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Considering ACR

Posted , 5 users are following.

MikeT298
MikeT298

Hello there, I'm a 37 y/o male with type 1 diabetes. I've had frozen shoulder for almost 2 years now in my right (dominant) arm. When I first got it I would have pain that radiated to my elbow and really decreased ROM, especially when reaching behind my back. Reaching forward very far (for example to pet my cat) is also pretty painful; or if I roll over the wrong way at night. I tried several months of PT and have had a few injections in the shoulder. The injections helped with the pain but I never got ROM back. I'm considering now doing an ACR and seeing the doctor about it in 2 weeks. I was wondering what peoples recovery were like. Did you stay in the hospital for a day or two while they did PT, or a continuous motion machine? I'm an admin assistant so I'm hoping that I'll only need a week, or 2 at most off from work for recovery; I mostly do typing. My main hobby is playing video games so I'm hoping that if I'm off from work I can at least do that while I recover since that doesn't involve raising my arm up. I'm a little scared of pain as well, but mostly I just want to be able to put on my jacket, or shirts without any pain again, and be able to scratch my back ^_^ and maybe do a little sports again.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • melissa6828
    melissa6828 MikeT298

    Posted

    Hi Mike. I'm in my third month of recovery. I had a 50% rotator cuff tear and bicep tendon tear along with loss of blood circulation, spurs, arthritis and dead bone. I'm a 50 year old woman. I have an extremely physically demanding job and I'm a runner. My recovery has been extremely tough and painful but I'm very strong willed so I'm going through the physical therapy and I also do all of the arm/shoulder exercises at home. I had frozen shoulder 2 weeks ago & my pt guy put me through hell getting it to release but all of the capsules finally loosened up. It's worth going through all the horrendous pain. Just think of the outcome and you'll get through it. Look towards the future and how "normal" you'll be able to move. I started running 3 days ago. It's scary but I'm getting closer to being a normal functioning person! Good Luck Mike! You can do it!

    • MikeT298
      MikeT298 melissa6828

      Posted

      im sorry you had all that i guess im lucky its just a frozen shoulder cause the MRIs last year showed no tearing just some tendonitis thank you for the uplifting words though and i hope you continue to recover!

  • sandra38592
    sandra38592 MikeT298

    Posted

    Hi Mike,

    I my left shoulder was frozen, it has been 2 years since my release, every once in a while I still have pain but nothing like it was. Surgery only took about 35 minutes and was done outpatient. I was home about 5 hours later. Doctor prescribed the motion chair so I had it at home for 4 weeks, recovery was very very painful and pain pills didn't help, very slowly with the chair and PT 3 times a week my motion came back and the pain finally was gone.I think it took about 3 months to get most of my motion back and most of the pain gone. It was a very tough recovery but I couldn't live like I was.

    Now my right is frozen but nothing like my left was so I think PT will take care of it. I never realized how much PT could help until going through all this. You have good reason to be worried but in the long run it is worth it. Hang in there I know how hard it is, it will get better!

    • sandra38592
      sandra38592 melissa6828

      Posted

      Melissa,

      It looks like something from a torture chamber, but really it is a chair that you rent from a medical supply house, they fit you for it, works for numerous body parts, in my case shoulder, you set in it, strap your arm in it, there is a small motor that moves you arm to what ever you doctor has prescribed, it will move your arm in all different directions, every couple days you change the adjustment so it moves you arm a little further each day. This makes sure your arm is moving a does not freeze up again. I used it 3 times a day for 1 hour at a time, at first it was very very small movement and very painful but the longer I had it the better it got. I don't remember the technical name of it but I am sure your doctor would. It was a big help because you don't want to move your arm on your own. I read one book and we watched all of the Harry Potter movies LOL. I don't know where you live but I am in the US.

    • melissa6828
      melissa6828 sandra38592

      Posted

      Sandra,

      Wow that chair sounds amazing! Luckily I'm past that stage thank god. This has been an extremely challenging 3 months for me but with my strong will and determination I'm at the last leg of this recovery. I got past frozen should last week. My PT guy has now put me in the next stage which is muscle retraining and strengthening. Yesterday I started lifting 5 pounds. I'm super sore today but he told me I would be so I'm working through it. I'm going back to work Jan 5th so I need to get to the end of this. I totally understand you've watched all of the HP movies lol. I've never watched so much Netflix in all my life LOL. I'm also in the US. Good luck! Take care!

    • colin1964
      colin1964 sandra38592

      Posted

      hi Sandra

      colin here. i have been posting about my arm for the past 3 months.

      mine has gone from bad to badder lol.been frozen 1 for 15 months. been frozen 2 for 7 months. how had an MRI found tendon tear and bone spur pushing into to it. thats on frozen 2 which was the better arm !!.

      going under the knife just waiting for date. going for MRI on shoulder 1 as well this was the most painful shoulder out of the two as this was caused by sudden jarring of me shoulder joint/s.

      tell me about this chair it tweeked me. my job is demanding as well. carpenter mostly above me head work.

      i need movement lots of it. this sounds fantastic as doing exercise you only push to your limit. the chair will push to whats needed

      please mail back

      colin from London England

  • MikeT298
    MikeT298

    Posted

    Just an update I met with my doctor and he does think that surgery is the next step. I meet with the surgeon in two weeks to discuss everything. I'm hoping that I'll only be out of work for two weeks (I am a front desk clerk so I just type and answer phones) I'm going to ask him also about being prescribed one of those continuous passive motion machines for at home as well. If its something I can just sit in and watch movies that sounds helpful. I want to do what I can to make sure the surgery is successful.

    • colin1964
      colin1964 MikeT298

      Posted

      hi mike colin here

      did you have surgery on your shoulder. if so how did it go. i am curious about the cpm machine did you get to use one and was it benificial to the healing.

      i was looking up the machine to use when i finally get to the hospital. and also the cold water pump i to a sleeve over the shoulder. which reduces the pain.

      hows your treatment coming along.

      colin

  • colin1964
    colin1964 MikeT298

    Posted

    HI Mike

    colin here. find myself in the same boat. going to operate. did you have the ACR done or are you still waiting.

    i am asking around to see what happens and recovery. i need to get things in place as me arms are my job.

    colin

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