FS diagnosed. Appreciate your experience and support.

I don't know if I will be much help as everybodies experiences are different. My frozen shoulder happened after an injury and then the wrong treatment and advice from the N.H.S. My fall due to no fault of my own happened on 28th Dec. 2014. I had a sling on for 5 weeks which will have caused the freeze. I got nowhere with the N.H.S. I had physio which made it worse so went privately where I was told I did not have a true frozen shoulder as it started after an injury. It will never get better if I don't have hydrodilation or if that does not work I will have to have key hole surgery. So I am going ahead with th hydrodilation on Monday.

My problem is that nobody has scanned my shoulder to see what is going on in there. It could be a rotator cuff tear, I am furious about the lack of treatment I have received from the N.H.S. This injury has completely ruined my life, I am unable to do anything I enjoy, my work and I cannot drive. I could go on but won't bore you.

All the best Alison

P.S. I have been offered a scan after a lot of pleading to the N.H.S. that is not going to happen until at least July!!!!!

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, it is always a shock especially when they tell you you are going to be in pain and stiffness for years and then send you home with a few nurofen!!

My FS started on its own really and and started to spread to the other shoulder after 5 months I had had enough and opted for hydrodilation, saw surgeon who said dont bother the shoulder was too stiff to get needle in, so had arthroscopic surgery on left and mua on right.  That was 13th Feb and have been having physio since then.  For me it was definitely the right decision, I was able to get on with my life, sure it was sore, physio was painful but at least i was able to progress, after 3 weeks I coud live a relatively normal life. 

It sounds like you are in the early stages, but it is so hard to know for sure how long each stage will last or how painful it will be.  Not sure how it works in Oz, but if I were you I would get some surgery booked in (just as a precaution) some months down the line, so that if you find that everything else you try doesn't work you wont have to mess about waiting in agony.  Obviously no-one wants to go the surgery route, I thought I could stick it out, injections, meds, hot-cold packs, Neil Asher Technique, chiropractor, but honestly I would have done anything to get the op in the end.  I had mine done privately so only waited 2 weeks and after a week was off all meds and able to join the human race!

You never know you may be one of the lucky ones that has short stages, I hope you are, but if not, surgery is not as scary as it sounds!

Good luck and wishing you well.xx

Hi Craig.  I started experiencing shoulder pains Jan/Feb this year and was seeing a  physio.  I then injured the same shoulder whilst working which exacerbated the condition.  I was in constant excruciating pain and could not sleep. Like Alison I was getting nowhere with the NHS physiotherapist.  My shoulder was getting stiff as well as painful and I suspected frozen shoulder.  I sought a second opinion, saw a surgeon and was diagnosed with frozen shoulder.  I had hydrodilatation and advised intense physio.  The pain reduced after 4 days following hydrodilatation and I am currently having private intense physio which is uncomfortable.  After only 2 weeks of physio along with home excercises I am gaining the movement back.  I am amazed at the results but you have to be committed in doing the exercises.  I was told the results depend upon how soon you have the hydrodilation.  Given whilst in freezing stage the recovery can be as little as weeks compared to months if given whilst in frozen stage?  For me hydrodilatation was the way to go, I would avoid surgery and only consider if all else fails.  Good luck hope you get better soon.

Thanks for your prompt replies. Lorraine I'm glad to read that Hydrodilation has worked for you and I'm keen to try this now, particularly as I'm in the early stages. Did the person who administered it give some examples of previous success and timeframes?.

Alison good luck with the injections and let me know how it goes.

Cherly I'm glad the surgery worked for you. What time frames have you heard of for those lucky enough to pass through faster?.

Do any of you think the PT exercises help?  I'm in Australia and we're told to only do gentle exercises but in the UK it seems far more aggressive?.

Hi Craig.  I am glad that I have reassured you to try this first.  The surgeon referred me to a experienced radiologist who administered mine under ultra sound guidance.  I was obviously in the freezing stage and I was reassured recovery would be 6 - 10 weeks providing I follow his advice of 4-5 days rest following hydrodilatation then intense therapy twice weekly for 4 weeks then on a weekly basis.  I had the procedure 4 weeks ago now, the intense therapy was delayed by one week due to finding a physio.  So I am now at week 3 of 4 and as I said the results for me so far are remarkable.  I have an exercise program of which I do 5 times a day as well as the intense therapy twice weekly.  I was advised to use a pulley system of which I brought very cheaply and this has really helped. I would definitely recommend PT exercises.  Get the hydrodilatation ASAP.  Good luck.

Thanks Lorraine. Your experience has really helped me make a decision. Hydrodilation is also ultrasound guided here in Australia. I have exercises I'm doing daily now but the stiffness is increasing but luckily I'm not in too much pain. Did your pain increase gradually?. I'm seeing a surgeon tomorrow so I'll keep you updated.

Hi Craig, I first started having some pain with certain movements associated with my job.  The pain gradually became worse on movement and I had a dull aching pain at rest. I was first diagnosed with having an impingement.  After injuring it further whilst working, like you the dull aching pain intensified and I was getting the sharp pains on all movement which often reduced me to tears.   It then started to stiffen I guess to the fear of moving it.  Good luck tomorrow, I would be very interested to hear how you get on.