FROZEN SHOULDER SHOULD I BE OFF WORK

I agree!! Frozen shoulder is a ridiculous term for something that causes so much pain, fever and general discomfort for so many months before it finally freezes and becomes almost liveable (in comparison)

I posted my story a couple hours ago and cant find it! Does anyone have my story as a reply? I am new to this thread today so I must have done it wrong. If you could copy and paste it for me I would appreciate it because I don't want to write it again. I know you all understand why! Too much typing irriates it too!!!!! ):

only what I read on page 7!

Quote "We need to call it DESP!!! Debilitating, excruciating, shoulder pain!!! There is no other term that would work!!! Some people get it in lesser degrees and that easier stage can be called frozen shoulder!!!"

Hi, my name is Judith, someboy was wondering if hip adhesive capsulitis exist,? I had a fall Aug 2012, turn in to a frozen hip. After a couple of X rays, CT scans, bone scans an MRI in May of this year (they couldn't inject the contrast because of the freezing around my hip (scar tissue)). I decided to have another MRI last month October 2013, this time seems like the scar tissue is softening since they were able to inject the contrast in my joint to perform the MRI arthrogram.

I'm suffering a terrible pain, not exterior rotation, can't lift my leg to my chest, etc.. terrible pain all day long but specially at night. You suffer a lot of pain with frozen shoulde I'm in agony when I try to put my leg in the floor to walk, is hard for people to understand the reality of your pain. I had problems at my work already because of it. I do supplement demos at some Health food stores. My self esteem is underground. My all family suffer since we can't do all the things we just to do before. Love hiking, terrible for me not able to see my favourite landscapes.

I did accupuncture, chiropractor, homeopathic treatment and physiotherapy (didn't help at all, just give me more pain then I already had.)

I heard about neural therapy, wondering if anyone heard about it?, because basically suppose to help to remove the scar tissue and pain around the joints.

I'm talking naproxen in ocasional basis, curcumin and serrapaptase in a daily basis and serrapaptase seems to help in the middle of the night, nothing takes my pain away completely, but I take anything around me to diminish this pain.

Sorry for my writting since english is not my first language.

All the best for all of you that are sufering this terrible condition of Frozen Shoulde I just wanted to clarify that Frozen Hip it does exist, unfortunately is not very comun and like everyone here mention, doctors sometimes are not aware of this problem and they misdiagnose it with ostheoarthritis or something else. If somebody is suffering from frozen hip I would love to heard about it.

Thanks a lot and all the best to all.

Frozen Hip does exist. It is very painful and not diagnosed at least not here in the states. I have read about it and am convinced that I had it back in 2009. My left hip just stopped working. I was absolutely unable to move it. Like you, I have no external rotation, nothing showed up amiss on the x-rays or MRI's, the physical therapy and drug therapy did no good either. After about 7 different doctors looked at all the scans, there was one that said that I had a labral tear and do arthroscopic surgery. Unfortunately, it did not help at all. I ended up going into to get a cortisone injection (with X-ray guidance) into my hip socket in October of 2010. I still have restricted external rotation and some pain sometimes but it is a million times better from just that one injection. Now I have had 3 injections for my diagnosed frozen shoulder (only 1 with x-ray guidance into the shoulder socket) and none of them have helped. I will be talking to my surgeon on the 8th about the Arthroscopic capsular release. After dealing with this for a year and a half with no improvement from anything, surgery is my last best option I think.

Good Luck to you Debbie, I wish you all the best in dealing with this very painful and debilitating condition.

Dolphingirl, Thanks a lot for your response. I wish you all the best with your frozen shoulder, hope you find good relief somehow. Now I'm totally afraid to get the other hip or any of the shoulders, seems like most people get both of them at some point.

All the very best to you.

