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recovery time after frozen shoulder manipulation

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deb49491
deb49491

It's been 18 months of torture ! Going to have my shoulder manipulated this week . I am thrilled to have found this link . Knowing someone actually understands what I'm going through ! I was in tears reading everyone's situation .this is the most painful and debilitating situation ever ! Would like to.hear some stories on what happens after manipulation , I plan on only taking off work 3 days after . I am a mammographer . I suffer through my 12 hr days ! I am praying I will be on my way to recovery after  4 days !! 

7 likes, 182 replies

182 Replies

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  • david11111
    david11111 deb49491

    Posted

    Hi Deb

    Carnt offer advice regarding the manipulation but wishing you well and hope you get some fast results

    Good luck smile

  • karenmarie
    karenmarie deb49491

    Posted

    Hi - I had capsular release survey and gentle manipulation under general anesthetic, I had to have two weeks off plus a two week phased return. I really needed that time to recover properly plus do the gentle exercises. They wouldn't let me drive. I'm recovering well (3 weeks) but it's a long haul of physio too. Perhaps you should chat to your consultant and make a plan for recovery as 3 days maybe a tad ambitious... 
    • elviscentral
      elviscentral karenmarie

      Posted

      I just had Frozen Shoulder manipulation 12 days ago. My arm bruised from my shoulder almost down to my hand. I have been in so much pain. Trying not to take to many pain pills a day. I also take gabapentin which is a nerve pain medication. I don't sleep and I have been taking sleeping medication. I am up every 2 hours. I had a very aggressive manipulation and this is worse than the replacement knee surgery I had a year and a half ago. I can raise my arm and do the exercises they gave me but still having problems reaching behind my back. Haven't had any theropy yet. I also had a bone spur removed. I go to have my stitches out tomorrow. Will have to continue on pain medication for a while. Get up and do a few things around the house but then I am back to doing nothing. Thanks to all the people who post on here. It has been helpful reading all your situations.

  • leslie61028
    leslie61028 deb49491

    Posted

    Hi Deb,

    This site was a good god send for me too. Glad you found it. Sounds like you are at the starting point of your road to recovery. Did your physician suggest the 4 day return to work? In my experience that is way too soon and if your work is in anyway using your affected arm/shoulder it most certainly will be counterproductive. For my MUA, I was to treat it like a surgery (which it is considered in some circles) and I was not to use or lift or do anything that was not physical therapist approved. It takes months to stretch, heal, strengthen and retrain that shoulder. 

    Have you gone to any physical therapy prior? Has your pain gone from freezing to frozen? 18 months is a long time to be in this kind of horrid and intense pain -you may have more going on. have you had any imaging done?- and the fix is a long process too. The MUA is not immediate or complete relief. It's the start. 

    I think you need to put your focus on you, your shoulder and your recovery so you don't have to think about it anymore when you are completely healed.

    Don't want to scare you- My trouble started two years ago. I have been actively involved in PT, MUA, PT, PT, MUA, surgery and now again with 3 months PT. I can almost, kindly start using my shoulder.

    The good news is that I don't have that ridiculous, hideous, constant and excruciating pain anymore.

    The best of luck to you- please keep us posted. L 

    • deb49491
      deb49491 leslie61028

      Posted

      Thank you Leslie for you info!! What does MUA stand for . Sorry I feel stupid ! Lol I did have MRI and physical therapy. I also went to chiropractor . The massage therapy was awesome and really made me feel better but that was only a temp fix . I called today and my dr said I might be able to go back to work by Monday . It depends on how everything goes . I think I am going to take off and play it safe . This is a very depressing issue and needs to be headed on the road to recovery !!!! Praying all goes well on Thursday . Thanks for your input ! 

      Deb 

    • leslie61028
      leslie61028 deb49491

      Posted

      manipulation under anesthesia.

      You will be amazed at all the big words you will know by the time this is over... rolleyes 

    • leslie61028
      leslie61028 deb49491

      Posted

      Deb, are you nervous? I hope not- It's an 'in and out' procedure and you will be out of there and on your way home before you know it.

      If we don't chat before you go in- good luck!!!

