Night time pain

I’m sorry to hear your plight, it does sound very much familiar though. I was in the exact same situation, I couldn’t take anti inflammatories either. This may not be something you want to do but ask your doctor for strong pain meds (opioids) It will help with the sleep and getting Physio done. 

I slept and still have to on  occasion in a recliner chair, it definitely helped a lot as I wasn’t rolling onto my shoulders in my sleep. 

Just be careful with treatment, I had surgery on one side and developed an even worse neurological condition in both arms that makes Frozen shoulder look like the cold. Talk to and get as many opinions as you can. 

Good luck. 

I’m so sorry for your excruciating pain. 

One thing that did help, although temporarily, is ice. No more than 20mins at a time. More than that could damage skin tissue.

Apply or pack all over shoulder, bicep, and rib cage. 

This waa my go to when I was up nights

I have had two frozen shoulders since March 2018. One was sore earlier but both seemed to lock up within a month of each other. Couldn't sleep as cannot sleep on back and couldn't lie on shoulders. My doctor put me on Amitriptyline tablets taking 10mg about 8pm at night. Used to be used for depression and has side effect that suppresses nerve pain transfer to the brain. My right shoulder has slightly more movement range and less pain so was able to lie on that side. I am deaf in my right ear so also started using foam plugs in my left ear to cancel out noise around the house. Eg two teenage boys and a wife who stay up a little longer than I do! Two weeks ago I stopped taking it as my shoulder had slightly more movement and I wanted to see if I could do it without medication. Both shoulders still sore in morning but am getting 7 or 8hrs sleep most nights while waking sometimes, possibly more to do with thoughts about work than shoulder pain. My doctor and physio said once I had a diagnosis from specialist of FS that there was no point in carrying on with Physio. Cortizone made no difference in either shoulder so managing pain and leaving them to thaw out over time was my decision. Started running again and although a bit sore I can run enough to train 3 times a week for a 10km run. This is training to finish only, with no further injuries! Cant take my boat out fishing yet but may try once summer gets here. I know everyone seems to have different experiences with FS, much like my other condition Menieres Disease, so it is a case of trying something to see if it works. I do recommend being careful getting up from couch. I reached down to get my shoes at the same time as getting up, fell forward and put both arms out to stop me. Thought I was going to pass out from the pain. Pain subsided after 10 minutes or so. Only upside to FS is you learn to be less clumsy and give more clearance to walls, doors and people! In theory anyway. Hope you can find something that works for you in the short term and that your shoulders eventually settle down a bit.

hi

ive had frozen shoulder since may 2018 ive had lots of hydrotherapy and in jan had a ultra guided injection. The pain eased and ive started to get movement back 7 months on my pain in my neck arm shoulder is painful again. it feels like nerve pain and im waiting to go backto the royal orthopaedic to see whats going im hoping they be able to give me another injection. i sleep ok but after doingmy chores the pain is awful i put an ice pack to help. can anyone give me some advice please

Hi, this is my 2nd frozen shoulder, first one (3years ago) I had for 8 months, with the 2nd steroid injection working, but took about 18 months to get full range of movement. most of my pain with this one was in the muscle in my arm.

I'm devastated when 4 months ago, I got a FS on my left side. I cannot tolerate strong painkillers, have to manage on 2 paracetamol 4 times a day. I don't know if you'd be ok to use pain plasters, but I'm using Salonpas each evening they do help a little.

I've had 1 steroid injection up to now, which hasn't worked, doubt I'd have another for a long while, it was to toooo painful.

this 2nd FS feels more like there's a nerve trapped, it's more painful in my shoulder joint and scapula.

I'm a but fed at the moment, knowing it's a long road to recovery!

I just wanted to post something from a different angle, more by way of encouragement to others than as a direct response to taffypot.

As mentioned, there seems to be a wide variation between diagnoses of frozen shoulder.

It sounds as though I've been lucky to be able to treat the condition with physio and exercises only, and it's not kept me awake or stopped me doing most things. It's still taken some months to regain full movement, and it took me a good while to begin with to get to know the nature of the pain, and gain confidence around knowing how far and where to push exercises without exhausting myself both mentally and physically.

