2nd frozen shoulder

Hi Wendy... I don't know that any of us would recommend not seeing a doctor... You probably should. My experience was horrible in the left shoulder (first) and in comparison... mild in the right.  I did all therapies on the left... none on the right. I just continued to use it to the pain point and backed off. I did however take the cordisone shots sooner and more often on the right side... I could not take oral anti-inflamitories.

Hi I also agree about going to the Doctor...but saying that other than the cortisone injection not sure what they can do.  Mine started two years ago -  after the injection and physio I got the movement back and the real excruciating pain eased off. Unfortunately there is some pain in the shoulder all the time some days worse than others. I only have to lift something which can be quite light and it kicks off. I am really trying not to take too many painkillers. I have a tens macine which I got from boots and I find that swimming really helps. I would love to go to physio every week but cannot afford this. My husband massages the shoulder with small circular movements each day. I wish I could tell you of some miracle cure. Best of luck to you.

 

I did not say cortisone is all they could do.  I said that cortisone is all that I did on the right side.  I tried everything on the left from physio to ultra sound and other than the shots, it seemed to make it worse.  My left shoulder lasted about 15 months and was painful for 9 months of that.  My right shoulder did not get even 1/4 as bad as the left in pain which only lasted about 5 months and was over in 12 months.  I have about 98% of my range of motion back and like you feel some pain if I use them in a new way and if I lift heavy things. 

I am on my 2nd frozen shoulder and I have strong opinions about treatment but of course realize that ever body is different from the next...

I did just about everthing you can imagine for the right shouder that caused me to go on 4 different prescribed meds just to be able to live day to day.  So much pain and no sleep the 1st 8 months when I didnt know what I had.  Once I found out what I had I got on the meds and did physical therapy and massages which, in my opinion are absolutely necessary to keep some blood flow, decrease the atrophy that can not be completely stopped and push the movement a tiny bit each day so that it will eventually get better.  My right shoulder is 95% better and now my left shoulder is frozen.  But I am through the worst part in the 2nd shoulder.  It is not excruciating any more so after 3 years of 4 different meds I am 80% off of them and the pain I have now just feels like an injury - which is very bearable in comparison to the 2 year excruciating pain I had between both shoulders!

So... Physical therapy is absolutely necessary but it has to be the correct therapy.  Massage is very helpful to get through the months or years of agony.  And pain meds and antiaxiety meds are impossible to live without when you cant sleep and you never get a break from pain and being handicap.  I easily got off the Lortab once I could move a little without pain.  I got off the nerve meds easily also.  The xanax was easy to get off as well.  But the paxil! Oh my gosh! It's so hard to get off of!  I am down to 5 mgs every 36 hours and having trouble getting completley off of it.  Dont worry about addiction unless you have an addictive personality.  If you dont have an addictive personality than the meds are a MUST,  the PT is a must, the massages are a must if possible and the rest is a waste in my opinion. 

Hi Sheila J, thanks for your information.  Would you consider the physical therapy before it is actually frozen?  As I stated before, I still have my ROM.