FROZEN SHOULDER SHOULD I BE OFF WORK

Hello Smita. Sorry you're dealing with what sounds very like frozen shoulder. As I'm 4 months into my second bout of FS in just over 2 years, I consider myself something of an expert . I've tried most of the standard treatments, and a few of the newer ones too. I know we're all different, but this is what's made the condition manageable for me.

150 Lyrica and 25 Amytriptalene taken at NIGHT (otherwise they make you too drowsy) has done an amazing job of controlling the spasms, which for me are the worst part. That fear of moving in case you trigger one is really debillitating. Then codeine or dihydracodeine with paracetamol to control the throbbing/aching. I also used lidocane plasters across the shoulder capsule for a while but eventually they began to irritate my skin and I had to stop. Don't be afraid to go back to your GP and ask for stronger painkillers if you need them. They will start you off with something mild, but go back if it doesn't give enough relief. Some people like Tramadol - personally I find it makes me feel too peculiar (my doctor told me it was related to ecstasy - this may or may not be a plus for you ).

I've had a nerve block into the suprascapular nerve - it worked for a short while, but wore off. I didn't feel I needed another as the Lyrica and Amytriptalene do a good job.

Steroid shots did not work for me. Actually made things worse for a week or so as I had a vicious steroid flare reaction.

I also see a very aggressive physio twice a week. I'm not going to lie - the visits can be very painful, but he gets amazing results and has really increased my range of movement. Getting the right physio is important. The last one I had was lovely, but too gentle and she didn't achieve much.

Last time I also got good pain reduction from acupuncture. But, again, go to a physio who does it.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to ask me anything.

Sorry to hear that you are suffering from this painful condition - having had it twice, once in each arm I can commiserate. I didn't do much about my left shoulder except go to the GP a couple of times but when it

happened in my right it was so debilitating that I pursued treatment vigorously! I tried acupuncture which didn't work - had physio and a Cortisone injection by a specialist sports therapist on the NHS. The Cortisone was amazing - within two days I was out of pain and my mobility came back much faster than the first frozen shoulder I had. The best thing was that it took away the pain. I would also recommend physio but only after a Cortisone as it is just too inflamed and painful before.

My Doctor got me an appointment with the Cortisone specialist very quickly when he realised just how much pain I was in but you really have to be persistent to make sure they take you seriously as GP's don't tend to understand this condition much. I would say get a cortisone injection as soon as possible - it will save you a lot of agony It was also painless.

Hope this is helpful.

Hi Lesley,

That was the response I got to my first FS. "Wait it out, no treatment will make it heal faster, no point in physio, blah, blah". It was 18 months of hell. So when the second shoulder went 6 months after the first one had finally resolved, I was devastated. I have a disabled child and I just knew I couldn't go through that again. I pushed and got referred to a pain management specialist. The reply I've given above to someone else contains all the stuff he did that worked.

Quite honestly, the Lyrica/Amytriptalene combo was the biggest help. Even if your doc won't refer you on, see if they will look at these drugs.

Thanks for the advice.The worst thing is, I know it is starting up in the other shoulder - that tell tale recognisable pain when I reach behind me and pain when lying on it.Not looking forward to being unable to move BOTH my arms more than a couple of degrees both ways.....ooh, that will be fun trying to cope with personal hygiene and toilet visits!! I can't remember the last time I was even able to apply deoderant properly - cant raise one arm, and can't reach over to the other armpit. But I don't have to tell you guys, you know all about it. I persevere with the neck physio...isn't doing anything really, as my neck is not the problem!!I'm pretty sure they are wrong, and what caused my FS is simply menopause and lack of estrogen. But hey ho. One day at a time with this thing.

Good luck all for a good recovery.

i am so pleased i have found this thread i have been diagnoised with frozen shoulder and have been sacked from work due to this ( i was still in my probation period).

