Frozen Shoulder Second Time Around
Posted , 39 users are following.
Hello everyone. I am so thankful to have found this forum. I am suffering from frozen shoulder for the second time. The first time it occurred in my left shoulder, which is my non-dominant side. Now two years later, I have it in the right shoulder which is my dominant side. My orthopedic doctor has said that it is very rare to experience frozen shoulder two times. When I went to him with the right shoulder, he did not think it could be frozen shoulder again. I am now one week away from my follow-up visit with him, and I have no doubt that it is indeed frozen shoulder again. I am so frustrated with This painful disorder and I would love to hear from any of you who have had to deal with this more than once. It is so helpful to have the thoughts and opinions from others who have been through the same painful condition.
My first occurrence started just before I turn 50. Now the second occurrence happens just after I turned 52. I'm wondering if most of you are male or female and at what age did you start experiencing these problems. I have had no previous injuries nor am I a diabetic . I cannot understand why this condition is recovering again when I have no predisposition towards it that I am aware of.
0 likes, 64 replies
fasterrunner Th0mkat
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Constantine585 fasterrunner
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Wow, my first post here....
fasterrunner: Wow, it's so interesting you have a twin dealing with this as well. It just further proves that this is a genetic disorder of some kind. My uncle had a frozen shoulder, but only one. I'm dealing with two right now.
My left first began to freeze in January 2017 and is still in the frozen stage as this writing (March 2018). My right began to freeze in December of 2017, and I still have most ROM in it, so it's only just beginning really.
I know I've read that if you get frozen shoulder in a particular shoulder, it's unlikely you'll get it in that same shoulder ever again, but considering how much wrong information there is out there on this problem, it would not surprise me in the slightest if that was wrong too.
I just did a six day round of prednisone to try to reduce the impact of this new, right frozen shoulder. Whether that will help, I don't know (I doubt anyone does). But I've decided to tackle this problem with anti-inflammatories. I will turn to aleve off and on throughout the duration of the freezing stage. I also take Vitamin D supplements daily. For me, any and all forms of physical therapy makes the situation far worse, so I will be doing absolutely none of that this time around. I will let it run its course.
My left (and first) frozen shoulder I did intense rehab, hot tub therapy, AND i got it injected with PRP. If I could go back and do it again, I would do NONE of that. I would just let it run its course while ingesting a healthy amount of anti-inflammatory pills while eating a healthy diet... because I really hope the PRP did not do permanent damage. It might have.
Anyway, I guess my response is a long winded way of saying that anti-flammatories MIGHT help, and if taken at the proper doses and stages MIGHT not hurt you for trying. Since this a disease marked by inflammation of some kind, I tend to try to fight it with anything that might reduce inflammation -- at healthy dosages of course.
But unfortunately, there are no absolutes here. People simply aren't studying this enough. But I learned the hard way that my body doesn't respond at all well to physically fighting this thing.
sarah72785 Constantine585
Posted
my goodness, almost every one of us has had it in both shoulders. Perhaps we just frequent the forums the most because we are the most frustrated! I'm currently dealing with my second one and it is very painful this week...
CynCash Constantine585
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Hi Constantine, so sorry for what you (and all of us!) are going through!
I am on my second frozen shoulder, the left is 11 months in and the right about 6 weeks.
I read a great blog about doing nothing and it will resolve on its own.
I also have found that for me Physical Therapy only aggravates it. My 11 month old FS has gone past the pain stage after about 3 months, now is only painful if I really overuse it (which I have done a bit since now the right is frozen) so I am mindful to rest it and to ask my partner for help with pretty much everything. I still have quite limited ROM but better than the beginning and steadily improving, the pain going away is the most important thing to me!
My PT in Florida (for another issue) said that it will go away on its own, her estimate was 18 months, so I was prepared for the long haul. She warned against any type of aggressive approach as that could cause further damage. I agree with her.
I have been doing some non-invasive electro therapy with an ICES PEMF device at home, using DMSO to help control pain, heat and/or cold as necessary and tons of epsom salts baths. I use some essential oils diluted with a carrier oil at night, wintergreen and peppermint, which gives relief. I am also going to try lavender.
I have found a great natural pain reliever called Akuamma that I purchase in capsules and it is the best pain reliever I have found! I occasionally take a tylenol or two. I declined any prescription pain meds whatsoever as they scare me.
I had to learn to transition from a side fetal position sleeper to a back sleeper. That was the worst, literally weeks with no sleep but I have turned that corner and, along with pillows under my arms and knees, I am now having the best sleep of my life! I take 3 Akuamma capsules a little before retiring for the night and almost always sleep like a baby.
I have decided to do nothing, that seems to work the best for me. I don't do any exercises at all, I just use my arms as naturally as I can to the point of pain. I am very pleased that 11 months in to my first FS I have very little pain and improved mobility.
I support you in doing nothing and allowing nature to takes its course. I know it's hard, I'm often tempted to try protocols to hurry it up along, but have read too many stories of that only adding to the stress and pain. I wish you the very very best and hope you and all of us are feeling better soon!
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linda48507 Th0mkat
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CynCash linda48507
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Hi Linda, hope you are feeling better! I have two frozen shoulders and am doing nothing. The left, 11 months in, is past the freezing stage, still very limited ROM but much less pain. The right, 6 weeks in, is in the very painful freezing stage. I am taking a great natural herbal pain reliever called Akuamma in capsules, it helps more than anything else I've tried. My PT in Florida said leave it alone and it will heal on its own. I tried exercises at first and they just made it hurt more. Hope this helps and that we all get better soon!
heather50111 Th0mkat
Posted
I too have it now in my other shoulder. The first one started with a shoulder tear in Jan 2017. It started to freeze about a month ago and other than external rotation is almost back to normal.
