Recently diagnosed-happy to have found this group!
Posted , 8 users are following.
After a month or more of what I thought was arthritis getting (quickly) worse, I realized I probably had FS. A doctor confirmed it about a month ago. I am doing exercises and I am waiting to see how it goes before I look at other treatment options. I have sympathetic some people around me, but unless you have experienced it, it hard to understand the extreme pain that is involved. My husband pretty much gets it. He has nerve damage in his neck from a car accident, and that pain zings down into his fingers. He understands when I suddenly gasp in pain. But I am grateful that I found this group, and reading through the posts and comments has given me information and shown me there is a place to go if I need it where there are people who understand the specific journey this condition puts us on. Thanks!
3 likes, 25 replies
Cheerio terese13955
Posted
Terese, I'm sorry for your pain. There are many helpful people here with great suggestions. My suggestions are limited because as excruciating and restrictive as this has been for me, I never reached the point of needing surgery. Various things that helped: gently massage with a tennis ball against the wall, peppermint essential oil mixed with olive oil & massaged into the painful areas, pendulum exercises, gentle stretching exercises, no sleeping on the affected shoulder, sleep on other side & place a cushion between elbow & ribs of affected side, ice or heat, depending on the stage, if cold feels better use frozen peas so they easily move around the shoulder instead of the weight of a solid slab of ice. Some exercises are easier to do while bending forward & letting your arm dangle. Even if the range of movement is minuscule, try tiny figure 8's, side to side and/or circles while bending forward. I could barely tolerate even the smallest movement initially, but have improved. Best wishes to you!
terese13955 Cheerio
Posted
Some very good suggestions - thank you! From reading on this forum, it looks like I was pushing too hard with the exercises, thinking the pain when doing them meant it was helping to break things up. Now I will go just to the edge and not past it! There are some the doctor gave me I could kind of do, but can't right now, so I have printed off additional options I found online and will do the ones I can. Thank you for the best wishes! I wish you the best as well!
lisa80451 Cheerio
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bailey35525 terese13955
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I am now in stage 2 and completely frozen so have no movement. I also have shoulder bursitis so in alot of pain again. I keep using ice and may consider having a 2nd cortisone injection (first one worked for 3 months and was able to sleep). I am not great on painkillers they make me too wappy!!!
Keep strong xx
terese13955 bailey35525
Posted
I am so glad what I posted helped you a little bit! Thank you for letting me know. I had major surgery in 2015 (the outcome was beyond good, and some very scary outcomes had been possible!), and this is actually more painful than any of the recovery from that. This is a condition where you have no idea if/when it will be resolved, as opposed to a surgery, or a bone break, etc. that has a basic time frame of recovery. That adds to the frustration, doesn't it! Thank you for responding to me - and you keep strong, too!
lisa80451 terese13955
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terese13955 lisa80451
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Thank you, Lisa! I did notice less of a muscle ache even after I just massage the muscle myself. Great suggestion! I don't like taking even over the counter pain meds on a consistent basis, so anything non-drug is a good option. Thanks!
lisa80451 terese13955
Posted
I am glad you tried that. My husband would give me the massage but his hands hurt so going to get one was the only option for me. I had frozen shoulder in both shoulders at the same time so it was hard for me to do it myself. My masseuse read up on which muscles to work on and then would ask me which were hurting the most that day and she would focus on those areas. I'm glad it helped you because I also don't believe in the pain meds. Good luck
myrna_92250 terese13955
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terese13955 myrna_92250
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Hello Myrna, my shoulder is loosening up a bit but now I am having significant muscle pain in my upper and lower arm, including pain across my wrist. I got an Icy Hot Smart Relief TENS Knee and Shoulder kit that helped my upper arm for a bit. I wrapped a heating pad around my lower arm and wrist, and that helped a little, as well. I need to continue to do that each day. Using arthritis strength acetaminophen? occasionally doesn't help very much, and I also don't like using pain meds if I can avoid it. If you want to go that direction, my husband's doctor had recommended 2 arthritis strength acetaminophen and one ibuprofen? to him when he wanted to get off of opioids after a severe injury. I may try that before bed to see if it will help me sleep through the night. You are not alone, Myrna!
bailey35525 myrna_92250
Posted
Hello
I have pain in bicep and also struggle to turn hand all the way over (palm up) this is due to all the muscle spasms and holding my arm stiffly due to pain. So I have taken the groups advise and have massage.....really improved bicep pain and able to turn hand over once ive de-stressed. I have also had the opportunity to use a shiatzu massage cushion.....OMG this was amazing and the relief was bliss! I am now investing in my own cushion (BOOTS £59.99). This cushion had the balls that rotate and has a heat setting too. I will still go for a deep tissue massage but will use the cushion regularly at home.
Like the rest of the group i have found my movement is slightly better after the massages.
Stay strong xxx
myrna_92250 terese13955
Posted
Thank you so much for all the information on ways of reducing the pain I did order the Icy hot smart I found them on EBay I should get it next week again thank you so much felt better knowing that I’m not alone feeling this way🙏🏽
myrna_92250 bailey35525
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lisa80451 bailey35525
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I am so glad the massage worked for you. When I posted that it really helped me the first person to reply told me I must not have had frozen shoulder because there's no way massage would help. I don't believe in all the surgery so I tried it and one shoulder is almost normal. Good for you for trying it and once again glad it helped. Any help with this much pain is great.
bailey35525 lisa80451
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Keep Strong xx
lisa80451 bailey35525
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I am almost back to no pain in right shoulder and all mobility back. Left shoulder started first and was worse and I have some pain left and getting mobility back. I can do my hair again which I wasn't able to do for quite a while. My husband was calling me tyrannosaurus arms for a while just to get me to laugh. I am able to sleep in bed and that is the most important. Will be totally better soon. Down to a massage every 6 weeks. Good luck with your recovery.
brent28997 lisa80451
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lisa80451 brent28997
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Sorry to say but you are probably going to get a little worse. I started having issues in late April last year, by end of July my husband started calling me t-Rex because I could get my elbows far from my body at all. I started the massages in august and started improving end of august. Right now I am almost completely better. At first just pain was better and slowly got mobility back but this last month I can tell a difference every day. I still have some pain but after the pain when fully frozen pain is nothing now. I did not do any PT but did stretching excersises at home every day. Just didn't push it much. Good luck with your recovery.