It's such a relief to find this thread and hear that I'm not alone in the struggle with this condition. I wonder if anyone can give me advice? My recently diagnosed frozen shoulder stems from a B12 injection I received 9 months ago. At the time my arm bruised badly and almost right away, each time I moved my arm behind me and above, the pain was excruciating. Like someone is stabbing me in the arm. The nurse didn't know what had happened and perhaps thought the needle didn't go in deep enough. After a month of the pain getting worse and movements becoming more restrictive I spoke to the doctor. She said that she hadn't heard of an injury being caused by an injection and felt, since it wasn't that restrictive to wait and see. Meanwhile I had to give up running and swimming, started to put on weight and generally felt quite low about the whole thing. After 4 months, the doctor referred me to the NHS physio. 2 months of waiting and I saw a very sympathetic physiotherapist who diagnosed a partial frozen shoulder. After 4 sessions, with him attempting to loosen it and doing exercises, the shoulder is now excruciating. The pain moves between my shoulder, the side of my arm, under the arm and sometimes right down to my fingers. It's now 9 months since the initial jag and I just don't know what to do. No one seems to know why this has happened and I'm getting conflicting advice on whether to move it or not, and it doesn't seem to be following the usual 3 stages. Should I push for an MRI? Should I keep trying to move the arm or rest it? The pain is so bad I am alternating between naproxen and paracetamol just to get some sleep (which I have to do sitting up). I'm self employed and can't do my teaching, drive or carry any equipment. I've put on a stone in weight as even walking seems to make the pain worse. Any advice at all would really be appreciated! Thank you!

Stardrum,

I can't really give you any advice as to what you should do for this all I can do is say that I understand. I have been dealing with this since May of last year and like you mine doesn't seem to be following the three stages either. I haven't decided if I have stalled in stage one or two but I know that everything I do hurts, I have issues sleeping ( so I don't do much of it) and I have next to no movement in my arm. I have finally given in to the fact that I am going to have surgery. That seems to be the best way to go and give the quickest relief and results, if you can call it that. My therapist said that I had a year and a half to two years before I would start to see results from therapy, if ever, because it is that locked up. I don't have another year and a half in me to give to this shoulder so I am going with surgery.

Best of luck to you!!

Stardum,

I am on my 2nd frozen shoulder. As far as the shot, I can't say I or anyone would know if that was the cause but the way you describe it, it sure sounds that way!

If it is for sure frozen, then keeping it still is making it worse! My 1st shoulder was misdiagnosed and I kept it still and almost lost my mind from the pain and lack of sleep. The present frozen shoulder is still all of the above but I am doing light exercises, carefully to keep the surrounding muscles from atrophy and my situation is not as extreme as the 1st time.

The gel-like stuff inside the shoulder stiffens when you don't move it causing the excruciating pain. It's hard to imagine moving such a painful shoulder but you have to! Bands are the key and laying down on the floor you might be able to do triceps believe it or not!!! (because the shoulder movement is completely different when laying down - even better if you lay on a foam tube where your shoulders sort of hang lower than your back.

I am 48, usually an athlete, with a 2nd frozen shoulder in the last 2 years. My right shoulder (dominate) began freezing without my knowledge of the existence of such an awful diagnosis! I was misdiagnosed and after 8 months the pain and lack of sleep was so horrific that I had to go on Zanax and antidepressant while raising my teens who were used to my positive, energetic presence!!! I hid from them for a few days as I thought I was losing my mind. (thank God for a great husband who took over) Once I was properly diagnosed I felt some relief knowing what I had was not a torn labrum. That relief was short lived since the medical community is very unfamiliar with what really happens to a patient with such a horrible condition. My friends, family and tennis buddies just don't understand. The name frozen shoulder portrays stiffness! My God I would do anything to only experience stiffness! I wish I had found this thread 18 months ago when I thought I was so alone with this problem. People tell me they have had a frozen shoulder but until I saw this thread I thought I was the only one with the excruciating pain and the horrible nights without sleep, unless I drug myself! (which I hate doing!!!) I had one tennis player tell me she played tennis through her frozen shoulder!!! All of you writing on this thread knows that obviously she was not experiencing a true frozen shoulder. It doesn't help that she says this in front of my whole team who must believe that I am exaggerating!!! The right arm is about 75% better after 2 years and now my left arm is very very bad! Everyone wants me to fix it! Get a shot, get the barbaric surgery, PT, etc.. I tried everything but the surgery with the right shoulder. Now I know better!!! PT is important only to do as much exercise as possible to avoid adding to the problem, by weakening surrounding muscles, which is what happened with the right side.