Unfortunately I fell and broke my wrist about 8 weeks ago and with my arm in a sling that the other shoulder is now in a very painful freezing stage. So technically I have them at the same time but thankfully the first is thawing.
This second one seems worse (possibly because my wrist is also healing from the fracture) but I have a lot of pain in my spine. It's this pain that keeps me up at night. It's lower lumbar pain so hard to believe it's connected but also hard to think it isn't too.
Anyone else have spinal pain?
alisa01461 Th0mkat
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theresa77935 Th0mkat
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I also have reoccurring FS. I am a 54 year old female. I had it in my right shoulder about a year ago and it lasted a year. Now I have it in my left shoulder and it is more painful than I remember my right one being. The frozen shoulder symptoms in my left shoulder started about 4 to 5 months ago. I just went to an orthopedic yesterday and he has prescribed an anti-inflammatory and I need to set up a couple visits with a physical therapist. The anti-inflammatory is not doing anything yet, but I have only taken one dose and I'm very hopeful it starts helping. The hardest part is trying to sleep at night because I can't seem to get comfortable. I also have thyroid disease which started when I was 12 years old, with hyperthyroidism and a goiter but has since changed to hypothyroidism years ago. I have just started reading as much as I can on this subject but I am not hearing much on how to avoid it, or how to lessen the pain. I am realizing that everyone experiences this same horrible pain and I'm hoping to hear more ideas from others on how to deal with this pain other than a heating pad and Icy Hot. Thank you!
Jo_in_Maryland Th0mkat
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Hello everyone,
So here's an update to my post from a year ago -- I do have thyroid issues.
I recently changed GP's and she re-ran my blood work and reviewed my past several years' blood work. Seems that I have been suffering from untreated Hypothyroidism for many years. I was tested for thyroid issues several times since my first FS and the levels were normal but on the high side of normal. It took someone new reviewing my records to see the pattern of the TSH increasing each year and request the more detailed thyroid test.
I don't know if finding out about the thyroid issues would have prevented my second FS, but I wish my old GP had taken the time to really review my blood work and take into account the FS's as a clue that something was not right with my health. Doctor's know that the condition will resolve itself in about a year, so it's considered a minor health issue. The way a FS can change your life and create a year of suffering is just unbearable.
On the bright side, I have been on the Thyroid meds for about 6 weeks and overall I feel better than I have in a long time. I hadn't realized how low my overall energy level was or why I couldn't drop the extra 10 pounds I had put on.
Best wishes to everyone who is still fighting with a frozen shoulder!
Jo
theresa77935 Jo_in_Maryland
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derek26136 Th0mkat
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I am a 52 man and was just diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder in my right (after several months of shoulder pain. The pain is getting worse, but I have started physical therapy and I am trying to do the recommended exercises in between. I am shocked by how much pain I have when I try to move my shoulder. Parts of the physical therapy are almost unbearable. I'm learning how to compensate when I dress and bathe myself. I can't believe how quickly this came on and how intense it is. I am hopeful that it will actually go away some day.
theresa77935 derek26136
Posted
Derek,
I hope your PT is helping with your FS and the pain. I am doing stretching but not PT. I I am taking Mobic for the inflammation and pain and didn't think it was doing much of anything, but when I tried to not take it for a day the pain was so much more unbearable than when I take it. I am only supposed to take one every 24 hours and it does not last 24 hours nor does it take the pain away but helps. My whole arm hurts down into my forearm, and I wish someone had suggestions that would help. I am also using Icy Hot everyday. Hang in there! Wishing you and everyone a speedy recovery!
theresa77935
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Hope your shoulder is doing better! I wanted to tell you that I started out on the Mobic as well and did the same thing as you. Tried to go off of it and realize that it helped but not enough. It didn't last 24 hours. Not even 8 hours. So the doctor called in some pain medication that I didn't like how it made me feel so I stopped. My regular doctor prescribed Naproxen 500mg, once in the morning and once at night . There was a little mix up in my prescription so until I could call the doctor on Monday, the pharmacist suggested I get Aleve and take two in the morning and 2 at night, which is the same as the Naproxen. That has worked better than anything else I have taken! It has made a major difference and I have cut back to 1 in the morning and at night. I feel almost healed. I still can't reach behind my back real well but this has helped more than anything else I was prescribed. So I wanted to pass that along.
jules815 Th0mkat
Posted
Hi Th0mkat,
I was 55 when I experienced my first FS episode in 2016. I'm post menopausal female. I believe my initial injury happened while walking a dog using a retractable leash. Large, strong dog I was walking (I'm a pet sitter) saw something and pulled fast and hard, and it caused sharp pain to my shoulder. A few months later I had my first horrible pain episode, then noticed my range of motion was gone.
Took almost a year to regain my range of motion and do things like put my hand comfortably on my hip. I couldn't do that at all. The intense bouts of pain, thank God, only lasted maybe 2-3 weeks. I still can't comfortably sleep on my left side.
Starting to feel some sharp twinges again in my upper arm, same side, along with the tenderness that never went away. I didn't re-injure, but it feels like it's slowly starting to happen again.