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Experienced FS patients...advice please!

Posted , 5 users are following.

nicole22585
nicole22585

Fell on shoulder, July 2017...frozen shoulder on MRI...manually unfroze august...thawing and continuous PT for 8 months.

I have good ROM except behind my back and out to the side. 

Had MRI, shows nothing abnormal, my primary doctor is sending me to another ortho doc because he isn't sure what's wrong.

My problem is pain, still having pain in glenoid cavity...lots of it. To manage the pain I ice every 2 hours and cannot cook, clean, do dishes etc because it brings on pain.......am I still thawing out????what is this...grrr

Any advice appreciated!

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • james72214
    james72214 nicole22585

    Posted

    I had surgery on my left shoulder November 17,2017 and have been in severe pain every since, the surgeon who done the surgery tells me that there is nothing that he can do and nothing he can give me for the pain, I went to a pain management Dr last month and he did give me muscle relaxers and Gabapentin which does help me sleep, but I still wake up in severe pain , I went in to the pain management Dr again on Thursday and he done an nerve conduction test on my shoulder, come to find out I have nerve damage from either the surgeon doing the surgery or the anesthesiologist doing the nerve block. Now I have to wait and find out if anything can be done to stop the pain, I have physical therapy 3 times a week and every time I leave there I am in so much pain from the therapist moving my arm. I use ice alot as well as heat. I have yet to find anything that stops the pain.

    This is all from a work related injury and workers comp regulates what Dr I can use, I have requested several times to get a different Dr and have been told no every time.

    • jim_5066
      jim_5066 james72214

      Posted

      can you appeal the workers comp decision not to refer you, I would.

      From what you say, someone was negligent in what the did, or did not do. And to say there’s nothing more can be done is a cop out for them. Perhaps talk to a labor lawyer to see what can be done with workers comp. As it is workers comp you likely can’t go after the surgeon or anaesthetist for compensation.

      But to suffer because of something that was imposed upon you is not acceptable and workers comp need to deal with it.

    • james72214
      james72214 jim_5066

      Posted

      I have an attorney over the workers comp claim, he said he filed to take them to court over not letting me switch Dr's but unfortunately I still haven't heard anything about that. I have no idea how long something like that takes because I have never been through anything like this before. I don't know if the nerve damage in my shoulder is permanent or not. I do know that I have been going through hell with all the pain in my shoulder and when I go to physical therapy 3 times a week it's a nightmare.

      I have went to the surgeon who done the surgery several times in the last 6 months and 2 months ago I had another MRI the n went back to him/surgeon. He said that everything is looking good and that I am doing fine. I told him that I hurt and am unable to get more than 2 hrs sleep a night. He told me that it will get better. I asked him when after I am dead. I asked at the desk for a copy of the MRI report. The nurse printed a copy off and gave it to me. The MRI report very plainly states that I still have a tear in my rotator cuff. I questioned the surgeon about it and he told me that it's just a small one and it will heal.

      After raising cain for the last 6 months and requesting to be seen by a pain management Dr I finally got to be seen by one. He done a nerve conduction test on my shoulder/neck and arm. He stated that I have nerve damage in my shoulder and it could be permanent from either the anesthesiologist or the surgeon doing damage while doing surgery. I go back to the pain management Dr in 4 weeks then back to the surgeon in 5 weeks. I guess I will find out what can be done at those times.

    • v95447
      v95447 james72214

      Posted

      Sorry you’re in pain. Find a good lawyer James. Sounds like you might have a malpractice case. If the surgeon or anaesthesiologist screwed up you should be entitled to compensation. Good luck. 
  • v95447
    v95447 nicole22585

    Posted

    Wish I could help but I’m having the same problem have had this for over a year and still have pain. Someone mentioned MSM don’t know if it works but it did for her. I get acupuncture and saline injections around the joint but it’s short term. I may try the steroid injection next Ive heard that helps. I’m considering  capsular release surgery although I’d rather not. It’s an awful problem!!!! Wish I had better advice but I’m in a quandary also.
    • nicole22585
      nicole22585 v95447

      Posted

      I'm sorry you are having pain still too. Are you still frozen?

    • v95447
      v95447 nicole22585

      Posted

      My PT said I am not frozen anymore  but I think I am. I still have limited range of motion and I still have pain.  Difficult to sleep since I’m a side sleeper and although it’s mostly in my left shoulder I’ve been having intermittent pain in  my right shoulder too. I thought maybe the condition was exacerbated since taking Fosomax. It’s  become more intolerable since I started taking Alendronate (generic Fosomax) for Osteoporosis a year ago. So  I stopped the Alendronate (Fosomax) last week to see if it was making it worse. I have noticed a slight improvement but the problem hasn’t gone away. Thought there might be a correlation but not sure??? Right now I’m just living with it trying to stretch and move it as much as possible even though it still hurts. I had an MRI to rule out any rotator cuff injury  so my diagnosis is solely Frozen shoulder. Good luck if you find something that helps let me know.
  • james72214
    james72214 nicole22585

    Posted

    I finally got into a pain management Dr and he done a nerve conduction test on my shoulder and said that I have nerve damage in my shoulder it wasn't like that before I had surgery. So no it's just a wait and see on what if anything will be done about it.

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