It all started in november 2012 with just a little pain in my arm going down my elbow and into my wrist, i ignored it for a while until january when i realsied my movement was getting more and more restricted, as others have said on herei cant tie my hair up, washing my hair, shaving etc is almost impossible , just a small amount of housework or cooking leaves me in so much pain, in february the doctor gave me the steroid injection which didnt help at all he signed me off work on the 11th february and i lost my job on the 20th.

i am now on co-codamol and diazepam, i cant take anti-inflammatries any more as they have affected my stomach and i now have to have a scan for that too to see what damage the tablets have caused, i saw a traige doctor last week who told me he would get me in for a Hydrodilatation treatment, i am now off work and on employment support allowance !!

i feel isolated and unsupported i get the painkillers and sick notes form the doctors and my benefits, i spend several days a week after my children have gone to school just crying im feeling so low, i called the radioligy to find out about my appointment and was told i am on a 12 week waiting list !!!!

i totally understand the person who says they are so low they cant take any more, i feel the same ,

my day seems to be get up , get kids of to school try to remember to ask one of them to tie my hair up so i can shower , do a little housework , sit with heatpads , do some gentle exercise, etc i cant drive as its too painful and because of the diazepam , just dont know what to do next , but reading all the threads has helped me know im not alone just wish we were all closer , i think some type of support group would be so helpful .

Gina, I absolutely know where you are coming from. There is not a lot I can say except keep looking forward and don't dispair. Each day gets you closer to recovery. It is a self limiting condition and it will get better soon.

My FS started just like you describe. Pains in the elbow and arm - after two months it was at its worst, I had no movement at all in my left arm or shoulder and it was absolute agony. No one understood the pain or the lack of mobility - night times were hell, I could not move in bed. I was frightened, and got so depressed. But it 'goes out like it came in'... one day around Christmas I literally woke up and noticed I did not need pain killers...then noticed I had more movement in my arm. Now I can almost get my arm into the same position as the other in all directions, but still cannot get it fully behind my back. I can sleep on both sides. Those shooting spasms have stopped. It is still a little stiff and sore in the mornings but NOTHING like it was.

Please hold on. It is not forever.

thankyou lesley for your reply ever night i go to sleep and hope that i will wake and the pain has gone, sometimes i do wake and its not so bad i even try somedays not taking painkillers but i get to10am and have to give in when the pain has started getting unbearable.

can i just ask does anyone else get the pain in the hand and pins and needles in the fingers too , nothing i have read has mentioned this , i know you can get refered pain so maybe thats all it is.

had a better day today no tears

Hi Lesley

So glad to read that your FS is easing off....at last. I know what its like when its at its worst and it is difficult to foresee that the easing might just happen naturally.... it seems impossible to believe. However, this is the course it takes in most cases. The key words with FS have to be forbearance and patience, but its not easy convincing that these work despite the recommendations of many professionals. In fact, you might be inclined to agree now that the treatments they do advise might be counterproductive, in that they might extend the worst symptoms for longer than might be needed ! I still think the best and quickest way to resolve FS is to leave it alone, don't test its limits, and hope that it eases by itself asap.

Besides all that, again glad to hear yours is improving.#

Gerry

Hi Gina

Re pain and pins and needles in hand. These might be caused by the threat of or an actual trapped nerve in cervical spine (neck). You should mention these symptoms to your GP and if possible, ask for an MRI of neck area to highlight any possible problem. THe frozen shoulder should resolve itself gradually, in its own time, but any lingering hand problems might need further checking.

Gerry

Thanks Gerry I have always agreed that the best thing to do for FS is ...nothing but play the waiting game..as you say patience is everything with this condition, which in my case was triggered by perimenopausal hormonal changes. I did try Bowen Therapy (which works on the fascia, and trigger points) and it did help ease the referred pain in my neck and muscles of the upper back.

Gina, I often wake with completely numb arms and hands and pins and needles, but this goes as soon as Ishake them out. never get it during the day or out of the blue - just in bed. Deep sleep and lying in the same position for ages I guess.

Thanks Gerry

i have spoken to the doctors they dont seem to be concerned with it ive asked for mri but told i dont need one they know its just frozen shoulder. i had bowen treatment the lady said it was a very severe case and was dissapointed it didnt help me at all.