    • Cricket_Lee
      Cricket_Lee leslie61028

      Posted

      Hi Leslie,

      I started having pain in my left shoulder gradually over time within the last year. I was diagnosed with Tendinitis. Which resulted in me getting Frozen Shoulder. And just had MUA last month in December.

      I am still in Alot of pain. Very limited range. I go to Physical Therapy 3 times a week. I do therapy at home. I force myself to do housework that pushes me...Sweeping...Mopping...Dusting.

      What's the most painful thing to do for me? Get a comfortable good nights sleep. There's NO way. I haven't had one whole nights sleep yet. And I've taken sleeping pills. Not only am I in pain but I'm Exhausted.

      My question to you is:

      Exactly how long can I expect this to last. My Doc and PT makes me think I can be arm wrestling the best in weeks to come but the way I feel...I laugh...More like cry in their face.

      Thank you for your response ahead of time.

  • clare40432
    clare40432 deb49491

    Posted

    Hi Deb

    I wrote earlier on this forum after getting my 2nd frozen shoulder: the first was 7 (yay) years ago; I can say that it all seems so long ago now, but not at the time. I am a dentist and had to cut back to about 40% workload which I went back to about 3 weeks after the manipulation (which by the way was great as it was diminished pain and improved movement: however the "freezing" continued and about 3 months later I had a repeat. Another 3 weeks off then back. Relying on pain relief (for me Nurofen) taken every day 24/7 I was able to continue at work, but it was about 12 months before I had a pain free day when I suddenly thought I hadnt tsaken my tabs!!

    The last year another after the opposite shoulder had surgery. My orthopaedic surgeon said "give yourself 12 months" : well that was 5 Oct last year and amazingly I have been much improved over the past month and off pain relief which was only down to about every 3 days anyway.

    Bottom line is: snail pace, rely on pain relief; physio doesnt make much difference as you can do resistance exercises at home with physio rubber bands; I did have myotherapy to release the muscles and joint every 3 weeks which seems to have kept it better than last time when I didnt have that.

    Dont expect to be "normal" for a while; but it does eventually happen!

    eryna

  • Lilu
    Lilu deb49491

    Posted

    Hi Deb, how did your MUA go?  I just recently join this forum and would like to hear eveybody's experience with their frozen shoulder.  My right shoulder started to "freez" last November and had try streroid shots, acupucture, cuppping and regular PT since Feb.  Now I only can pick up my arm without bending my elbow about 90 degrees from my body.  I feel the stuborn pain from my shoulder daily and very sad that I can't dance any more.  Now I am also considering MUA.  Advice please?
    • wendy63724
      wendy63724 Lilu

      Posted

      Hi Lilu,I'm wondering if you had mua. I'm scheduled for this on June 2nd and am wondering how yours went. I had surgery for a torn labrum and bone spurs causing impingement In march. After surgery my Shoulder froze. I have not had a pain free day or night yet so hoping for some relief
    • lala2704
      lala2704 wendy63724

      Posted

      Hi Lilu, How did your MUA go? I will be having mine on the the first shoulder in early July. I have been suffering with a right frozen shoulder for 22 months and the left one has been 10 months so far. 7 cortisone shots in the right, 3 in the left, thousands of dollars of physio as well as Active Release Therapy (insurance only covers so much in Canada) with no relief. Hope the MUA helps. Wish me luck!
    • alison41082
      alison41082 wendy63724

      Posted

      Hi, I had torn labrum, bone spurs, bicep, and hooked acriom surgery 6 weeks ago! When I came out of my sling at 3 weeks I had frozen shoulder! I am in pt but can get any movement outward! How did your recovery go? Am I really looking at a year??
    • david15013
      david15013 wendy63724

      Posted

      Hello wendy63724, i just had an mua 2 days ago i felt fine and while the shoulder block was still active i had full range of motion once the block wore off it is very painful to move it even the smallest bit. However first pt appointment tomorrow and am hoping to get moving again. Hope this helps
    • alison41082
      alison41082 david15013

      Posted

      David keep us posted I have my capsular release and mua on the 30th!
    • david15013
      david15013 alison41082

      Posted

      I will keep you posted, this actually hurts worse for me than after surgery. I am pretty worried
    • connie428
      connie428 david15013

      Posted

      Hi David,

      I have had the same experience. I had MUA 4 weeks ago and the pain is much worse than it was before the procedure. Even with PT three times a week, I have not been able to get full range of motion back and the pain is excruciating at times. I am beginning to be concerned as are my therapists. Does this get better?

