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Newly diagnosed, little advice needed for frozen shoulder

Posted , 5 users are following.

jon73953
jon73953

Hi all, I have been diagnosed with a frozen shoulder 2 days ago following a few weeks of pain and reduced active mobility. I think I injured my shoulder about 5 months ago when undressing as I experienced very sharp pain that lasted for 5 mind or so and happened a few times then eased up over time so I ignored it. Then late in August playing squash I knocked my shoulder and the pain was excruciating for a minute. Fast forwards 3 weeks and suddenly noted a lot more permanent ache and loss of movement. Have seen a physio who suggested a lot of passive movements including pushing up my arm to its limit of movement i can achieve, he stated this was to reduce the amount of movement loss, I have been doing this and it helps a little bit hurts like he'll and next day it seems to return mostly to the previous state. Does anyone have any similar experience and can this reduce amount of movement loss? Also does the loss occur gradually with no improvements any days or is it gradual with some days better than othets?

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • carol22122
    carol22122 jon73953

    Posted

    I am in approx. month three with mine.  Had one physio appt to diagnose frozen shoulder and was booked for a cortisone injection next week.  I was told to do only gentle stretches until the thawing stage, which I gather is some months away at the very least.
    • jon73953
      jon73953 carol22122

      Posted

      Thanks for the info, I have one doctor appointment plus 2 physiotherapists within the last week and it started 2 weeks ago with pain and movement loss.  What I don’t understand is do you lose all movement quickly and is it a case of lose it and it’s not coming back anytime soon or is it more a downward trend with good and bad days.  I am pushing quite hard through the pain but honestly today I was really not sure I could keep going, I find that I still have reasonable movement raising my arm in front of me with palm facing downwards but to the side or behind my back is significantly less and more painful.  I seem to be losing movement in most spheres apart from raising my arm in front of me which I can get to just about eye level.

      sorry I’m rambling a bit but it’s painful and I just want to learn what others find helpful.  Thanks again for the reply.

  • mark32352
    mark32352 jon73953

    Posted

    Hi

    reading your post  was like reading my biography my frozen shoulder happen out the blue and started just like yours , I’m 49 and active and working as an electrical engineer and this condition is starting to make work very difficult.doctor was not much help and sent me away with advice of take pain killers for two weeks if no improvement then to do self referral to physio, this is where it changed for me he told me I had frozon shoulder and gave me a number of exercises some so painful I couldn’t  do he also booked me in for the cortisone injection, I’ve read a lot about this injection on here about it being a waste of time but i was willing to try anything so had this done 3 weeks ago today BEST THING I DONE , after 3 weeks I can do all the exercises I can sleep the whole night ( still a little painful when I first get in to  bed but not beinn  woken up in the night ) and the constant ache has almost gone physio have told me this injection will only last 3 month and I must work hard in that time with the exercises 

    • jon73953
      jon73953 mark32352

      Posted

      Thanks Mark, nice to know it’s not me being unusual and I guess I’m lucky work provide health care so I got diagnosed within a week.  The physio is excruciating and whilst I do it he exercises regularly at home it has been getting me down as I feel worse afterwards.  Myself I am only 47 and whilst I hurt my shoulder previous it was not a significant injury so it came out of the blue one day when it started hurting.  Going to call the physio next week and see where we go as at moment it’s just hurting with no improvement.  Sleeping is not great as you say and I often wake up because I moved my arm in my sleep.
    • carol22122
      carol22122 mark32352

      Posted

      Oh, it's so encouraging to hear that the cortisone injection has helped you.  Mine is booked for next Tuesday and I am hopeful.  I'm a lot older than you both (67) and got mine when I fractured my wrist and was in a cast and sling for weeks.  Got zero advice from the hospital and read about it all myself, and started exercises for my shoulder and elbow while I was in the cast, but to no avail.  My hand physio realised it was likely to be frozen shoulder and got me to self refer to a shoulder physio but I had to wait nearly 5 weeks for that, and then a further 3 weeks for the cortisone appointment.  Can I ask you what it was like immediately after the injection? I read that it can aggravate it at first and takes a few days to settle, during which you are not to move your arm? Sounds  tricky.  At this point though I will try anything to get rid of this awful relentless pain.  I feel like I've aged 20 years Thanks.

    • carol22122
      carol22122 jon73953

      Posted

      ps I was told to only do gentle stretches until I reach the thawing stage - months away, I gather.  We all seem to get different advice.  I was told that no matter how much you exercise it will go through 3 stages - freezing (intense pain), frozen (limited movement) and finally, thawing.

       

    • mark32352
      mark32352 carol22122

      Posted

      Hi carol

      as you say I think we are all getting different information about how we should be doing the exercises , advice from my physiio was the harder I do it the better( easy for him to say) and that the the more I push myself the way shorter  the three stages of this condition will be .as for the injection I had a lot of people telling my about how big the needle is and how painful it was but this turn out the complete opposite, there is a very small string with the injection and nothing move,  and had no more pain than before the injection the days after and was told nothing about not moving my arm for days after in fact  the physio had my doing exercises right after I had it , I will tell you that for me it took 8 days before I started to feel any  benefit but from that day onwards I got move and more each day , all the best for Tuesday 

    • carol22122
      carol22122 mark32352

      Posted

      Mark. thank you so much for your reassuring words, you have made me feel a lot better about the injection!  Just have to hope it works! Although the loss of movement is frustrating and difficult, it's the relentless pain that is driving me crazy.  If it just helps with that I will be extremely grateful.  All the very best to you.

  • shazza4
    shazza4 jon73953

    Posted

    Ho carol i got the cortisone about 3 weeks ago to no avail. Im still in a lot of pain. Now im wondering is it a frozen shoulder i have as im limited in my movements cant raise arm or put behind my back etc without pain or is it a rotator cuff injury. One dr said frozen shoulder and the other dr said rotator cuff injury. Either way im in constant pain and 6 weeks of physio has done nothing for it.

  • carol22122
    carol22122 jon73953

    Posted

    Really sorry to hear that the shot has not helped you and that there is some doubt about the diagnosis for your loss of movement etc.  I was fortunate that mine had an obvious reason I guess so there was no doubt.  I do wish that when you break your wrist they would stress that you must keep exercising your elbow and shoulder though - all I was ever told was to keep wiggling my fingers.  That turned out to be no help at all! 
  • jon73953
    jon73953

    Posted

    Hi all, interesting that many people get differing instructions which shows that it’s either not well understood or difficult to diagnose.  I find most difficult exercises are any movement where arm goes behind my back or out laterally to the side.  These are the real painful exercises that double me over.

    i also get pain down the arm into the elbow and through the bicep which is more persistent than the shoulder in terms of the frequency as my shoulder only hurts when using it or moving awkwardly.  I find that heat helps more than cold but it’s  always nagging.

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