Has anyone managed frozen shoulder pain while waiting to see the GP

[Hwanda]

I have bren diagnosed by chiropractor with frozen shoulder. Still need to verify it with GP but appointments take forever. It is excrutiating at times and 7/10 at best. Nightime and getting dressed is most painful. I have done whole heat/ ice /pain killer thing . It's been 6 weeks now. Anyone experienced similar and managed to get it sorted?
Dreading going back to work in a couple of weeks and trying to raise arm to write on whiteboard ( primary teacher).
Anyone advice welcome.

Apparently it's very unusual to get it twice in the same shoulder and many people just get it once on one side. But it occasionally goes with certain conditions including autoimmune diseases and diabetes, and then it keeps repeating. Hopefully not in your case. Must admit I was incredulous when I started to get the symptoms the second time, then horrified but resigned when it happened again...

Same, private physio.
Also acupuncture.
I don’t think I’ve ever quite recovered the range of movement I had before though, so I need to see the physio again and see if he can help.

I went to see a private physio, she was brilliant! No point waiting for NHS physio. Whenever I’ve seen one it’s just a leaflet and you’re sent on your way. The private physio was a very hands-on physio. She really helped ease the muscle with massage and used tape to strap my shoulder in place. Very painful but it worked! She also gave me a stretchy band so I could do exercises at home. I went from struggling to drive or open a kitchen cupboard to being virtually pain free in 2 months.

Had this plus a trapped ulna nerve - the only pain relief I could handle was finding a private Physio who by luck also does acupuncture. Two sessions a week with gentle manipulation, pins and ultrasound. Between appts religiously carried out my exercises. I am unable to take anything stronger than paracetamol - visited A&E twice due to the pain and took their painkillers in desperation resulting in 'having a trip' was not the most pleasant experience. Acupuncture / Physio is I think the way to go. Hope you feel better soon.

Off sick? From work? Crikey, I’ve got two frozen shoulders and am struggling on.

Acupuncture and cupping from a TCM doctor cured mine which had been getting progressively worse for 12-18 months. Could no longer wear a bra or do much at all using my left arm.

She also sorted out my extremely painful sciatica.

I tired a private physio, a sports massage therapist and a chiropractor to no avail. What did work for me was to do Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) by myself for a week; this tapping technique helps rewrite the neural pain pathways to stop the pain. I would contact a professional EFT therapist for a faster solution.

I had frozen shoulder and saw a physio.
Basically it requires physio and time. The GP will either print some exercises or refer you for physio. But you would have to wait to see a physio. So I would just pay and see a private one.

Unknown to me, this is super common in women and seems to be the first sign of perimenopause - here, have a random frozen shoulder.

The exercises were really, really slow progress. I took weekly photos of my mobility range so I could actually see the progress.

Mine started in March /April but thought i had laid on it funny.

Went to GP in May as I couldnt stand the pain, lift my left arm at all and any movement sent shooting pains and numbness down my whole arm. Had pain when laying on it as i sleep on my left side.

Could not wash / dress properly but undressing was the worst.

GP said it was frozen shoulder and I had to do a self referral to physio.

He gave me extra strong pain relief which I couldnt take as they were too strong for me.

Physio sent me exercises to do for 6 weeks followed by me having to tell them I needed help still which I did as it did not improve.

I just had my first face to face last week ( after 2 appts had to be canceled one by me and other by them).

By then then it had eased a bit as can hold my arm up a bit further & shooting pain not so much but pain from shoulder to elbow is not good.

My sleep is still interrupted as every time i move it's so painfull.

The physio was very good, had a hour session where she manuplulated my shoulder blades done something to my neck which instantly made it feel different.

Will go back in 3 weeks but have more targeted exercise to do in the meantime.

She did ask if i ever had injections so that may be the next thing if no better on next appoitment.

She also said that it can take between one and 3 years to heal.

To be honest if I knew it would take this long I would have gone private.

I am just glad that it is my left side as i am right handed so am managing to do most things as long as i dont make sudden movements that affect the left side.

I am wandering if she gives me more exercises and not suggest any injections could I just go private for that and does it help ?

