FROZEN SHOULDER (ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS)

Hey Yalinda, I can't exactly understand what you're goingthrough, but I've come very close to having a frozen shoulder twice. I have AS and the Enthesitis affects my right shoulder very badly. The first time was after an injury at work. It took 8 months of fighting with the comp carrier to get the surgery done for what they thought was a torn rotator cuff. By the time they got in there, no tesr was found and all they could come up with was inflammation and impingement.

The last time was about a year and a half ago. My xrays indicated another rotator cuff tear, but the MRI was clean, except for a bone cyst on my Humeral head. Yet, I couldn't lift my arm and I was in sheer agony. My Rheumy insisted that my shoulder problem was the result of the first surgery - 15 years earlier. I had 2 cortisone which gave me some improvement but for a very short time. My ROM was so limited that I had all the problems you are having, except on the right side and I even got a fungal infection in my underarm because of lack of air!

The only way that these two episodes could be explained would be to call them Enthesitis flares. Both eventually resolved on their own, but both times I was terrified of ending up with adhesive encapsulitis. The AS puts me at high risk for joint fusion and the last thing I want to lose is the use of my right arm. Now that I'm using Humira, my shoulders are much better and the worst I can complain about is some occasional pain in my R bicipital tendon. I have complete ROM in my L shoulder and near complete in my R. That's enough to make me really happy and keep me doing whatever possible to maintain my treatment on Humira, in spite of my chronic sinus infections.

I hope that you can find a way to end this flare too.

I had adhesive capsulitis, and like everyone here it took me many months before I finally went to the doc[my only doc is a rheumy, and I've got AS so he knows about this crap!] and told him about my funny shoulder pain.

He however, took one look at it, and says..hey! you've got a frozen shoulder man. You've got to come in sooner you know! We can clear this up in 3 weeks but you're going to have to come back every week for a shot of prednisone into the shoulder, and physical therapy three times a week, plus exercise everyday. Start slow, and off you go.

The PT's were nice, they did push and stretch things out but were nice enough to ice things down after and well, I had to relearn discipline

That was a year and a half ago and since then I've been good about making sure my shoulder is moving, plus exercise, tennis, walking stretching etc. Still...I'm going to start Remicade next week. Wish me luck!

However, I am surprised that your doc hasn't put you on prednisone/something good for the inflammation and physical therapy. Letting you suffer in pain is not cool. Time to find another doctor I think, or some other drug that works for you.

EDIT: I finally read all the other posts and I now see that this seems to show up in various flavors. Perhaps mine wasn't as bad and I managed to get through the inflammation stage without too much of an issue. Or I caught it before it wa completely frozen.

Post Edited (Stanley Ipkiss) : 7/19/2007 10:26:40 AM (GMT-6)

Hi All. I've just been diagnosed with the Frozen Shoulder. and from reading all these posts all I can do is shake my head in agreement. If I was a pirate I would snake my head in RRRRRRgreement b/c yes it really does hurt. I strained my shoulder about 4 months ago, and the pain developed about a month later. I think I'm going into the 2nd phase of it, but with a week of fairly aggressive PT now under my belt, I think all I want to do is crawl into a hole. I've read a lot of differing opinions on the internet on avenues of home therapy, I have to believe streching over and over is probably the best.I see this forum was pretty active from late May till July, but has quieted down, I hope that people will continue to add their experiences as it seems this could take a loooooong time to get better. My biggest problem aside from pain is that I'm a commercial construction worker and Workman's Comp. along with my own ins. wont cover me. so no money at all coming in and plenty of doctor's bills going out. Thanks all Jimbo

I am soooo relieved to hear that someone else, besides myself, has frozen shoulder!!! I was diagnosed in May 2007. It is amazing that everyday tasks are so trying. I never realized how little things now are so difficult. Unless you have it I truly don't think that the people around you can understand the amount of pain you go through every second of the day. I am right handed and unfortunately, It is my right shoulder which is affected.
Things that have helped me: Physical therapy. Actually doing the exercises, no matter how painful. Lying on the couch watching a show that will help you take your mind off the pain, with a 3 lb weight over your head and slowly stretching using your good arm to pull the frozen arm outward, holding the frozen arm at the wrist. I use the corn bags that can be heated in the microwave at night in conjunction with ambien and naproxen. I also take a weight while standing and bending over just letting my arm hang, and graduating to doing small circles with the weight in my hand.
I too, have the problem of shaving under my arm. In the shower, after letting the hot water run on my shoulder I put my hand against the wall of the shower and walk it up slowly until i can get enough room to shave..some days i have more room than others.
At work i tie the rubberband the PT gave me to one of my file cabinets to do my exercises. While sitting next to my desk i will lay my arm on top of my desk and bend at my waist strectching my arm. i feel a good stretch on my side and shoulder. i hope this helps.....
i am currently working on putting my hand on my hip, which seems at this time, impossible..if anyone has any good exercises or helpful hints, please let me know..
i go back to the Doctor in October where he wants to discuss shoulder manipulation in more depth...i feel that i have made some progress and maybe manipulation would speed things up but if my arm were to break, which i have read is a possibility, wouldn't that take me back to square one ?...has anyone out there been through manipulation?

