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Frozen shoulder - choices of treatment

Posted , 53 users are following.

jillgrace
jillgrace

I first noticed the symptoms of FS about 4 months ago - it seemed to come out of the blue for no reason at all. Just as mystifying was what should I do about it - do I go to a physio, GP, acupuncturist, osteopath, chiropractor - or am I better off doing nothing at all?!!

After doing some research, I decided my best course of action would be to go to an osteopath. However, what I would advise other sufferers is to be aware that this can be a very, very long process and can end up costing you a fortune!!

They gave me twice-weekly appointments at the beginning which I didn't mind paying for as I wanted to get myself cured as soon as possible.

The appointments involved gentle manipulation and she would give me exercises to do at home. My arm is gradually getting some small amount of movement back (although my practititioner did say that this was largely due to my hard work at sticking to the exercises) and the pain has diminished (although from what I understand this is part of the disease process and is probably nothing to do with the osteopath!)

In retrospect, I am glad that I sought treatment with an osteopath, but in my naivety I had not realised what a long process it would be and how much it would cost. I am still going to sessions but, at my request, I have staggered the appointments so that they are further apart.

I am now getting pains in the other side and unless I win the lottery, I feel that I couldn't possibly afford to go through it all again!!

2 likes, 221 replies

221 Replies

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  • Steadyang
    Steadyang

    Posted

    Hi Judyb, thanks for reporting, I thought I need to report mine too. As what u had said, no one told us what to expect. I have got my MUA done 5 days ago.My specialist told me before the procedure that MUA is a fast fix, if u don't want to wait for your body to heal itself which could take years and the pain become too hard to bear.

    My doctor told me I can get quick fix, but until now I still feel pain, I not too sure if it is normal, but since u also have same experience that pain still remain, it kind of make me feel more relief as I know that I am not alone. As of now, 5 days after the MUA, my only noticable result are, I can lift my arm up from the front and by the side 90 deg, though still has some pain, but compare to before, I only manage about 50 deg and the pain was already unbearable.

    For any one who wish to do MUA including David from Singapore (I am SIngaporean as well) let me share my experience until today:

    1) After the procedure, your affected arm will be numb and heavy as they will give you a nerve block as well as anaesthetic. It will last for about 1 day before you get your feeling back.

    2) Don't expect to get to normal after the procedure, you need to go thru physio therophy, and trust me, you will not like them, as some said, it is torture.

    3) I develop blue back under my arm, I am not sure when it happen, but I just discover 2 days ago, though my feeling after the procedure was that the pain actually move under my arm. My doctor just told me it is normal. I kind of suspect long needle injection during the procedure cause that.

    4) All I want to say is, I still in pain, not some say that MUA has amazing result, however I am still only in 5 days after the procedure. I hope that if my condition really able to get improvement within a month, I will continue the report here and encourage those who wish to go thru MUA to go ahead.

    Good luck to everyone, it is nice to find you guys here, but it is really not nice to have Frozen shoulder, it is in fact hell. Please keep the reports coming.

    • Oliveria
      Oliveria Steadyang

      Posted

      Hi Steadyyang I know probably by now you are totally healed. Just wondering if MUA really worked for you. I had MUA in my hip 2 months ago. I have frozen hip and the MUA didnt seem to worked as good as I thought since I still have enough amount of pain and no the ROM that I was expecting. You kind advice or experience would be much appreciated.Thanks a lot in advance.
    • Steadyang
      Steadyang Oliveria

      Posted

      Hi nicoryan,

      The MUA work for me perfectly, it has been 1.5 year from now, I totally forgotten my right frozen shoulder by now. I went swimming, play bowling lately, and everything go well

      I remember after the MUA, I still have plenty of pain for 1 month or slightly more, and I even have blue black bruise under my affected arm, which my doctor said was normal.

      I am however feeling a bit tight on my left shoulder now, which I do plenty of stretching on my arm these days, such as bending your arm behind your back like a folded chicken wing, the other arm fold over the top of your shouder from the front and try to meet your both hand behind your back. I  determine not to get frozen shoulder on the other shoulder, because I was told for those who get it on 1 side,the other shoulder will also prone to frozen.

      Thinking back, yes, it was so painfully, whether during sleep or sudden jerk action such as slaming close a door, could give you the unbearable pain for about 1 min.

      For your case, a frozen hip, I am not too sure about MUA help. But I hope you can get a speedy recovery. Everyone here understand the hell of pain that this disease in causing us.

    • Oliveria
      Oliveria Steadyang

      Posted

      Thank you Steadyang,

      It was so nice to heard from you. When you go thrugh this terrible nightmare you wish you can talk to someone that went already thruogh the same, specially after surgery. It gives me relief to know that you had pain after your MUA. I still can have hope that mine will work. My problem is that is the hip and this carries all other problems with spine alignment and so. 

