Helpful Tips
Posted , 43 users are following.
Be patient. This is a LONG disease. Remember, adhesive capsulitis is a disease, not a syndrome or a condition; it has a beginning, middle and END. Wherever you are in the cycle, you're moving toward the END. –
Educate yourself! There's lots of information on the internet about adhesive capsulitis, and many different ideas and approaches. Read everything you can. --
Be aware that the medical community does not agree about the best way to treat FS. One doctor may say, \"Do nothing, it will get better on its own.\" Another doctor might say, \"Let’s operate!\" One doctor might say, \"Start physical therapy right away.\" Another might say, \"PT won't help till you're in the thawing stage.\" You must educate yourself to know what is truly the best approach for YOU.
If you don't like your doctor or your physical therapist, change! Find caregivers who know this disease. Not all of them do! Don't let ANYONE rush you into anything. You have time to decide what's best for you. –
Get painkillers. If one kind doesn't work, try another. Don’t give up. There’s no reason to be in a lot of pain. There are lots of different kinds of painkillers, so work with your doctor until you find one that works for you.
Be assertive about your treatment choices. There are studies showing that FS eventually gets better no matter what you do or don't do, so make the choices yours. –
Slow down mentally and emotionally. Develop patience and serenity. Be kind to yourself. -- Slow down physically. Without the use of your arm, you don't have your usual physical balance, and you could get hurt if you try to maintain your usual pace. – Take lots of naps. Your whole body is ill, not just your shoulder.
Eat healthy food. Drink LOTS of water. Take vitamins.
Use cold packs and hot packs. They help. Frozen peas are great for icing -- you can thaw and refreeze them over and over. (Just don't get confused and eat them!)
Be sure you do your exercises, icing, and heat with the good shoulder as well as the bad -- it's getting an extra workout, and deserves to be pampered. -- But don't work your good shoulder TOO hard. Studies show that people who get FS in one shoulder are more likely to get it in the other shoulder later on.
Take baths -- long ones, as hot as you can stand. Immerse your shoulder. Play soothing music and light a scented candle. Use an inflatable bath pillow.
Sleep with lots of little pillows. Tuck them all around you. Experiment with the pillows till you find a comfortable arrangement. -- Have a favourite pillow. Tuck it under your arm when you sleep. Take it with you to the movies, or on car rides; use it to prop up your arm whenever you'll be sitting for a long time. -- Put a big pillow between yourself and your bedfellow so they don't roll over and bump into you. -- It's okay to sleep in the recliner for awhile.
-- Pamper yourself. Ask your loved ones to pamper you. -- Don't hesitate to remind your friends and colleagues that you have a problem. To them, you look normal and healthy.
-- Learn to ignore housecleaning, errands, dishes, cooking -- these things are not important. And if someone dares to complain... – Ask for help. It seems like strong, active people are prone to this disease -- and strong, active people are not so good at asking for help. Learn to ask. -- Show your spouse and children how to help you with your coat, how to open doors for you, how to carry groceries, how to cook and clean... What a great opportunity to teach them new skills! –
Rearrange workspaces so that things are easier to reach. BBQ tongs are great for reaching. Use a stool. But be careful! With only one arm, your balance is impaired.
-- Get yourself a good one-handed haircut, something that doesn't require blow-drying or extra fuss. -- Consider buying a free-standing hairdryer stand, “as seen on TV”.
-- When dressing, always put the bad arm in its sleeve before the good arm. -- Forget the jeans, wear pull-ups or sweatpants. -- Find a bra that clips in the front. Or try this: put your bra on around your waist, back to front. Clip it with the clip in front of you, and then rotate the clip around to the back. Then slide the bra up, slip the arm straps up over your shoulders, and voila! Better yet, you may find a sports bra is easier to put on. And if this still doesn’t work, or is too painful… -- No one will notice if you go without a bra. Camisoles are also great! -- For a bathing suit, a tankini is an excellent choice.
Having a hard time washing under your arms? Try holding a washcloth in plastic salad tongs. Tongs are also good for applying deodorant. Deodorant not working well? Try baby powder. -- After bathing, if you have trouble drying under your arm, use a blowdryer set on \"cool\". -- Ladies, to shave under your arm, try the \"Finishing Touch\" razor. It's battery operated and about the size of a ballpoint pen. It really gets into tight places! -- Use a wallet instead of a purse. Fanny packs are also great. -- Slip-on shoes make things easier. You can also try a long shoehorn. -- Get your medication in a flip-off lid.
