FROZEN SHOULDER SHOULD I BE OFF WORK

Hi PJVH,

Just wondering if you have decided to have the operation on both shoulders, and when you're having it done?

I have to say my GP surgery has surpassed themselves today. I phoned and explained how I was up at 5am after no sleep, pacing the kitchen, crying with the pain and trembling.

GP called me back, was sympathetic and has prescribed me BuTrans 10 patches, these are Buprenorphine which it turns out is a CD and continuously release the painkiller over a 7 day period. He gave me 4 patches and has done an urgent referral to the hospital consultant as he agreed there was no point in waiting for the letter when I was told what the problem was last night. Have just got home and put the patch on so I will update you later and tell you if it does any good! Dreading bedtime after last night but daughter away so at least I can have her bed and hubby can try to get a good nights sleep.

Hi angela214,

My doctor who was a 'frozen shoulder specialist' was wrong about just about everything, when it came to my treatment so possibly also about surgery.

Also this was 4 years ago when I had my first frozen shoulder and much less was known about it.

I avoid specialists now (because I don't want to go through another 3 years of total misery) now that I have my second frozen shoulder but I read a lot and watch the forum's in the hope that somebody will come up with a solution. What's helping me very much now is to keep using my arm and to keep my shoulder in motion (without hitting the pain level) and everyday I'm getting a bit further with this. But it's tiring and I would really love and instant solution!

I've also been reading about salt injections, does anybody have any experience with these?

Debbie I've had a hydro injection which had cortisone, saline and anasthetic in it. It hurt like hell. I then had to go straight to physio and have it manipulated and it didn't work. $350 later.. I guess it must work for some people though.

Angela, I had the same injections 3 times, didn't hurt but didn't help either

My update on my frozen shoulder in the hope that it helps others and maybe practitioners treating it. My second frozen shoulder is just as bad as the first. Incredible pain...much worse than childbirth as somebody else mentioned on this forum! almost 5 days of high fever (39.5 - 40.0 C) without any other symptoms just shoulder pain in both cases.

for the first shoulder i was shocked and stunned with pain I held my arm and stopped using it for a month before going to a specialists who gave me 3 cortisone injections and painkillers and told me to exercise through the pain level and take physiotherapy, all of which agitated the condition, left me in pain and crying and caused my 3 years of misery.

Now finally the left arm is like 'new'.

About 4 months ago I noticed pain in my right shoulder and the whole story started again.

I decided not to a doctor or specialist, I lived through the fever, ignored the pain and used my arm continually, but 'softly'. I complained a few times, fell of the stairs while I couldn't regain balance with a silly uncooperative arm, screamed on the streets because I grabbed something in the wrong way but I kept going, using my arm but avoiding the pain level. I'm happy to say that I've just entered the defrosting stage! After only 4 months! I can close my bra and almost put my hand on my hip..............after somebody has been kind enough to put a hand on my shoulder while to other holds my elbow and turns ever growing circles I can even wash my hair and shave my arm pits. And since about 1 week, I sleep full nights (still using a pillow to support my arm)! Good luck everybody! I hope a real cure will be found soon! Try to keep your arms mobile and take care not to let it hurt to much, support them in bed with as pillow and use hot water bottles and ice if that gives relieve...

Hey Debbie,

Glad to hear your shoulders on its way to getting better! You're very lucky this one didn't last as long. From what I've read physio doesn't seem to make much difference, it just needs to take it coarse.. My shoulder is just so painfull at the moment, it's really getting me down. I'm flat out with my hairdressing as I have to take two weeks off for my op, and my shoulder/arm isn't coping at all. One week to go! I was going to ask you Debbie - with your frozen shoulder did you get really bad sharp pains running down your arm to your wrist? The outside of my arm between my shoulder and elbow just throbs, it's so painful. I'm hoping I don't have a torn rotator cuff as well..

Hello Angela, You could have it checked just to be sure. But the pain sounds exactly like what I've been going through, with me it started in my neck and pulled all the way to my fingers and the right side of my back.

It also gives the feeling that something is tied around my arm to tightly cutting into the muscles on the outside of my arm, do you recognise this.

For me the physio made it worse but not using your arm is also not the right way to go, try using it softly I found sweeping or cleaning table tops difficult but helpful. Good luck, I know how painful it can be but it will pass with time.