      Thanks and I hope you don't get the other shoulder that would be a nightmare. Im just so afraid that will happen to me. 

      I know one person that had it in one hip few months kater other hip, after this was resolved she got them in both shoulders. Just to think about it gives me chills. If you see her now she is perfectly fine she says it was too much for her.

      But I also know that just 20 %  will get it in another joint. So we just can hope.

      Thanks once again and I wish you all the health of the world.

  • Steadyang
    Steadyang

    Posted

    Hi Judyb, thanks for reporting, I thought I need
  • Steadyang
    Steadyang

    Posted

    It has been 12 days now after my MUA procedure. My pain still did not improve. I probably think that MUA is not the best fix or faster fix.
  • judyb
    judyb

    Posted

    Hi Steadyang. My experience is very much the same as yours. It is now 4 weeks since I had the MUA and I have a lot of movement back now. I can do pretty much anything although I still can't put my arm behind my back. I still get quite a bit of discomfort, i.e. aching, tingling and sometimes a flash of pain if I go beyond my limits. I have had a lot of physio, one week three times, and it has been very painful. I think one of the worst things now is that I realise how much the muscles of my upper and lower arm, my neck and my underarm had detiorated whilst not being used. They shorten and buckle due to lack of use and need to be lengthened and strengthened again, this is what I'm now trying to achieve but it is a slow process. The physio gives me massage on the trigger points of my muscles to release the knots in my muscles. It's agony at the time and then takes a couple of days before I can even touch the spots involved. It does make me feel better though.

    For anyone else out there considering this procedure I would say do it. It isn't an instant - and definitely not an easy fix - but I am convinced that I would still have a frozen shoulder if I hadn't had it done. Bearing in mind what state my muscles were in after 9 months of little use I think I would have been much worse off if I had waited for it to fix itself - not an option as it's my right arm.

    Good luck to anyone else out there, I'm hoping I will be normal soon but will continue to post and let you know!

  • judyb
    judyb

    Posted

    PS: I do still have tenderness round the shoulder joint and was worried that I had damage to the rotator cuff. My physio did tests to check that but says it isn't that. She feels that the cortisone injection probably didn't hit the spot, they don't always work. The muscle tightness seems to pull on the joint too which can make it painful but following massage this is very much diminished so I'm hopeful that this tenderness will go away eventually.
  • Steadyang
    Steadyang

    Posted

    Judyb, Yes, I agree that while we are in pain, we restrict our usage, and in some medical report do mention FS will also cause muscle wasting. I can feel that I no longer able to carry object for long, say a 1500cc of water bottle.

    I only have 2 sessions of PT after the procedure, most of the time I do it at home by myself.

    This is something that I keep asking, should we push ourselve on PT or should we rest our FS, there are mix suggestions in this Forum,even my doctor ask me to do but not to the extend that the pain is unbearable.

    I stretched myself on those exercises that suggest by the physio, but at times it was too painful which I am worry it do more harm than good, so I am wondering what is the best way, to work it out even at pain or go general?

    Anyway I will continue to post on my progress, I will be returning to work next week.

  • judyb
    judyb

    Posted

    Steadyang

    My physio said that I must stretch myself straight after the op even though it was painful but afterwards I must apply ice. Also I had to keep up the painkillers day and night for 2 or 3 weeks until the pain got more manageable. Now that I have quite good movement I am doing more gentle muscle stretching and this also helps maintain the movement in the joint. I don't take many painkillers now - mainly anti inflammatory gel. I even played golf today and it wasn't too bad!

  • HeatherL
    HeatherL

    Posted

    So, am I right in thinking that the MUA procedure is worth it. The pain does not change right away (or gets worse) mostly because of the physical therapy required but does get better after a month. Range of motion and use of the arm is immediately better but still extremely painful??

    My experience has been one of 5 months of agony. I have a constant ache under the collar bone that radiates up my neck to feel like an ear ache and toothache. It hurts right through - front and back. At times it feels like a heart attack or that something is squeezing my lung. Another pain runs from there through the rotator cuff and down my bicep. I have intermitent pains (stabs and spasms) in the shoulder, bicep and forearm. Right now it is my left shoulder but the right has started too. I have done chiro, tens machine, ultra sound, laser, physio, and accupunture. None of these treatments helped - most made it worse. I am scheduled for cortisone shots in October. Like another post I sleep about an hour - hour and a half and then cry in pain for the next two hours to repeat again. When I jar it or accidently use it - it feels like I have ripped the shoulder off, I can't breathe, I feel like throwing up, it drops me to my knees. Heat helps sometimes. I see a massage therapist 2x a week. He presses on the trigger points (which leave me bruised) that causes a burn and pain of its own. I'm told that it is the muscles receiving blood flow again and the adhesions coming apart.