I had bilateral fs too and was off work for 4 months ....not sure what else I was supposed to do as I struggled to pull my own pants up or indeed dress /undress myself,couldn't lock my front door, answer the phone or indeed do anything useful as I'd lost 90% of the range of movement but glad you are still managing to struggle on !

Is ‘Subacromial impingement’ the same as frozen shoulder? My GP has diagnosed this. It’s been a year now.

Physio does help a bit. Had one private ultrasound led injection in December and it felt great for a few weeks then back to normal.

Like a previous poster I’m finishing it very frustrating to not be able to do my normal yoga / Pilates etc.

I’d be willing to pay for injections again (both shoulders now) but not sure it’s worth it. Have an NHS ultrasound coming up so hopeful for something…

Have considered asking for HRT but is 43 a bit young for that?

Not always. There may be bone spurs that need removing to allow the tendon more room to move freely. Adhesions and inflammation within the space cause frozen shoulder, you can have either or both.

Funnily enough I’ve just got a message from my gp offering me a steroid injection. I think I’m going to have it as I have tried everything else without any change so any advice on how best to to ease/speed recovery afterwards would be appreciated. I have asked for more NHS physio as I can’t afford to keep up with my private appointments anymore.

My private physio told me there was very little he could do to help with a frozen shoulder. He referred me to a private doctor for hydrodilation. I had a NHS physio referral but it was a year before I saw anyone. Luckily the hydrodilation helped and swimming was also good for my recovery.

I was just about to say the same.

I think perhaps what people don’t realise is that there is a range and, while it is all painful and debilitating, if you are literally blacking out from pain and unable (rather than just finding it difficult) to dress, eat, toilet etc, there is no choice but to be off work. If you physically cannot perform the movements needed for the job or to get yourself to work then there is no option than to be off sick.

Don’t faff around - get a private steroid injection into the joint (ultrasound guided) ASAP! Has practically fixed mine.

Also I have been swimming every day - breaststroke, gentle and slow to begin with.,

I had to pay privately sorry and she wrote a letter to support my referral for an eventual operation

only with her support did things start to move
also, in Wiltshire we don’t need GP for physio referral you can do it yourself - may be worth a check if it’s the case in your county too

I feel you - the pain and how much it limits everyday life is HELL

Chinese acupunture.
Time.months
Adapt your work environment speak to occupational health

Yep my pain was 9/10 for months ...everytime I moved either arm it screamed -couldn't even reach a drink on the beside table - it was a living hell I never wish to repeat and genuinely understood why people are driven to suicide with chronic pain. Thankfully the painful freezing stage only lasted 7 months and I was just left with the stiffness and reduced range of movement which is still ongoing as I await surgery on my right side

I could barely get my arm out in front of me, or to the side or back. The notion of swimming was utterly beyond me as I'd have literally been unable to move my arm.

I had an overnight improvement with acupuncture. I had the treatment in the afternoon, felt really awful for the rest of the day and woke up the next day able to lift my arm. Highly, highly recommend using a well rated acupuncture physician.
Mine was much more acute than yours, I had it treated within days of it becoming so severe I couldn’t move properly.
If you can afford it, I always recommend paying for treatments rather than waiting for NHS, we only get one body we need to care for it properly and live in it as comfortably as possible.

Aren’t you lucky we’re not all the same hey?
my appointment today said it’s arthritis .

she suggested a treatment plan that will initially take a few months before even considering
injections or any kind of invasive procedure.
i can’t work with this much pain on this much sedative medication and without the use of my dominant hand.

well done you for struggling on with your double whammy though 👏

No, but in the earlier stages they are similar and that's what I thought mine was before it really froze. The main way of telling the difference is whether someone else can move your arm more than you can - with an impingement moving your shoulder hurts but someone else can move it for you, whereas with a real frozen shoulder the joint just doesn't move at all.

Subacromial impingement is where a tendon gets trapped between two bits of bone (one being the acromion), with frozen shoulder the cartilage and tendons that make up most of the shoulder socket get inflamed and stiff.

Volterol gel and arm in sling was what I had to do until I got cortisone injection. My GP told me it is a common complaint in teachers. I was a teacher for over 25 years. Writing on the bloody board, probably caused the gradual wearing away of tendons/ligaments or whatever it is in your shoulder.