My experience with frozen shoulder
Posted , 7 users are following.
So about six weeks ago I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder. I own a cleaning business so I already have a weak shoulder to begin with and I also had slipped and fell in my bathroom. As soon as I fell, I knew that I was going to be sore but was able to get up and brush it off. As time went on my shoulder got more and more tight and unable to move. It also got sore to sleep on so I stopped sleeping on that side. Little did I know, I was trying to not use it as much and to just keep it by my side to let whatever was going on die down. I now know that keeping it like that for days may have started the frozen shoulder process. I had pain but mostly my shoulder was very tight and stuff. I did not have the pain that most frozen shoulder people have so I really didn't think much of it. Went to Urgent Care to make sure my shoulder wasn't broken from the fall and as I thought it was not. They referred me to an ortho Doctor Who right away said it was frozen shoulder. He said I would need a cortisone shot and told me not to even bother with physical therapy. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to give me the time of day so I was a little skeptical about listening to his advice. I went back to my physical therapist that I had seen before about another issue and spoke with her. She said because my shoulder was so tight she wasn't able to work with me and encourage me to go back and get the cortisone shot. Leading up to the shot I could tell that between my physical therapist and my massage therapist my shoulder was getting better and was loosening up a bit. I got the shot and it seemed to tighten my shoulder up way worse than I had but slowly after a few days started to release the shoulder a bit. I have been pretty achy and sore but I can see some improvements with being able to move my arm a little more. Going to start physical therapy so she can help me work on loosening up the joint and regaining some of the muscle back. I have had weekly massages and we'll be having Physical Therapy where she is doing trigger point injections on the muscles around my shoulders and ultrasound therapy to work some steroid gel into my shoulder and also use the TENS machine with a cold pack. I can see it's slowly getting better but man it's very frustrating and it is a very long process. Being in pain in your arm being stuck to the side of your body is very depressing and if you aren't careful you definitely can get depressed. I am taking vitamin C which supposedly is good to repair your body and I am also taking a turmeric capsule with black pepper in it for inflammation and it seems to be helping a lot. The biggest thing I have learned is that you need to move even though it's painful and you don't want to the worst thing you can do is just sit and not move your shoulder. I don't move it to lift anything heavy or to hurt myself but I definitely stay active and try to do whatever I can to keep going. I'd also be careful about reading stuff on the internet about frozen shoulder it is very discouraging to read all the stuff about how long it can take some people and how most people say nothing helps. Stay positive and keep moving and you will keep moving in the right direction.
1 like, 10 replies
barb50217 melissa64773
Posted
Hopefully you don't have to go the 18 - 24 months that's mentioned on some of the internet sites. This is my second experience with a frozen shoulder. The first time it lasted for 7 months. I am in my 3rd month with the other shoulder. I did the physical therapy and TENS machine with heat for the first shoulder. I think this time I'm going to forego any kind of treatment and let it run it's course. It is important to do the stretches and keep your shoulder moving. Good luck to you.
marilyn69818 barb50217
Posted
Thankyou for your feedback. After 15 months+ I have had an MRI and been told that I have a Bulging disc in neck and trapped nerves to my shoulder which is causing very painful nerve pain down my arm. I now have to wait another 3 months for a follow up appt to see the Consultant.
Feeling really down at present and lacking the drive I usually have to be positive about the future but will not give in until I can receive the help I need to be pain free. Thank you again for your response much appreciated.
M
barb50217 marilyn69818
Posted
melissa64773 barb50217
Posted
I have a feeling it will be at least 7 months to get full mobility back. The pain has subsided and it's slowly unfreezing. It is very unsettling to think this can happen to my my other shoulder. I guess I will know what to expect if it does.
frozen_stiff melissa64773
Posted
But you don't have a frozen shoulder. FS comes on its own, no injury no trauma. Your therapist should have told you that, in fact was she a PT therapist or an assistant to a therapist.?
I presume that the orthkopaedist spent at least half an our diagnosing your condition? Ask your therapist to come on the forum and tell us what she or he has found.
melissa64773 frozen_stiff
Posted
I am not sure where you are located but I am in the North East of the United States. We have the best and most advanced DR's, surgeons, physical therapist in the country trained at the best University's anywhere. Where I am from, no physical therapy assistant would be assessing or treating any patients. All of the DR's I have seen have said that frozen shoulder is still being researched and there is still so much they don't know. There are so many factors that make everyone's journey through frozen shoulder different. My shoulder specialist told me there are cases where immobility after a surgery can cause frozen should as well as a truama. It's not the normal way people get it and in fact most people just get it one day without a reason.
Again, I am not sure where you are, but here? a orthopedist DR would not diagnos frozen shoulder with a quick exam. It takes X-rays, and at least an hour of examination to determine along with an evaluation from a physical therapist. Also, no medical professional would even reply to your request to join my post and share her findings. It's not professional and due to HEPA laws, it's not how medicine is practiced here. Although my experience is not typical, I know of several people who had something similar. Could I have been misdiagnosed? It's possible. Maybe try sharing some positivity or some things that helped with frozen shoulder. These forums are to help us connect with others with something similar. I have not read your experience with frozen shoulder but I can tell you my reply would not be negative, it would be of incouragement and to share remodies.
frozen_stiff melissa64773
Posted
There are 50 so called causes and about as many cures.It is a disease of caucasians with slightly more women than men and run in families.
.I have had several severe shoulder injuries in my life and many fractures but never a frozen shoulder.One more thought, if the cells of stiff shoulders are examined it is easy for the histologist to diferentiate the difference bbetween FS and other causes. No Docs seem to know this.
Everything I write about can be found on the web.
Tamara123 frozen_stiff
Posted
Hi, I would have to agree with Melissa64773 that everyone's situations are different but one thing that stands out in your post above is that you have had several shoulder injuries and fractures, but never a FS. So trying to understand how you are on these forums telling folks that they don't have FS if you haven't experienced it yourself? A stiff shoulder is one thing, FS is another. You may have been one of the lucky ones that didn't end up at the extreme of a "stiff" shoulder, ending with it completely stuck. I, too, have read that in most cases, FS cures with time. Unfortunately, some of those just don't have the time or desire to sit and wait for that time to pass and need a more agressive approach to healing.
I am not sure if you are an Orthopedic Doctor or just a patient who has had similiar experiences as the rest of us with your "stiff" shoulders, but telling people they "don't have FS" on their postings sometimes will rub someone the wrong way (you posted the same message on one of my posts regarding my MUA). Just thought I would put that out there.
melissa64773 Tamara123
Posted
frozen_stiff Tamara123
Posted
Hi Tamara,
I only write from a medical scientific view. Frozen shoulders are a complete entity on thier own. If you read the several reports from FROSTY you will will see this. Frozen shoulders are not necessarily the most painful of shoulder conditions, subacromial bursitis is said to be the worst by far although for a much shorter time. Also the frozen shoulder never ever becomes completely stuck, never losing more than 70 percent of it's ranges. If completely stuck it is something else. I may sound inconsiderate even uncharitable but I only write what I see as the reasons why I think someone has or hasn't a frozen shoulder.
Remember only one person in five who is diagnosed with a frozen shoulder has this affliction. I am neither an orthopaedist or a troll, mind you just had my drivers licence renewed and I must admit my photo looks pretty troll like! So FS comes on it's own, not from surgery trauma or the other 50 reasons attributed to it. It is a caucasian condition. Anyone as yet have their doctor or PT willing to put in their 2 cents an shine a light.