    • Louielouie123
      Louielouie123 HeatherL

      Posted

      Hello, sorry you've gone through so much pain(actually all of you). I know this is an old thread but I'm 3 weeks out of MUA and capsulitus. First off, my shoulder was injured months ago, then it became so bad I couldn't dress, do my hair etc(as all of you know). I put off going to the doc. due to the fact I knew it would be yet another surgery... I've had 13(4 back surgeries alone). When the MRI report came back he said it's a torn labrum.

      Then I was surprised after I woke up and my husband said, "you're lucky no anchors or any real bad damage just capsulitus and manipulation". So I cluelessly thought this would be a breeze.. So my husband told me(he's had a torn rotator cuff). Look I'm not a baby. I'm sobbing right now. I now have on and off stabbing neck nerve pain, nerve pain down to my one finger and forearm??? Why? I don't get why after 3 weeks this is getting so ridiculously painful. I live with enough back pain, why if this was just FS or whatever name people want to give it, it's not letting up? I feel it's getting worse. My husband said, "you didn't really have surgery, you'll be fine". Umm really it feels like someone took a ice pick and is still cramming it in there. Did I do this? I took my sling off on the 4th day and tried to push it.. Do you all think I did too much too soon. I tried to blow dry my hair on the 6 day and now as I put shirts on I scream out loud, but I still push it b cause he said I can't hurt myself it was just pulling on scar tissue(not as bad as his rotator cuff). I just started PT, he just pulled on it and dug into my joint. I've been to PT several times in my life, shouldn't they ice it or give me exercises? The kid said "no these aren't backs, we have to hurt you to move it again. He added that, "there are many more nerves in your shoulder then your back so it will hurt more". Well, first off not true. Hmmmm our spine has a lot of nerves buddy, they spread out from out spine to our arm, legs etc..and wth does that have to do with anything anyway? I just want to sleep again, breath again, Dress again and not feel this ridiculous sharp pain. Will it get better? Thanks and sorry for sounding like a big baby, but I've been dealing with chronic pain since I've been 34 and I'm really getting grumpy. Blessings~

  • HeatherL
    HeatherL

    Posted

    (Sorry hit the wrong key) I feel some relief from this. The day after is hell... - no sleep and lots of pain. Mostly when I go back I can feel the difference (for the better) in what he does.. muscles are definately looser although there is no change to the pain and suffering. I'm hoping that it is almost at the frozen stage.. cause everything suggests that the pain is lessened. I am taking tylenol with codine and ibupropen which barely take the edge off. Any answers, help or suggestions are welcomed.

    • naida45292
      naida45292 HeatherL

      Posted

      I'm so grateful for all this info from everyone's experiences. When we are in so much pain it brings relief to know there are others. 

      Heather L - you described my situation exactly.  The tears and sleepless nights makes life hard. 

      I had shoulder surgery in Jan. 2014 after about 5 yrs of building pain and misery from overuse - fishing.    Physio was hard - tried doing exercises on my own - but couldn't get back to physio for 5 wks. Did intense physio with massage after for a month straight - and hurt like h--l whole month. And all the pain killers etc.  now it's 5 months and I'm going for MUA with arthroscopy in couple days. Hoping and praying for good help. After studying everyone's experience. It's scary but I'm better informed. All the massage & physio  didn't get me anywhere - was over straining other muscles trying to compensate - for scar tissue that simply wouldn't move.  One site  said sometimes physio can make things worse - for that very reason.   The massages helped and we're often horribly painful but $1000.  Later had to quit -  and condition didn't change. Think all said - I'd have been better to get the MUA  3 mths ago and then do the follow-up with swimming. As others have said. Thank you - all sharers.