Hi Everyone....I posted, but it got put as a new post.

I am so anxious to hear from you all....it's been 6 months, and where are you now.  I am in the frozen/stiff stage, Dr. wants to do manipulation.....and I don't want to.  From everything I read, if I work hard everyday, it will heal itself.   I am trying, also, to go natural on this.  Stopped taking Ibuprofen after 2 months....I miss it.....but I think it can cause stomach and liver problems.  I have stocked up on anti-inflammatories from the health food store...and they seem to be working, except after therapy when they Kill my arm.  Using ice and wet heat.........anyone can give me encouragement?  Let me know how you all are.  I am hoping, since you haven't posted for 6 months that you are all better....give me that hope.   Thanks......

fstori I'm sorry you have Frozen shoulder - it really is the most awful pain. I got it in both shoulders after tripping and falling thru a glass door (very few cuts but wrecked the shoulders!). I tore both rotor cuffs and got the old FS! This happened 18 months ago I had a treatment (2 actually) during the first stage... the pain was driving me mad.. (I couldn't sleep had to take heaps of time off work - some days I couldn't drive!) called dilitation which helped for a week or so then the pain was back apparently it works really well for a lot of people but my new Dr thinks it didn't help cos I have RA the RA . fS has 3 stages each lasting about 3-6 months. The first stage is the worst, oh the pain I really feel for you! The stiffness really sets in in 2nd stage but the pain lessens - it did but it was still there and it didn't help that my RA had flared. The third stages apparently determines how much movement loss there is in the shoulder. I still have pain but when I think it's bad I just think back to last May! I tried all sorts of pain killers and got very little relief - I had to take the maximum dose of Tramal for any help then was given Lyrica for pain and I found it really helped. (Pregabalin). Sorry I can't tell you it'll be gone in a week! Some people especially those who have had it before can get it for a much shorter time - I really hope this the case for you. I was told not to lift my arms above my head or lift anything heavy (what a joke I couldn't lift the kettle some days!) and both the surgeon who did the dilatation and my dr told me not to have physio I don't know that this is right because I think the muscles in my arms are really weak now - get good advice about physio. Take care

HI everyone! I am new to the frozen shoulder post but been on GERD posts for a while.

I had surgery for torn bicep tendon August 26. At my visit to dr three and half weeks later I find out I have frozen shoulder. I had been telling everyone it felt very tight and I had lots of pain. PT said everyone is different after surgery. We just need to work through the pain. I literally thought they would break it off in therapy. After reading about frozen shoulder and how long it takes to get over, I have gotten to a very low. My ortho put the coritsone shot in and gave me demarol. First night I had sleep more then two hours in a while. Just hope this will help pain for a while.

I was wondering how do you know what stage you are in? I think I am in the frozen stage.

Thanks
Tracey

They had said the torn tendon would take 2 to 4 months to be back to normal.  I think the frozen shoulder started within the first week of my surgery.  This is week 4.  I think I should  have tried to live with the tendon pain now.  The pain is awful.  I can only sleep about 2 hours a night.  I will be checking back in after a few days of pt and see what my progress is.  Thanks

Well it's been a few months since the frozen shoulder and still have no external rotation.  Sleeping is a little better.  I had to get another cortizone shot a few  weeks ago because I tore some of the adhesions myself.  I go back to surgeon in a week for three month follow up.  If I have not gained five percent rotation he wants to do surgery.  Anyone have any thoughts on the surgery?  I do not know anyone who has had fs so no sure what to expect. 

Thanks

Tracey

Happy New Year Everyone!  Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. 

I started off with surgery on my shoulder.  I went in Dec 30 for shoulder surgery to break up the adhesions.  One week later and I am so happy I went through with it.  I have so much movement back in just a week.  I can raise my arm up over my head and for the first time in months I reached in the back seat of my car for something.  Also can lay with hands behind my head.  These things all sound so silly but I have been so limited.  You guys can relate.

I was thinking I was going to be down for a while.  I thought this surgery would be as bad as the first one.  It was no comparison.  I do have to take pain meds but it is not as bad.  Just have two small incisions.

I had to go to PT the very next day after surgery.  It was not bad at all.  I have to do pt everyday for three weeks.  Also, do the exercises four times a day.  They say you have to work hard to keep it from freezing again.

I hope I never have to deal with this again.  It has been a nightmare.  People really do not understand just how painful it is.  They think you just a wimp! 

thanks for being here and understanding everyone