Ok so it's been a week since my capsular release operation.. For the first few days I was in that much pain I was wishing that I didn't have it done. Even though I had an anasthetic drip in for five days, the pain was so much worse than before I had the op. Physio is sooo painful and I can't see how inflicting pain on a freshly operated limb can be doing any good at all, but I guess you have to trust these professionals. At this stage the pain is still bad when sleeping, but bearable through the day. Still on pain killers and can't see myself coming off those for a long time. I'm doing the exercises daily but still don't have a lot of strength back in my arm yet. Still can't hold it up above my head but when exercising it can be pushed above my head which it couldn't do before the op. Its early days so hard to tell yet if its been a success as my arm can't do quite as much as it could do before the op. I'm supposed to be starting work next week (hairdressing) but don't know if ill have the strength to hold my arm up. I'll post again in a couple of weeks as hopefully it will be a lot better by then.. How's your shoulder Debbie?

Hi,

I was wondering if someone can give me some advice. I am an employer who recently employed someone with a frozen shoulder. They have said they need a specific chair however these are quite expensive including tax are in the £1000 price range. Has anyone had an employer provide them with a specific chair and if so what were the specifications? - The job role is general administration.

Thank you for you help in advance.

Hello Angela, I hope your arm heals soon. Mine is doing very well, I can hold it above my head since this week. I'm now also go swimming everyday and since this week I can go to the deep and make full strokes.

I still have my husband holding my shoulder and turning my arm by holding the elbow in a circular movement twice a day, in the morning when my arm is stiff after sleeping and at night to loosen it before sleeping and that's doing wonders!

Sometimes if I don't do these things consequently, the pain and stiffness soon start to set in.

Hairdressing could possibly help you recover faster but only if it doesn't hurt, if it hurts don't do it is my motto nowadays!

Hope things get better for you too soon.

Wow Debbie, that's great! You're doing so well on your own, and from what I've been reading, swimming is the answer. Holding your arm above your head is fantastic, you're just about healed I would say. This condition is so nasty and cruel it's a pitty there isn't just a quick fix.

I can see mine taking months to get better, my arm is still do week and is still very painful. Don't know how I'm going to hold my arms in the air all day.

Hope things keep improving for you Debbie, you're doing great!

Hello Angela, You know I think what a lot of people are saying on these forums me included is right. The health professionals want to help you but there's not yet enough known about frozen shoulders and as it is they are doing more harm than good.

My first frozen shoulder was a hell that lasted almost 3 years.

The second one was just as painful but I was much more prepared, less afraid of it and I'm very glad I didn't even try to get help, even though I was afraid sometimes that it might last even longer because I didn't go to professionals. Now I'm convinced that the professionals are doing a really bad job when it comes to frozen shoulders.

I just really hope I wont have to face another one because it does take chunks out of your life, causes to much pain and upsets your normal way of being, your career, your social life, home and family life and if I do than hopefully somebody will have found a 'real' cure!

Yes I think you're right Debbie, forceful physio makes it worse. It made mine worse before the op and after my op the physio was pushing it way too far which actually made me cry - how can that be any good for a newly operated on shoulder?? I'm doing my own exercises now (not pushing it too far) and its doing better. I think with frozen shoulder the answer seems to be doing gentle exercises on your own, and keep it moving doing normal daily activities. And swimming really does seem to b the answer, but obviously that's not possible for some people. The professionals really need to read these forums and see what really works and what doesn't..

Hello naomib83,

The main problem with frozen shoulder is the inability to move the shoulder by raising the arm without immense pain. For office work this means that the traditional office chair and table set up can be to difficult for somebody with frozen shoulder.

I've never heard of a chair that could help this although the right chair could help to avoid it.

The biggest problem for me with both frozen shoulders in a traditional office set up was the height of the table in comparison to the chair meaning I had to lift my arm to do anytihng which was to painful and I couldn't cope with it longer than a few minutes.

With my first frozen shoulder I worked mostly on a couch with a low table and a laptop either on the table or my lap, the second one i used cushions on my office chair to heighten me so my arm could land more naturally on the table.

A chair that can heighten and a table that is lower (about 5cm) than the normal office table work wonders for me at the moment.

Many breaks for short walks and moving the arm ARE necessary at least every 30 minutes for 3-5 minutes. I hope that helps!