    • james80413
      james80413 naida45292

      Posted

      Hi naida, sorry to hear of your unfortunate time with your shoulder. You are right about so many having such a painful experience and you for so long a time. It does seem that you suffered some overuse problem with your shoulder and not a adhesive capsulitis. It would be interesting to hear what your diagnosis was and what kind of surgery you had. I should say  firstly that you like many seemed to suffer considerably from the treatments given. All treatments should be within the limits of the pain. The longer pain lasts the more chance it has of altering the brain and causing chronic pain. The following are pretty useless for painful shoulders:  chiropractic to the neck, ultra sound, tens, massage acupuncture and the kinds of physiotherapy in previous posts especially he exercises which have been descibed.  The only treatment to begin with is passive movement of the humerus at the scapula, that is the glenohumeral joint. Think of this, normally the capsule around the joint is quite loose. When you raise your arm the head of the humerus slides down the cup shape of scapula then rotates when the arm is raised. Now think if the capsule were severely tightened  and you raised you arm and the humeral head could not drop and rotate. You will get more pain. If you do pendular exercisese the shoulder blade compensates by moving round the chest wall and the arm moves but not at the shoulder joint so it only appears the you have the right movement. Get a theraist who knows who Kaltenborn is (or was!)  or Goeff Maitlant (was) or who knows what "Nags and Snags" means. I got a therapist to  show my wife and she treated me, it's not that difficult and only takes a short time each day. Must be someone one this discussion who can get  their PT to explain to us all.

       

    • naida45292
      naida45292 james80413

      Posted

      Thank you for info. I will look up names you gave. 

      1 week today since MUA & arthroscopic scar tissue  removal.

      Ortho surgeon said it was the worst frozen shoulder and scar tissue in a 

      Joint - he'd ever seen.  Made me feel somehow - a bit comforted for

      The horrendous pain of last 5 mths.  I can lift arm up near my head now

      But am still in soooo much pain.  Swelling and bruising from manipulation

      Are going down.  Have done  3 physio and manipulation is horrible but I

      Know I have to maintain movement.  I ice  couple times a day. Had to get off

      Narcotic pain meds - which would help me sleep - but was getting impacted

      Bowels. Bad news.  It's 2am - took  2 Tylenol 2 hrs ago and still in so much pain.  I think I worked joint to hard at home today. So afraid of shoulder freezing up again.   Had impingement in shoulder (Jan.), with bone spurs

      And calcified and damaged rotator. 2 tendons screwed to bone and bones spurs removed (Mumford procedure).   Scar tissue apparently completely

      Cemented rotator cuff in place. I believe I also had capsulitus going in 

      Cup as there was so much pain in back of shoulder and down back side

      Of arm  for years. Other shoulder is going the same way - bad - since surgery

      In Jan.   hadn't heard of chronic pain due to brain change. Am trying to 

      Relax and not be so angry at enduring this - and trust in God. Many days

      I'm ready for heaven now.  Things of earth don't hold the interest they did.

      I think I may try cortisone shot. Don't like those, but  - hurting so much.

      May God bless each and everyone who is in pain today.

    • Oliveria
      Oliveria naida45292

      Posted

      I can say I know what you are going through being in nagging constant pain almosr 2 years on my frozen hip.

      I had MUA 7 weeks ago and even when gave me more ROM im still under a lot of pain. I feel the same jarred scarry pain if somebody get close to my hip. I don understand if I still have some adhesions around. im going to physio now but I dont know if I should continue is deadly painful. I just get in my car and cry my eyes out. I hope is a light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to have hope that like everyone else will be some relief and full recovery.

      All the best for you Naida hope you keep posting here so we know how these precedures can help others.

      All my best wishes for you.

    • terry74787
      terry74787 Oliveria

      Posted

      I would be interested in how many people on this post have been diagnosed or suspect they have hypothyroidism...
    • Oliveria
      Oliveria terry74787

      Posted

      Hi Terry,

      I just checked mine and thyroid was fine but I heard people with thyroid problems are more prune to get this disease.

      Wishing you all the best .

    • terry74787
      terry74787 naida45292

      Posted

      Don't give up. I know how painful this is. I watched a professional football player lunge up off a table  crying and drawing his fist back at the therapist trying to stretch his shoulder out after frozen shoulder surgery. Yours sounds worse than that!  It took me several months of physical therapy and almost 3 hours a day doing exercises each and every day.   I also found a massage therapist who helped me.   If the cortisone shot helps it will be worn the risk. You need some relief. I'm so sorry for your pain. Hopefully the pain whas changed and is easier now that you are on the recovery end after surgery.  I used Tramadol to help with pain. You should be able to supplement with magnesium etc so that your bowels can tolerate pain meds....will pray for you  and hope that 3 months later now you are on the mend!
    • Oliveria
      Oliveria naida45292

      Posted

      Hi Naida,

      Just wondering how are you doing after your surgery. I just eish you got over it and you are much better.

      I had terrible pain for almost 2 years. I have to say this last week seems to subside much better, no pain without movement Im happy with that. 

      is hope Naida just a week ago I was in agony still and now I can say Im a little better. No perfect since I cant still walk but at least not that nagging terrible pain.

      Im just hoping by now you pass the worst of all.

      My very best wishes for you, wishing you a speedy recovery.

      We have to believe that one day no too far we will be having fun and smiles again.

      J

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