Watch your posture during everyday activities. Slouching makes things worse. -- Stay active in other ways. Walking (if you can) is especially good. -- Try massage therapy. Lots of FS sufferers swear by it.
Remember that there will be good days and bad days, but eventually, slowly, it WILL get better. Adhesive Capsulitis is NOT PERMANENT. -- Keep a journal to record your progress. -- Log onto this site and tell others how you’re doing. It’s a long road to healing, but it'll seem shorter if if you don’t travel it alone. -- Everyone's FS journey is different. If you share your experience, it might help someone else. So share. -- Every time you make the smallest progress, give yourself a pat on the back. (Figuratively, not literally -- none of us here can contort that way!) -- Be positive. You will get well. These hints were provided by the wonderful contributors of the Shoulder1 forum for Frozen Shoulder. HANG IN THERE!
25 likes, 45 replies
leya_xlll Frosty
Posted
I’m a nurse I’ve been off work for a few weeks, my call leagues text when are you coming back how are your shoulders etc. I appreciate the interest but I really wish they would inform themselves on my diagnosis . Just one Google search. I was working with it until I no longer could it was not safe for me to be assisting in surgeries and helping patients. I also drive 43 miles one way to work.
I don’t think ppl on maternity leave
recieve the impatience I’m feeling from co workers.
Thanks for the positive word they are definitely needed.
Farnsy Frosty
Posted
Hi, currently 5 months into second frozen shoulder-so knew what was headed my way, and pretty much spotted it from the very first onset of pain and was more and more upset as the realisation has kicked in that , yes, I have got this awful, life changing thing back again. I keep thinking it wasn’t this painful last time. Maybe it wasn’t, maybe I’ve blanked it out!! In a lot of pain right now, apart from the initial 2 weeks when all the nerve endings were kicking off I would hope this is the peak and it won’t get any worse, though the thought of it just staying like this for a few more months or whatever until it decides to stop trying to freeze up, doesn’t really fill me with joy. Have had a couple of quite major meltdowns at work with the pain, being over tired, and this week it got knocked around quite a bit, I work in a high school ???????. I am due to get married in August and it’s getting me down that that I will most likely be in pain , we are away for 2 weeks, but was all planned before this started. I have been trying to exercise it, use heat, ice, infrared, pain meds, every thing I can think of, I read every article, watch all the you tube exercise, the massages, I do that as best I can. I have balls in socks!! It’s very hard to stay positive when pain literally does not stop. I’m trying, I would rather be in the throes of childbirth right now if someone could take it away. If you have a good day, embrace it.
deb49491 Frosty
Posted
Not to sure if it will help. Still working full time as a mammographer. It is a challenge !
Praying for relief soon. Thank you for the info on FS. I’m living every word of what you said .
Nasima56 Frosty
Posted
sandra38592 Nasima56
Posted
Surgery is a last resort, keep trying the injections and PT, sometimes it will help. If you can stand the pain it will go away on it's own but it is usually 2 to 3 years. I had surgery Feb 22, surgery was no trouble very quick out patient. The recovery is another story, very painful and there are no meds that helped me. I have had a lot of PT and now am about 80% full range. Plus 3 injections to help with pain. Almost pain free now. I have been dealing with this for a year. So there are no quick fixes, just work and time. if you read back on other posts people have a lot of ideas and different things to try. Good luck I know you have been through a lot, hang in there, Sorry I don't have better advise.
Nasima56 sandra38592
Posted
CynCash Frosty
Posted
Thank you so much Frosty for these tips! Some I had already figured out but the tongs to help wash under my arms and the razor to shave is something I can't wait to try! Hooray, that was really some of the worst of it for me. 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 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 electro therapy with a PEMF device, 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 (remember, both shoulders are frozen!) 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 hope this helps for anyone who might find my story of value. I can't wait to try more of your tips, thank you so much for taking the time to write them all out!
CynCash Frosty
Posted
Oh yes, an addition to my last post, I do walk for about 20 minutes every day, meditate daily and talk to my shoulders - I know, it sounds crazy! - telling them what a great job they are doing healing. I also visualize my arms going in different yoga positions like they used to. I read to do that somewhere, don't know if it helps, but can't hurt! Good luck everyone.
Hoosier Frosty
Posted
Ladies! I found a way to do a pony tail!!1-UP Hair ties ! Intended for one-handed folks. You can use your feet or just the one hand. Small victories! (Go on line to order them directly, and see how they work on youtube.)
