wine ;-)

I have frozen shoulder and youra doesn't sound like my experience. 1 year after mine started and it's 80% better yours seems to be getting worse.I never had any numbness or jaw ache.