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Frozen shoulder pain

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acrdpt
acrdpt

I had a fall a year ago and ended up with a frozen shoulder. Can anyone tell me how long the pain stays for. It is still severe with limited movement and keeps me awake most nights. I woukd also lime some ideas in relieving the pain. 

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • kerri77889
    kerri77889 acrdpt

    Posted

    Hello and welcome to this forum 😊

    First of all have you had it properly diagnosed, as in an ultra sound or MRI.If you have had a fall it could be a tear in the rotator cuff which can only be fixed with surgery. You need it properly diagnosed because the symptoms of no motion and agonising pain if you move it suddenly and sleepless nights because it just aches and aches can fit several problems. I had all those symptoms and had a full thickness tear in the rotator cuff which could only be fixed by surgery, yet I know others that have the same symptoms and have straight out Frozen Shoulder with no tear. If it is straight out frozen shoulder I believe it lasts up to 2 years and has 3 distinct stages.

    The trick with pain relief is to take it regularly, either 3 times a day or 4 hourly whatever is prescribed, you must not allow the pain to set in you must stay on top of it with the medication. If you are in UK good luck with getting something that does the trick. I constantly read on this forum people in agony that have trouble getting adequate pain medication. There are SO many good pain meds out there these days, just demand something from your doctor that will keep the pain at bay especially at night.

    Im in Australia and my doctor was happy to try different meds and strengths until we found the right one.

    Good luck I hope you get a solution and some pain relief soon 😊

    • acrdpt
      acrdpt kerri77889

      Posted

      Hi, I'm also an Aussie, my doctor is great with pain meds, but I still do not sleep well, each time I move, I'm awake. Yes I have been diagnoised by specialist and due to go back in 2 weeks. He said it may last 3 years - I really hope not. At the moment I am not working due to pain and lack of movement. I hope the pain lessenes with time.
    • kerri77889
      kerri77889 acrdpt

      Posted

      I thought I had sent this but somehow I lost it.....grrrr

      So glad your Australian, so you will not get the proverbial run around like our dear friends do in the UK.

      OK I was on Targin for the pain and I found the 20 mg fantastic. I only took one per day half hour before bed they are gentle on the stomach and don't cause constipation.i think you may have to start on a lower dose and build it up but your doctor would advise you, I started on 5mg then went to 10mg before finding the 20mg did the job. I could put up with the pain during the day and took panadol osteo if I needed it or next step was Mydol across the counter codeine with paracetamol......if I needed day time relief I just took them and that kept it at bay. Like I said before the trick is to KEEP pain at bay, not wait till it's there and then try and get rid of it. This is an insidious ailment with pain and discomfort being its major symptom.

      someone has done an MRI or ultra sound to discount any tears havnt they. Because the symptoms are the same for F/S and a torn rotator cuff I believe. I had the torn rotator cuff, but from people I have spoken to on this forum the symptoms are virtually identical. What State are you in? I'm in NSW Wolongong. Sending you gentle hugs, hope you get some relief luvvy, but I did find the Targin excellent 😘❌❌❌❌

    • acrdpt
      acrdpt kerri77889

      Posted

      Hi Kerri, I'm in WA smile. I currently take panadeine forte morning and night and panadol osteo during the day, but it doesn't cover it. But I also have oxycontin 15mg  for night when I need it.  Yep had MRI and cat scans. There is a small torn area in rotator cuff, but cannit operate due to other illness .

      thanks for support

    • kerri77889
      kerri77889 acrdpt

      Posted

      Oh no you poor thing......so it really could be the tear causing the pain? 😩

      I had a tear in the rotator cuff, the specialist said I had to have surgery because it wouldn't repair itself. I'm now 9 weeks post op and pain free and off all pain meds.

      Dont the panadeine forte constipated you? I found they did with me.....look there are soooo many pain killers on the market, surely there is one to help you sleep. Like I said I found the 20mg Targin fantastic for drifting you into a deep and comfortable sleep. Good luck 😘❌❌

    • mymaude
      mymaude kerri77889

      Posted

      Morning Kerri (or is it afternoon with you?). How are you doing? You sound as if your still progressing. I have now been sacked by my physio - yeehaa (though l will miss him, we had a laugh in the dark days)!!! But have to keep up with strength excersises foranother 6 months. Hopefully got my final appointment with the surgeon is on the 18th June and praying I'll be sent out into the world on my own again (preferably never to return haha). Anyway acrdpt could not have had a reply from anyone more sensible and I thank you for keeping me smiling when i was low. Take care xx
    • kerri77889
      kerri77889 mymaude

      Posted

      Hello my lovely 😊.

