Frozen shoulder during lockdown - advice needed
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi
I have been suffering from a frozen shoulder for some months now. I got referred for physio but because of lockdown have been unable to take advantage of it. The doctor prescibed initially co-codamol then changed to an anti-inflammatory naproxen...neither helped. I was given exercises to do but struggled to do most of them because of the pain and stiffness. I have now had some osteopathy - five sessions which has helped a little with the pain but during that period have mostly stopped the exercises (on the advice of the osteopath) but am conscious that my mobility in my arm has got worse. I asked my GP if I could have a steroid injection but was told they are no longer possible due to covid. I am taking magnesium as someone said that would help. Any ideas would be very welcome please as to what I should be doing! thank you.
0 likes, 23 replies
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
hi there cobrose
you are on a long quest on this its not a 5 min thing. first off stay positive other wise it will draw you down.
you have to keep the exercises up. dont over exercise and start off a massive ache. keep the joint as mobile as possible ( you have to) . the less you use it the worse the pain.
the doc was right pain killers and naproxen. it does help.
cold packs help as well on the joint it numbs the pain. steroid jabs last about 12 weeks ish. i have just had delivered not 60 mins ago a cryo cuff for the shoulder.
its a velcro sleeve that connects to a frozen water pump and it pumps every 45 seconds over the joint ( i have a frozen left side and a torn tendon right side. )
read my other posts in here as i had done hydro dilation on the frozen joint if you can find a surgeon to do it its worth every penny. i went in. in pain came
out swinging from the lamp shades. it did cost £650 . knowing how it hurts i would have pain twice the amount. google it
and keep us updated.
read the posts they will help
colin
Cobrose colin1964
Edited
thank you..will take your advice! it has got me down lately not helped by the lockdown as it feels like there is no end to the pain! I do belong to Benenden so may investigate if i can get the procedure done that way. I do hope it gets sorted eventually.
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
hi. it got to me so much and i carried on working though the bad days. i leapt at the chance when i found out about it. actually from a tenant house i was working in. she had it done.
it was £100 to see the orthopedic surgeon the £550 at ramesy health on the day. when i saw him on the thursday he had a slot for the next day !!.
watch it on youtube and learn then bombard ya GP with the info
c
Cobrose colin1964
Posted
thanks Colin will look at that option if i have any money left after the osteopath! Today its improved on yesterday maybe a result of moving it more.. i tended to protect it as much as i can for fear of hurting more! Some days its like raging toothache and the pain if i accidentally jerked it was awful - often my husband would say "whats the matter?" but i couldnt answer for ages....I have no idea how you carried on working. I used to work in local government am so glad i am not now!! Thanks for the moral support. You would have laughed if you could have seen me a few minutes ago i was strap hanging on the washing line...!
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
hi again
what is your actual name !!.
you did nail it on the head. its a very lonely condition to have. you look fine on the out side but when you catch it wrong ( i named my pain a "pang") . pain and anger lol. some called it a zingger.
at work the blokes just took the pee in the end. as i walk in they all hold their arm and take the pee.
i would love to just give them just one day of pain.
i found myself holding my arm and pinching it all the time to try and ease the pain.
even now ( not social distancing) if i shake some ones hand i hold the lower arm so they cannot shake the joint.
with mine now what i thought was ( big word alert) bi-lateral adhesive capsulitus . which. once MRI found a tear on the supraspinatus tendon and a bone spur digging into to the tear. general common words.
i over worked the good arm and messed it up worse than the frozen joint.
which now means operation time. i now get zapped with pain prob 3-4 times an hour.
do you know you actually get use to the pain as a constant.
with my PT i got gemma down to £23 per session(45 mins). block booked for lots and lots.
where ate you geographically. me lets say stanstead airport.
last one today how does the osteopath tape the arm what pattern to help you as i still like to evolve on the taping.
see mine and compare.
now for a hot bath then the cold cuff
c
c
Cobrose colin1964
Posted
Hi Colin
I just typed a long reply then my phone deleted it so starting again! My name is Rosemarie and I am from Northamptonshire. My osteopath charged £45 for first session then £40 since am on sixth session on friday. She tapes in a sort of circle with a piece across the circle. You have a lot more tape on by the looks of it. I sympathise with you about your colleagues taking the mickey I get the same. The exercises I have take ages there are pages of them. I try to do all of them but cant get my hand to go upwards on my back at all! Could you do that one? I struggle to do my hair as my left hand cant get up beyond my cheek..so frustration has set in. I know there are lots worse off but it is a real pain as you know all too well. Tried to hold corn on the cob with my left hand yesterday and had to move my head towards it! The doctor was apologetic about the steroid injection but said he will tell me if policy changes. Patience isn't one or my strong points!!