Lesley.... this is pain in the hand during the day i often have to sit with a heat pad on my hand and wrist to ease it, as well as having a heatpad on my shoulder ,deep sleep lesley whats that ? even with 2 piazepam i dont get into a deep sleep often i have to get up to get heat pads have to sleep with three pillows as cant lay down as too painfull but read a few people mention that .

Hi Gina

Might be best to wait and see if hand issues resolve when FS eases off eventually. If not, that would be the time to insist on neck MRI, Also, I'd suggest that you try sleeping ( or napping ) on a sofa with neck propped up a bit. This can sometimes help alleviate the pain and give a better sleep. Might take a couple of nights to readjust for any benefits to kick in...but worth a try. When I had FS ( 3 times with no treatments, just painkillers, nurofen ), it just got more painful when I lay down horizontal in bed. The worst symptoms should 'only' last first 2 or 3 months, and then the whole thing should ease down gradually by itself. I'd be wary of trying to force any exercises on it that might stress it further. I haven't had FS for 8/9 years due to avoiding the actions which seem to cause it in the first place i.e. reaching behind or over stretching the arm overhead, so be careful with these movements and that will allow the FS to ease off quicker.

Its always worst in the early stages, and its all too easy to get panicky....we all do, but rest assured it will ease off eventually.

Gerry

hi Gerry

thankyou for your message i will try the sofa sleeping thankyou, the pain has been bad now for almost 3 months so im hoping your right and it should start easing soon, just feel like a bit of a spare part at the moment if that makes sense,, everything i do hurts but im not one for doing nothing im used to being a very busy person, i dont do any exercise on it just do steppin with wii fit or go for a brisk walk, '( without swinging arm ) , i cant reachj behind at all at mo or move my arm up so no fear of doing any of that at the moment

it does concern me a bit you saying you have had it 3 times as i have already felt slight symptoms in my left arm as well now, just a little aching in the arm and wrist hurts so im hoping its just because im using it more, i am left handed though

thankyou for your advice its much appreciated i dont feel so isolated now

Gina

Hi Gina....just wanted to add we all have our own experience of FS and where we feel other pain.. I felt it in my shoulder (obviously) but also had terrible pain in my elbow - like you with your hand, I remember sitting with the heat pad on my elbow for for the first few months and wondering why, if I had FS, I would be feeling pain in my elbow. It is easy to go off on a tangent and think the worst...I thought I had something sinister going on because I just could not believe that a 'simple' frozen shoulder could cause SO much extreme pain 24 hours a day.

Sounds like your FS is affecting your wrist and hand..I also think because we have so much limited movement in our arm and and shoulder with FS we compensate by over taxing other muscles - I had terrible prpolems with my neck and shoulder muscles on the other side as I was was getting into such strange positions with my arms, all hunched over and awkward trying to dry my hair etc!

I was taking sleeping pills for a while because the lack of sleep was just making me ill while the pain was at its worst...I did go into deep sleep, and would wake with pins and needles and numb hands. I remember putting all the pillows round just to try and get comfortable on my back - not a natural sleeping position for me. However, I still wake with numbness in my hands.

I also get occasional sharp stabbing pains and dull pains over my chest and behind my collarbone on the same side as the FS which I think is the pectoralis minor muscle .. who knows with this condition where it chooses to raise its ugly head but when I think back to how much pain I was in - I promise you it does ease off as Gerry says...I hardly think about it nowadays.

I actually had the same pains in both shoulders as I mentioned earlier in this thread ...but thankfully the right one never progressed to the same pain and stiffness as the left.

Hope you start to feel better soon. Thinking of you!

...just one last thing, not sure what age you are (you mentioned younger kids?) but if you are in anyway perimenopausal, lack of estrogen definitely causes major aches and pains with your tendons joints and muscles. I had it bad in my other shoulder for a while but as I said never progressed into full frozen shoulder like the left one did.