New to Forum...Frozen since about September

Hello everyone, so happy I found this website!  I say I've been dealing with this since about September, because looking back, that's when I remember first being bothered by any discomfort.  I should also mention I'm 54 and have this year officially hit menopause, being period free for a year in August.  After doing some research, I see that I'm right in that target age for frozen shoulder.

In September we were on a cruise vacation and I remember my left shoulder being very sensitive during that time, enough that I kept pulling my strap down off of my shoulder during our trip. I thought that maybe it was from the new bras I'd purchased pre-vacation.  I even went for 2 massages during that vacation.  That was probably when I began noticing it.  

Fast forward a couple of months to December when I noticed my first of what I call "Zingers," that sudden sharp, take your breath away pain that radiates all the way down the arm to my fingers.  I even remember my first one.  It was snowing and I had backed into a driveway on an incline so it would be easier to get back out onto the street in all the snow.  When I got into my car to leave, because I was parked on an incline, my car door had flung all the way open.  When I reached out to pull the door closed, I got a sudden jolt of pain that was so intense, I thought I could cry.  I continued to live with the achy pain on a daily basis, sort of babying my arm, and then the "zingers" that happen when you forget and do a quick movement.  For instance, I can reach up and out if I'm careful.  I can reach up to get something out of the cupboard.  But a few weeks ago I was reaching up to get something with my good arm, and I noticed a bottle of olive oil was about ready to topple over, and I quickly reached up with the bad arm to grab it, not thinking, and oh my gosh the pain!  I also noticed within the past month, that while shaving my underarms in the shower, my left arm doesn't extend as high, making shaving a challenge.  I couldn't take it anymore and finally saw an orthopedic doctor.  I should also point out that I never have things like this happen to me.  I'm a very active person, used to do aerobics at least 3-4 times a week, so not having full motion, and being scared to work out for fear that I could get a "zinger" at any time, has kept me from exercising.  I just want my life to be normal again.

So, saw the orthopedic doc about 3 weeks ago who did an x-ray.  He said I have classic Frozen Shoulder.  He gave me a cortisone injection which wasn't really that bad, but I was quite sore the next day.  He started me on 6 weeks of physical therapy, which has been painful, but I do believe I'm seeing some progress.  Things like getting dressed aren't nearly as painful, although I do still have to take it slow.  I'm not sure if it's because of the therapy, or that the cortisone shot is finally doing its job.

Later today, at the advice of my physical therapist, I'm going to be a getting a massage, so we'll see if that helps.

I don't really have any advice to offer at this time, but am so happy to have found this group because I don't feel like I'm alone now in this journey.  My husband and children are being as supportive as possible, but unless you've lived the pain, they just have no idea what I'm dealing with.

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