      Its actually 8pm at night in my part of the world 😁

      Sacked by your physio.......WOO HOO, bet you were devastated......NOT!!!

      yep I havnt started my strength exercises yet.......I'm still on passive physio, which quite frankly I like.......it's a nice massage around the shoulder area, a little gentle range work then a heat pack for 15 minutes, I can handle that VERY easily. My strength work starts at week 12 post op, I'm only at week 9 post op at the moment.

      Oh my goodness, they are going to send you out into the big wide world.......Congratulations my dear friend, it must feel wonderful to finally be able to venture out pain free 💞. 

      It's  been an absolute pleasure to know you and thank YOU for being on this forum....we all help each other, it's very important I think.

      i wish you all the love, happiness and good luck you deserve. I send you a big SQUISHY hug all the way from Oz ❤️💚💛💜💙❌❌❌

       

    • mymaude
      mymaude kerri77889

      Posted

      Thankyou, I can deal with squishy hugs now :-D sending back carefull ones but you'll be ready for proper ones soon. Anyone reading this will think I'm bonkers haha. I had Bowens when my FS was bad, I'm not sure it actually did anything but it certainly was relaxing which was lovely and that in itself helped. Anyway you take care and keep up the good work. Xx
    • kerri77889
      kerri77889 mymaude

      Posted

      That's why I sent you a Squishy hug 😀, cause you are almost human again, but it was a NOT TOO TIGHT squishy hug 😀.

      They can think we are both bonkers......lol, we don't care CAUSE we are on the road to NORMALITY 😁

      What is Bowens?? Never heard of that here in Oz.....

      Now you take care my lovely, you know being sent out into the world on your own, be careful, NO BACKFLIPS or HANDSTANDS using that arm. Please keep me posted on your progress 💚💙💛💜❤️😘😘

    • mymaude
      mymaude kerri77889

      Posted

      I'm surprised you haven't heard of it as the guy who developed it was from your neck of the woods. Its the gentle rolling of the muscles which is supposed to encourage the bodies own healing system to kick in. I'm not totally convinced but I had an hour and a half of relaxation complete with joss sticks and etherial music (peace man!) and even fell asleep a few times, which was lovely, and I didn't take as many painkillers so I guess it helped a bit. Dont worry, at 54 I think my back flip days are long gone lol. Speak soon. Xx ♥
  • AntheaS
    AntheaS acrdpt

    Posted

    Hi there..so sorry to hear that you've joined our little family in the name of pain. Yes, we are like the Adams Family of frozen shoulders and in some cases a couple of hips thrown into the mix. To answer your question about how long the pain stays, you have to the question of how long is a string? I have been told by my Specialist that my punishment will be anything from a 1 year to 3 years. Mine started with sharp pains in my biceps when doing shoulder push and pull ups in the gym last year around September.Had a huge op earlier in June. I recommend and this sounds really crazy as I'm the first person to take a headache pill with just a mild headache. I'm that person that just cannot fathom the concept of pain in even it's mildest form. Tiny splinters, paper cuts really is my nightmare. But with frozen shoulder I recommend not taking painkillers except to catch up with sleep. This shoulder thing is weird. Sometimes it feels like it's getting better and I'm like "yippee" and then it's worse and so I go up and down. You need to get use to the pain. Painkillers have consequences. They either destroy your stomach and small intestines, give you constipation or those lovely opiates I love so much make you addicted. So I did the anti-inflammatories for 1 month with little effect and then tried an opiate for a week (two weeks and you risk addiction) only to find that having pain controlled and then going off the pain meds I was not prepared for the pain. Now I do this.....I have the opiates in my nightstand...when I feel like I've had 4 or 5 days of aching, sharp pains, insomnia, sleepy but to sore. I'd take an opiate for 3 days to just get some sleep. And they work. In NZ you get Nurophen Plus..codeine which matabolises in your liver into a type of morphine. You sleep better (not amazingly), but unless you jerk your arm the pain will be majorly reduced. But no more than 3 days, because you have to be use to the pain or your life will be pills pills pills and problems. Hope I helped. One arm hug xxx
    • acrdpt
      acrdpt AntheaS

      Posted

      Hello. Thanks for your thoughts. Unfortunetly I cannot take anti inflammatories (Nurofen Plus is one ) and some over the counter medications because they interfere with the Warfrin I have to take so I dont know if they would have helped me.

      I am not having good days yet but I hoping for some real soon. My other shoulder now has tendonitiis from constantly being used, my doctor said to keep using it so it to does not become frozen, I realy hope not. Maybe my specialist next month may have more ideas

  • brandysue
    brandysue acrdpt

    Posted

    I'm also on a blood thinner. I'm in constant pain with my rotorcuff and frozen shoulder. I have my first PM on June 22. I had to wait over month. Guess they are a popular place. So I know how you feel with limited pain medicines. Wish you luck getting the right pain medcine soon.
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