Frozen Shoulder after Biceps Tenodesis

Hello,

I too have Bicep Tendodesis in both of my arms, one having frozen shoulder.

I've been in PT for 4 months and its gotten better, but still there.

Dressing and bathing is good, but when I lay on my side sleeping, my shoulders still hurt.

I was told this take a long time to correct and i've started resistant bands and small weights under the supervision of my PT.  She said we need to build those muscles back up.

I too had shots in my shoulders, which helped- but the pain is still there- my orthopedic Dr. said this should subside within a year.

Hang in there- you are on the right track

I had frozen shoulder for 18 months then had an MRI which showed a torn tendon , as physio wasn't helping my specialist recommended surgery for the tendon , which I had in April. While 'in there' the surgeon removed the scar tissue from the frozen shoulder . Unfortunately after surgery the frozen shoulder returned with a vengeance!! I have since had 2 cortisone injections and a hydrodilatation injection which has given me some movement but I am still in a lot of pain , from my shoulder down through my elbow, and there is no way I could sleep on my right side (if I roll onto it at night I wake up in pain instantly). I'm still doing physio once a week but there doesn't seem to be much they can do and the specialist doesn't want to clear it surgically as he believes I am 'genetically prone' to getting it again. Everyone I've spoken too, who has had frozen shoulder , has said that it takes at least 12 months before it even feels a bit better. I'm holding out for April 2017 , but not feeling too optimistic . (By the way, with all the anti-inflamatories and pain killers I've been on I have blood tests twice a year to ensure my kidneys have not been affected! - just another thing to be aware of.

Good luck with your recovery....

Hi Runnergirl44:

It's quite the pain we get with FS! I learned from this forum that there are two schools of thot on treatment. One is that you have all the aggressive sorts of treatments & recovery options to make the pain go away in the months ahead, and the other is that you treat it gently, letting it heal & keeping the inflammation cycle down to make the pain go away in the months ahead.

FS is 'self-limiting' meaning that it will go away! Some have better success with one way than the other. Personally, I quit some very aggessive physiotherapy, opted out of surgery & learned as much as I could about its healing on its own. I've included occasional visits of gentle PT & cortisone every 3-4 months since starting to thaw. I am very functional again, and I doubt surgery or intensive PT would have made much difference to my time line.

I'd be happiest if the medical community could pin down a cause for FS & treat accordingly. But in the meantime, be encouraged that it does have an end! Lack of sleep makes everything harder. It's good to read back on this forum & learn lots on the nights you're up wandering; it's a good distraction, and there are many tips for managing with this. Here's an example: https://patient.info/forums/discuss/helpful-tips-28439

In the end, all of us need to choose the treatment plan that we can live with while on the way to recovery - and regular activities again! All the best

Liane