The Physio was very helpful initially with diagnosis, and suggestions for exercise. I had FS in one shoulder 2 years ago, and am currently in the last stages of treating the other shoulder back to full movement. Both times, it came on during winter, possibly through getting the shoulder cold overnight (first time was after a trek in the Himalayas). My tips would be to get a definite diagnosis, and, depending on the amount and nature of your pain, devise ways of gently and gradually, once a day or so for 5 minutes or whatever you feel comfortable with, pushing your shoulder in the directions it doesn't want to go, without putting yourself through so much pain that you lose heart. There's an element to begin with of thinking you're achieving quick results, and then finding little difference next morning when you come back to your exercises, but keep spirits up and persevere - for me, I now know that I can work gradually back to normal over weeks and months. I know there's mention of FS healing without any treatment, but I'd be fairly sure that the right exercises speed up the process.

Hi taffypot I can relate to all of your symptoms and feel your pain I really do. Currently I have both shoulders frozen for 10 weeks now. Have been for Laser and shock treatment however, not convinced and now just stay with Arcoxia 120mg and Pregabalin 75mg twice daily. This only eases my nerve and muscle pain for a few hours to allow me to attempt some physio and like you and others, awake in the middle of the night with dry stabbing like pains at shoulder elbow and wrist joints. My fingers have started to feel sore and I can barely write my name.

Unfortunately I believed I was making steady progress up until a few days ago however, was guilty of carrying a few lightweight bags of groceries and now have set myself back a few weeks. Agree with the statement that you need painkillers before physio. By the way I believe my condition came on after carrying heavy bottles of water for 4 months then stopping. My body didn't like the change and I now suffer the consequences. At the same time I was losing 18kg during that same period in a tropical climate. Welcome feedback on any of the above and best of lucjk to all getting over this horrible condition.

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wow, i wanted to complain about my frozen shoulder to someone other than my husband but i feel worse for you poor people!

i have a frozen shoulder and i don't take any medication bc i don't want that in my liver. After a very slight injury from moving my arm in a weird way , i was afraid i tore something so i didnt't move it much for a few weeks. it got worse and worse. i went to the dr who didnt help much . it felt like my whole shoulder had grown adhesions and was immovable. we have a new puppy and i slid on the pp pad and tore through inches of the adhesions. it hurt so much i couldnt talk. but then i realized that this was the cure. every night i spent hours ripping out the adhesions by rocking my shoulder in larger and larger circles. im 98 % better. the pain is much better now but it gives me nightsweats practically every night. i dont notice much pain during the day , just a little achy from the torn adhesions. ripping out the adhesions is much more painful the the original injury. Be brave and rip them out. they grow back every night but much weaker . after about 4 nights each section seemed to be healed.

I was kept awake at night from my outer upper arm aching. The ache was located in my upper outer arm between my elbow and my shoulder. The ache was deep and it was intense. It would start aching at night I did not have to be asleep for it to ache, and it would wake me up at night with the pain. I did notice that when awake I could lift up my arm and the pain would stop for the moment, but when I put my arm down it would hurt again. This went on for months and months, I had had it a couple of times before also. I finally went to the doctor for this and she told me I had frozen shoulder and that it would eventually go away on its own. I had physio and it did not help.

Eventually I discovered what worked for me and the pain stopped. I found that if I sleep on my back (with no or low pillow) with my arms straight out from my body with my elbows bet up towards my head (visualize how a baby sleeps on its back) the pain subsided. After sleeping in this position for a short period of time the pain went away and has not returned, I don't always sleep in this position but it is now the most comfortable sleep position for me.

Hi Taffypot

Here's my input. i am now getting better and stronger with my frozen shoulder. i had the cortisone shot but didn't help me at all. i slept on the sofa for 5 months with a pillow wedged down the side of me to rest my arm on. i had a heating pad, microwaveable long and thin about 18" by 4" that has been my saving grace woke up every 1 1/2 hours and just kept heating it up again. id stand up as well ad do a few exercises. i did try the physio but to be honest found it too hard because I was still in the freezing stage. I scoured the internet willing to try anything and finally found Dr Adam Field. you can youtube him he has 2 very simple videos. he does the exercises with you and is very encouraging. they have helped me so much. once you start thawing the pain goes away. I started freezing up in March of last year very very slowly then by June /July it was the worst. The end of October i started easing up very very slightly and with the videos i've gotten stronger. my arm has decent mobility reaching around my back is still difficult but at one time i couldn't even comb my hair or put it in a ponytail. i can now do that!

cut a long story short the heat really helped. Tried acupuncture slight relief but only for a few days. i do go to the chiropractor and that helps. take a look a Dr Field please.