    • alison41082
      alison41082 connie428

      Posted

      Connie! Sorry you are having south pain I am six weeks today from surgery! What are you PT's doing! I started pt day of surgery and they went back to stretch and rom exercises I could tell it wasn't going to work! I quit that pt and got lucky and found a new pt with a new strategy he put me straight into push-ups and weight stuff and just kinda forced me to use the arm! He would only stretch it one time each way up, external, and internal! Then put me to work with help through a series of exercises not pulling or wall crawls but actual weight bearing things within 2 visits the difference was amazing! I'm not totally better I still have a little way to go but I think his shock the arm and put it in survival method worked he says it's a new study!

    • connie428
      connie428 alison41082

      Posted

      My PTs have been doing both stretching and weights. They seem to be concerned that the external rotation does not seem to be getting any better. In fact, it is worse now than it was immediately following the MUA. My doctor does not seem to be concerned, however, so I am not panicking yet! I just want the pain to stop. How long was it before you noticed less pain?
    • david15013
      david15013 connie428

      Posted

      Hi connie,

      So the pain got less frequent but the shoulder still hurts especially when i move it too much or in certain ways. The pain still gets unreal just not as much. Its been months since my mua and im stull hoping for relief. If you have any more questions just ask.

    • dale57315
      dale57315 lorrie14635

      Posted

      Been going to PT 3x a week since April 25. Went in broke adhesions, took out bunch of scar tissue from Nov 6 surgery. It's a slow recovery for sure! Can lift my arm only chest high at best on my own.Had to retire couple years early from my job as I had no more time to take off. Applied for SSDI hoping that comes thru to supplement ny pension Had a follow up yesterday with surgeon who prescribed Mobic, continued therapy.Says usually patients have almost full mobility 2-3 days after 2nd surgery, thinks I will eventually. Said maybe 6 months, maybe 2 years can't tell exactly.

    • dale57315
      dale57315 lorrie14635

      Posted

      The procedure itself was not that painful. I've learned that therapy is indeed the best treatment but it just takes so long!!! Never dreamed it would be this bad and take so long. Will never go they it again that's for sure!!

    • Tamara123
      Tamara123 lorrie14635

      Posted

      Hi, I had MUA in April. My anesthesiologist gave me a nerve block, which knocks out all feeling for entire arm. Then I had a twighlight anesthesia. They said I spoke at the end of it, but I dont remember that.

      I felt nothing for 12 hrs. Only took pain med for 2 nights to get good sleep, but only ibuprofen during the day. It was the best thing I could have done after 6 mos with FS. ...WISH I HAD IT DONE SOONER

    • melissa95059
      melissa95059 lorrie14635

      Posted

      My husband got me a membership at LA fitness about a month ago and that has helped me greatly I swim go in the Jacuzzi and and use many of the machines on the floor lifting weights from 5 to 10 pounds it has helped me get my range of motion back in my strength. I never thought the road to recovery would take this long I the Jacuzzi helps me I stretch my arm and shoulder while in there and you say water wait to exercise . I started in February where I had my first surgery for the slap tear at seven weeks later my shoulder was frozen back to surgery I went for a manipulation all of this was so very painful and it didn't seem like it would get better Months and months went by physical therapy and then I joined the gym and swimming and that's when I really started noticing improvement that it got i months and months went by physical therapy and then I joined the gym and swimming and that's when I really started noticing improvement ??I'm going back to work in a couple weeks finally I hope this helped a little bit don't give up I felt like giving up so many times it was ridiculous how painful and long the recovery took

    • amanda96642
      amanda96642 alison41082

      Posted

      Where did you go to have you MUA? And how are u now? Suffering after 3 yrs
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