How many opted to "Leave it Alone"?
Posted , 14 users are following.
In 2008, I developed FS after a rotator cuff injury. I spent months, and months, doing painful physiotherapy. One day, I discovered a research study that suggested:
- FS resolved on it's own
- Aggressive physiotherapy might exacerbate the problem
I stopped all physiotherapy, stretching, etc and the issue resolved in appx 5-6 months.
Last week, I was dx with FS in the other shoulder. Sports medicine doc heard my story, and agreed that this will resolve on it's own. However, if the pain and fatigue becomes too unbearable, he would perform a Hydrodilatation injection. He claims a 90% success rate (along with 3 weeks of aggressive physiotherapy).
Right now, I'm into my 2nd, maybe 3rd month with FS. I've opted to leave it alone, for now.
How many people opted to leave their FS alone and allow things to play out naturally?
4 likes, 22 replies
Hoosier isadore58168
Posted
For the first FS, I opted to leave it alone. I read as much as I could, and although there were outliers, the consensus seemed to be that no matter what you did, it would take a year or two. After my freezing stage, I got a cortisone shot, and it really helped the pain and allowed me to do the PT, which also helped. After about a year, soft PT and home exercises, I gained full ROM.As with most of the stories here, the initial pain is hard to describe to anyone who has not experienced it. And if you are here, you know what I mean. I kept a chart of my progress. ( I hope this attachment works) (The solid line is loss of ROM, and the dotted line is pain)
I now am in the freezing stage of my second FS on the opposite shoulder. I have again opted to "leave it alone", but this time got the cortisone shot early. This has certainly helped with the blindingly painful "zingers", but not for the dull ache or increasing immobility. I am keeping a chart for this one too for comparison and, quite honestly, to hopefully mark time for when this will be over again.
image
A dear friend of mine had a MUA (Manipulation Under Anesthesia) that didn't turn out well, and it scared me off. My FS is idiopathic (no known origin) and hers was brought on by injury, so her outcome was not as straightforward as mine to begin with. But there are lots of stories on this board where MUAs have great outcomes. Whatever choice you make, Isadore, we will support you, since none of us corners the market on easy solutions.
isadore58168 Hoosier
Posted
@Hoosier - great post and graphic. I'm in the frozen stage. A tiny bit more ROM, but the horrible pain is mostly gone. I'm back at the gym doing light upper body workouts. Onwards...
Hoosier isadore58168
Posted
That's fantastic! You are in the most hopeful stage, as you will keep seeing improvements. Ah, to do a pony tail again....!
m.44051 isadore58168
Posted
This discussion is so validating. I've had idiopathic frozen shoulder in my dominant arm since Sept 2018, and now the other shoulder is starting to freeze also. My sense is also that letting it rest helps it heal as every time I try to do gentle ROM exercises, the pain worsens and it seems to stiffen more.
My question is, are you still working? Do you have physical jobs? I have an active job working directly with people and have been off work for a couple months which I think is helping it heal, but am wondering how much longer I should stay off work and if returning too early will delay my recovery.
What have you all noticed or experienced? These patient reports and experiences are so helpful, since the research really doesn't point to a clear answer for treatment. Thank you.
mary61023 isadore58168
Posted
Thanks for that post. Your graph is eye-opening!
I'm in (I think) the thawing phase, and only just now went to a shoulder doctor, who wants to give me a cortisone shot. I'm not sure what good it would do me now that the pain has mostly gone away, and it's just the mobility I want to restore. Do you (or anyone else here) have an opinion on whether cortisone helps FS for mobility, or just for pain relief? I'm not in a hurry (it's my non-dominant arm). Main goal is to regain full mobility in time and not use steroids unnecessarily.