Frozen shoulder

not to be a downer but I gave up on all medical procedures including therapy and waited.... once I resigned myself to this and allowed the cycle to complete which was about a year I was mentally better because I just didn't worry about it anymore... It does get better. I will say that the only real relief I had was dry needling on the muscles around the arm and shoulder - during and after.... I do recommend therapy after - but manual mostly for the muscles....

cortisone injection worked perfectly for me

hydrodilatation helps although i wasnt keen on the experience. my last frozen shoulder was severe and i lost 80% of movement but only lasted 7 months. I have it on my other shoulder now but thankfully its not too bad at the moment.

Dear Colin,

Hurts like the blazes, I know. You feel helpless and then you say, "Surely, my SHOULDER isn't going to be the thing that brings me down after everything else that has happened...rigHT?!" Well, I'll tell you that after I finally admitted I couldn't even reach up at the bank machine, I was in need of help. When I needed to prop my arm perfectly to sleep, I needed help! And I do not even know why it started hurting/getting stiff! When I went to an Orthopedic surgeon at Kaiser and asked my new doctor, she asked me to raise my arm as high as I could. I was in my mid 40's. She was surprised at how poor my mobility was. She explained that I had a couple choices: surgery where she could make my arm move in surgery by moving it (ripping the scar tissue I had allowed grow...I felt angry and confused...what do you mean I let it grow? I didn't know I was doing anything wrong...just trying to protect it from hurting more by immobilizing it as much as possible) or I could go to PT or I could get cortizone shots.

I didn't know what to do, but I sure didn't look kindly on surgery to do something I could do to myself if I had the proverbial balls (being a female I had to imagine I was really tough...I am tougher than I thought) to force my arm past it's comfort level and way past my pain threshold.

The doctor was kind enough to tell me a couple exercises that would help and I knew it would be painful. But I was determined to get back my mobility, so I followed her suggestions.

I laid on a bed and my daughter forced my straight arm as high as I could endure. I had to tell her to stop when I couldn't endure it more (and hide the pain because I knew she didn't want to hurt me). I asked her to do this daily, but this wasn't the exercise that helped the most. However, I believe it helped me to know she cared and I wasn't totally alone.

Secondly, I tried to "throw a bowling ball". The doctor described pretending to hold a bowling bowl by keeping your hand in the position it would be if in the finger and forward facing thumb position before you release the ball. This is much easier to show than describe, so...sorry! You swing your arm forwards and up and over your head and back around to the starting position, then...scratch your shoulder in the front. I know. Sure I'll just swing my arm up and over. Then scratch my shoulder like it was nothing? (I was able to do it after a lot of trying. It helped to use the wet shower wall as both an anchor I could lean against as a way to not cheat by allowing my arm to move away from my body rather than up over my head during the swing. Yes, I screamed. But when I made it a little higher and a little higher, I felt a huge sense of relief like endorphens were being released and then after this stretching exercise I always iced for 15 minutes (towel between ice pack and my shoulder). I started sleeping better as the shoulder released a little at a time. Eventually, I was able to reach all the way up and over. I was grateful for my returned mobility. And honestly, I felt like a bad-a#@. I got through the pain without surgery, which had been my goal.

When I returned to the surgeon three weeks ago, I proudly showed her the entire rotation of throwing the bowling ball. She looked surprised. I think she thought I was a woos. Um. No. But I can tell you after birthing 4 children, this pain rivaled that.

You can ask your physical therapist or orthopedic surgeon if these two exercises might suit your situation. Everyone's situation is different. I'm guessing that prior injury, other injuries, and what is actually wrong with the very complicated shoulder joint are just some of the factors that make a doctor recommend physical therapy, surgery, home exercises, cortisone injections, etc.

I'm so sorry. It really hurts and you reach out in desperation (with your good arm, sorry, had to be said!) for help from anyone who has been there and gotten better. I didn't really believe my doctor could make it better with surgery. I pictured being "out" on the table while she jerked my arm around...I figured I'd rather be in control of that than someone else determining how far my arm would eventually move. I figured if I put that much stock in her ability to "fix me" I wouldn't even protest if it didn't work completely. I trust myself and I know what pain I can endure.

I wish you the best. Remember to ice after you do any exercising. It really helps. I also put a pack of ice on my shoulder early on in the healing process as I fell asleep. It melted as I fell asleep. Ah, sweet sweet sleep! Ibuprufen helps, but follow the dosing instructions exactly and do not take too much. Ibuprufen reduces inflammation and pain.

Good luck,

Christine

try giving up coffee and taking B12.

i had Frozen shoulder on and off for 3 years and found that when i gave up coffee and started taking b12 . take it under my tongue spray

good luck

thank you every one for replying

lot of different ideas on this. will take note.

samght you had what i am having. and it only lasted 7 months.was not aware of that time line.

with the exercise i am a carpenter every day i am either hanging 60 kg doors. plastering ceilings or fitting windows

most of my work is very physical on my shoulders and above my head. hence why asking you hero's who you have got around this problem

every day i am doing streaching exercises and pushing my shoulders to the maximum

colin