So now I am dealing the best I can with the left shoulder and praying it doesn't last over 2 years like the right one! I am so sorry for all of you who suffer with this debilitating issue!!! I am fortunate that I have help in the house. I can't imagine cleaning my home like this and I am truly sorry for those of you who are living in mess because I know there is no way you are sweeping or dusting etc!

Do the band exercises only to the point that it doesnt hurt and most of you probably don't know of a way to keep your arms from atrophy - lay on the floor ( preferable on a foam roller) you will be able to raise your arm a little more than standing. use 1 pound wt to do triceps. Is there a way to put pics on here? If so I will put one up...

Dolphingirl and Sheila - thank you for your reply and so sorry to hear that you are suffering from this chronic condition. I'm just taking it a day at a time with some days better than others. The only common thread I have found after searching for help is that it does go eventually which is some comfort. The other thing that does help me is mindfulness training. It doesn't reduce the pain itself but has definitely helped me cope better with the stress and tension surrounding the condition. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Is it possible to have a relapse? I remember the pain and inability to sleep in any position of the early days very well and it feels like I am back there. Literally every little thing I do feels like a knife is being stabbed into my shoulder and sleeping at night has been out of the question for the last two days. Anyone else gone through this after a year and a half?

I totally think is posible to have a relapse since I'm going through a realpse right now with my hip. I was doing much better through summer, now I'm totally frozen again unable to move and put any weight in my hip. Today is wet and cold, maybe thats the cause. I don't know how I could go on with this pain through the winter.

My specialist call me yesterday to give me the results of the second MRI, just to confirm myself what I was thinking all along (adhesive capsulitis of the hip). Doctors never able to give me a diagnosis since is really rare in the hip. He told me he can't help since he can see anything wrong with me in all the tests done so far. I just mention to him what I thought was my problem, he kind of got surprise when I told him what the reasons are to belive is frozen hip. He was really honest and told me he never heard about frozen hip and he is an Orthopedic surgeon. I also mention to him that I'm not the only one suffering from this condition and that probable all these people are being misdiagnosed. Now he is totally interested in talking to me, that he even ask me if I could go to his clinic to talk about it.

He already sent me for a cortizone shot about two months ago and actually help me a lot for about a month. I had the best sleep ever, no pain at all but still was frozen.

Now in pain again but not as bad so he is sending me for another corizone shot. I think he clearly understand my pain.

I can't imagine how many people probably are beeing offered a hip replacement since is nothing wrong with their hip, just this terrible pain. We have to let the docotors know (even when is documented) that this condition exist. Another GP docotor actualy told me that frozen hip doesn't even exist. I was so disapointed with his answer. Doctors do not know everything. We have to be responsible for our own health and do our own due diligence.

Hi my name is Dawn an I am so happy to have found this forum/thread. Just knowing that I'm not making a montain out of a molehill is a huge relef! Please excuse my typing ... One handed ... You know!

I'v been suffering with FS for over 4 months, sleep has been virtually non existant I'm in so much pain. My chiropracto I swear is making it worse. I'm takng so many painkillers I feel sick all the time and I bruise really easy, worriedabout bleeding now!

Saw my consultant this week who has advised I should go for the MAU which scares the hell out of me but I figure it'll heal quicker than just leaving it? Reading back, i certainly seems it's worked for a lot of people.

Operation date fixed for 27 th of his month.

Please tell m I'm doing the right hing.