Guest Hoosier
Posted
I asked my husband of 32 years to help me with a ponytail, he said it was his first ever. Huge fail!
Thanks for the tip.
FrozenBX Frosty
Posted
Dear Frosty,
Thank you for sharing your experience I began dealing with FS in Jan. 2019. Its now June 2019 and I am still in enormous pain. I have lost half of my range of motion. I am a freelance photographer and even pressing the shutter button is painful. I just suck it up when possible. A few times my hand has rejected the notion of lifting my camera and simply dropped it. Good thing I had it strapped around my other shoulder. They are moments when I just want to be able to do what I was doing just a few months ago - climb to get a better shot, run to keep up with the action, or you know that little thing called sleep. Yeah, aah, sleep, what a concept. Did I mention wake up and not cry or scream in pain, day after day.
By the way, I am at my 3rd physical therapist office, new doc and reading as much as I can. Also started taking CDB, since taking the pain killers my doctors prescribed did not work (tried 3 different ones and and anti-inflammatory cream) and I wondered what it was doing to my liver, ... Never thought this was a disease. Did not even consider the notion. Thought I messed up my arm with all the years of shooting (photos) and carrying heavy gear. Ah, I am sure that did not help.
So yes, I am looking forward to the day when the sun rises over the mountains and I am back to normal!!!!
Thank you again for posting!!!!!
Farnsy FrozenBX
Posted
hi, hang in there, gentle stretching with weights helped me keep some of my rom the second time around. On my first fs I lost all range and found the simplest task almost impossible. While pushing through the pain was hard and the fs let me know, I avoided any surgery. ONLY someone who has been through this appreciates the pain, it does not give in. Deep slow , calming breathing, while trying to sleep, and at least rest your body.
Jane x2 fs
Guest Frosty
Posted
It's 3 AM, another painful sleepless night. Suffering with my second FS. I can never seem to get more than 2 hours of sleep, it's taking its toll. To top it off my right shoulder which was recovered is starting to hurt a bit now too. It won't come back in that shoulder again, will it??
I bought a little TENS machine, tried it today, but the initial shock sent my arm in startle mode, needless to say I laid on the floor crying for ten minutes.
I'm ready to give up and try hormones it's that bad. But I wouldnt want to go thru all this again when I come off them one day. Have had every perimeno symptom there is. FS is just kicking my butt for good.
lisa00789 Frosty
Posted
I just posted this on another thread but maybe some here might find the info about the injection helpful.
I hurt my shoulder back in February, twice within in a few days! I gradually noticed over the next couple of weeks that my movements were getting more and more restricted. I thought I'd pulled a muscle and it would just need time to get better but after two months and becoming even more painful and unable to sleep on that side I eventually went to the doctor. She said it was a frozen shoulder and referred me for an ultrasound. Unfortunately I was told by the hospital that there was quite a long waiting list for this procedure.
Because of the pain and lack of sleep (and recovering from another minor op) I decided to go private. I had an ultrasound led injection (hydrodistension procedure with Depomedrone). Well actually it was two injections, the first of which was in the back of my shoulder and was the most painful thing I have ever felt!! He said he must've hit the edge of the inflamed area (felt like he was trying to go right through the muscle!) but the worse part was trying to hold my arm in one position while he did it. Like fighting against all your natural instinct to move something that causes you pain! By the time he finished my arm had seized up and I couldn't move it. I agreed he could still do the second injection to the front of the shoulder and just to get it over with! Luckily that one wasn't as bad.
The next day, I was in quite a bit of pain and even less movement but by that evening I was back to being about the same as I had been before the procedure. He had warned me it could take a while maybe even a few weeks to notice an improvement.
Nothing much really changed for quite a while but now just under 3 months after the injections and I am noticing an improvement. I can definitely lift my arm higher, not getting the pain and muscle spasms down the arm and I can even sleep on that side (if I get into just the right position). I still can't move my arm behind my back though, seems that is going to take some time to happen.
I really don't know if it was the injections that helped or if it's just time that heals but seeing how some people can have this so painfully for a year or more, I'm just happy that 6 months on and although I still don't have full movement at least I'm not in so much pain anymore.
clara38857 Frosty
Posted
Has anyone had throbbing pain in the tricep area, along with terrible tingling in both hands?
This comes after mua on July 18th and lots of therapy.
Still in lots of pain, but I realize after reading Frosty, and all the other posts, that patience is virtue.