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
Hi Rosemarie
thats not a bad price for an osteopath actually. are the doing more of a deep tissue release than popping joints.
i so struggled hanging doors as i just could not reach the top hinge. i had to stand on a box lol.
and yup apologetic NHS workers. when i saw the doctor he apologised about what i had ( frozen ) . then the radiographer at hospital apologised on the results and the private scan clinic said sorry. i kind of laughed at it.
it would
be worth it to google the hydro injection when you confront the GP. my one did not have a scooby about the procedure and googled it there and then. . i went to see him on the procedure date for extra pain relief just in case. i never used them it was so good.
please go prepared as we are all in titled to this. like you i am impatient hence why i keep on paying for the short cut ( private ). mine is a work place injury and the company have admitted liability. so far i have spent nigh on £3500 on treatment to allow me to carry on working.
another question have you started to have like a very clicky neck.
my doctor had put me on up to 4000mg paracetamol with codiene at 25mg per tab. and allowed ibroprofen as stated on the packed. i asked he assured me no detrimental affects to the body !!!. had me
swinging from the lamps.
i have stopped using pain killers as it masks the damage that i may be doing at work. only at night to sleep 1000 mg.
and today i have really pee'd off the right joint loading all the shingle and laying it. really really very sore. been quiet . me neck, shoulders , forearm, shoulder blades have a deep ache
even now i dont learn. but that cuff i got. for 3hrs last night it was heaven.
colin
(see pic)
Cobrose colin1964
Posted
hi Colin
only just got your message my phone put it in junk folder! apologies! I have certainlu had pain and stiffness in my neck lately and yes my osteopath does do deep tissue massage its rather like a torture while she does it but the ultrasound is nice! Sorry to hear you have overdone it. The osteopath told me on Friday that the pains i am getting in my good shoulder coyld be it starting there too! Sorry about typing i can only seem to access on my phone no idea why i cant get onto computer it wont let me in!!
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
ho Rosemarie
please look after the good one. give it some TLC.
i have depended on PT to keep me free since the hydro jab. i was the past person she saw back in march. since then all the deep tissue work has gone to pot. some people dont get on with PT. for me being put on the rack each week and tortured helps so much ( if some one walked past the door and herd us ) well well well. all yo you can here is " breath will you" as i am squeeking in pain.
trying to get as much hard scapeing done to the garden. hoping the hospitals are going to open soon for elected operations.
But i can feel the old frozen poking its head above the parapet again on the left side.
That cuff is a godsend. it means i can cut out the pain killers of an evening. and just do the night ones. to day doing decking. me backs on fire.
Its not the frozen that hurts its the secondary muscles that spams up from the neck arms back shoulder blades. makes me feel mortal.very mortal
glad your oesteopath is still working. mine is 18 days away at the moment.
keep safe and keep us up dated it all helps in the forum
and look after that good side
colin
Shalbourne Cobrose
Posted
Its just as Colin says. Hydrodilatation is the way forward. Steroid injections are more temporary. My pain was at night and sleeping was a problem so I slept in a rocking chair. Ice and heat helped. Physio is only good if you dont have excruciating pain. When the GPs start opening up more get a referral to a shoulder specialist to get the above treatment. Co codamol helped also as the Naproxen made me nauseous. . Best of luck
colin1964 Shalbourne
Posted
exactly sleep whats that. lay there in the morning shattered and aching.
c
Cobrose Shalbourne
Posted
hi
thank you for your response. I had not heard of hydrodilitation but will ask my gp for a referal. I didnt find co-codamol made any difference at all so am now using heat and ice and like Colin getting used to not having much sleep. I find it impossible to stay asleep even when i get off to sleep and often get cramps in my arm. Did you both continue with the painful exercises? I cant decide whether to persevere hoping the pain will improve or not! the only other thing i use is Hemp oil and massage that in at night which occasionally helps me get to sleep!
Cobrose colin1964
Posted
you have my sympathy - i had no idea how painful it could be!
Shalbourne Cobrose
Posted
the pain was almost unbearable. Your gp will routinely want you to have x3 steroid injection attempts first. They do not like you to have hydrodilatation possibly because of the cost and they say that steroid alone may help. All of the advice i was given was get the hydrodilatation and then once to pain and freezing are reducing then exercise.
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
like me you can keep a log of which bird has the first morning call now its at about 3.45 am lol
mr black bird has it at the moment.
and as we have both said dont stop the stretches. do it all the time. do it as you standing in a queue. at the moment we are all good with that. use any dead time to pull stretch .
is your job physical or desk. me 50% of my work is above my head. such a killer..
have the cryocast ready and ice in the freezer. had a harsh day going to plug it in and see. they promise 8 hours of ice water over the shoulder in one loading.
me i will try anything to stop the ache ( now from the torn tendon)
c
Cobrose colin1964
Posted
hi
its not easy is it? sounds like you have things a lot worse what with having the right shoulder problem and a job that makes it worse! I took early retirement a few years ago. Thank goodness I reckon. The osteopath has helped with some of the pain and tapes my shoulder too..it helps sometimes until i try to take it off and pull the skin off too! i do the pendulum stretch with a full bottle of drink as often as i can but will take up what you suggest thank you. Its quite a lonely thing to suffer with and because you cant see anything no one has a clue what pain you are in. I dont feel so alone now so thank you! Hope you get some sleep before the blackbirds start!
Cobrose Shalbourne
Posted
hi my gp wont do injection as it affects resistence to the covid virus so not offering much help...
colin1964 Cobrose
Posted
hi again
you said he tapes you after treatment. is it sport injury tape ( rock tape or kt tape). it should not be that aggressive on your skin. with me i had to shave half me top chest and arm to aid the stick. i used rock tape h20. extra sticky. for me it just hugged me arm in the right places needed.
last bit mr blackbird was 3.32am lol. got 5 tonnes of shingle to get down me garden and a tonne of decking. if you here some groans in the air. you know where they come from lol
c
Cobrose colin1964
Posted
hi
oh dear poor you good luck with that! I struggled just getting washing on the line! My osteopath is a young girl and she uses kinesiology tape but i have very sensitive skin i think! Hope you survive the heavy work. Take care.