Frozen shoulder

Well this is my first post, and don't even no where to start.... I would say that my first sign of any injury to my shoulder was last jan. it got worst over the months...then by June it was froze... I had not been to a doctor until the end of June. She referred me to another doctor ( orthopedic surgeon) he then diagnosed with FS. He said it was the worst he had seen, I really had no range in my left arm at all.. Then I think what is just as bad is the no sleeping and the constant pain! Well he gave me a cs shot and sent me to PT. but saying that he was sure that it would need more than therapy. I tried for three weeks with little to next to no advancement. I finally broke down with the pain and the not sleeping for months, he did a manipulation a week and a half ago...it's slow and still so painful...and still sleep not happening without meds. I'm getting more range, but seem to becoming more withdrawn from my family and friends... Nobody understands, and who wants to hear about pain and lack of sleep? So I feel very depressed knowing that this could go on like my doc and therapist say 18-24 months! Reading all the post I feel that I'm not alone but still so depressing...I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Hello Island!  You are not alone!!  I currently have frozen shoulder.  I have had it for a year now.  Don't despair.  For the first 3 months, the pain was nearly unbearable.  I barely slept, I felt depressed, like you I withdrew because no one could relate (one guy even swung his arm around saying that he couldn't imagine that I can't move mine--  I told him he WASN'T helping me by doing that in my face, and he apologized).  Then, I had these spasms that would occur from nowhere-- as if the pain couldn't get any worse, the spasms raised the bar times 10!

There was so much that I couldn't do, or I could barely do.  Stuff that we really do take for granted like driving or reaching into a cabinet, or pulling your hair into a ponytail.  I saw an orthopedic who wanted to give me some shots.  I said no.  I then got referred to a physical therapist.  After 3 visits, I stopped going.  The pain at night made it impossible to sleep.  I found a trick on the web that to sleep pain-free, you need to prop a pillow underneath your hurting arm.  The pillow will give you support during the night.  The first time I tried it, I was finally able to sleep well.  I had to use the pillow at night for about a month.

After the 3 months, the pain subsided, but I still couldn't use my arm very much.  As I type this right now, my shoulder is a little sore.  What I determined to do was to exercise on my own.  I began going for walks and doing some daily stretches.  I didn't exercise much before my shoulder became frozen.  I now wanted to become very healthy.  I started eating better, too.  Although it's been a year and I still have the condition, I am happy to say that my range of motion has greatly improved.  I can drive, reach for a few things on a shelf, I can even do a ponytail now, and I have fewer problems getting dressed!  I say all of this to encourage you.  Do what you can to stretch and eat healthy.  Don't overdo things, but do enough so that you can slowly rebuild the use of your arm.  It will take time, but being patient and positive can go a long way.  Don't lift anything heavy.  Just light stretches.  Walking is good exercise.  (I'm typing and I can feel my arm getting stiff, so I stopped and did some stretching.)  Mobility is the key.  After you recover, keep up with stretching and exercising and eating well so that the condition won't return.  (I read that once you get it, it can return in the future.)

Hang in there!  It WILL get better!

Hello Island and welcome to Healing Well's chronic pain forum. I am glad that you found us but sorry that you have to be here. We have another new person on here that has the same condition and they gave you some pretty good info on your condition. I have always heard this is a very painful condition. Usually the ones that have the MUA as you did, they see improvement, just follow your doctors instructions to the letter.

Try not to be so hard on yourself, you did not ask for this to happen, so don't beat yourself up. Chronic pain and depression go hand in hand for some reason, many of us have to be on medication for depression because of our pain. Maybe you should go in and see your primary care doctor and let him/her know what is going on.

You are not alone when it comes to dealing with your pain. There is a bunch of us on here that can relate to everything you say when it comes to dealing with pain, we are right there with you.

Have you told the dr how bad you really feel and how you are doing? If not, you really need to let him know.

Any way, I wanted to pop on and tell you hello and welcome aboard. Take care....Susie

Hi everyone, this is my first post but I came upon this site after doing research for frozen shoulder. I have been diagnosed with frozen shoulder, got a MRI and found out that I have a Rotator cuff tear that started causing me pain late May 2012 and the pain got worse, I started Physical therapy to help with the tear but now with the frozen shoulder I'm so much in pain and the lack do sleep is really bringing me down, I have had 5 surgeries since 2005, two have been neck surgeries so I have had chronic pain since 2005 but now with this I don't know how I'm going to be able to deal with the horrible pain and the lack of sleep for the next two years. The normal things you do in life, putting your hair in a pony tail, getting dressed, driving among other things that I can't do is so depressing, I already have depression due to the previous surgeries and having chronic pain and it is just getting worse. And no one understands what you are going thru, they try to understand but they just don't. I have an 11 year who I'm trying not to break down in front of her, I really don't know if I'm going to be able to handle it. Reading some of the post really helped knowing other people understand and are going through the same things I am. I'm just in the beginning stage and I'm saying to myself why me, after everything that I've already gone thru. I just pray that I have the strength to go on.

 

      ...Hello all! and welcome! We seem to have three new members here in this thread, and Liss and tnvol...I'm hoping that the each of you will introduce yourselves on separate post. You will get a much better welcome that way.

        Island, I'm sorry you are dealing with very painful condition, and I have a good friend here at work that went through this. He is a tough guy, and used to grap ahold of a chain to a hoist, and pull his arm up with it...and scream while it was stretching it. LOL ...Please don't try that! LOL

    It does sound like you need something for the pain there. Have they not offered anything...or have you not asked for something to ease the pain a bit for you? I really think you need something, and this will also help you get through the PT.

     Again welcome, and enjoy the forum!

     SE

Hello! This is my first post. I have had frozen shoulder for about a year now. I got it from what I believe was a flu shot last year. I got my flu shot Oct 16, 2011. The nurse put it very high on my shoulder, very near the joint. My shoulder began bothering me around the end of Oct. I remember this because we always close our camper down at the end of Oct because they shut the water off Nov 1. I noticed I was having pain and stiffness in my shoulder while we were covering the camper. I just thought I pulled something during the shutdown process. I never associated it with the flu shot at that point. It continued to bother me and got worse until I finally saw my Dr at the end of Dec. She gave me an EKG, since it was my left shoulder. She also sent me for x-rays and ordered an MRI. She sent me for physical therapy and referred me to an Ortho Dr. In all I have had 3 MRIs, an EKG, an x-ray, an EMG, 40 PT visits, and 8 visits to the Ortho Dr. The results of the EMG and the 2nd MRI showed a pinched nerve in my neck. That's what has been causing 20 years of migraines!! YAY!! I was VERY happy to find that out. So I now have a cervical traction unit that I use every morning that has greatly reduced the number of migraines I have. So back to the frozen shoulder - at my last visit to the Ortho Dr he is recommending the Shoulder Manipulation under Anestethia and Orthoscopic Surgery for my shoulder. I would like to know if anybody has had this done. What was your experience? What was your recovery time? How long can I expect to be off work? And for the other question - my last visit to my PT he said I was at about 80%. He said I could work it out the rest of the way with exercises. I asked my Ortho Dr about that and he said that I could but it would take a year or two to get there.  So at that point I called my PT and talked to him and he said that it was a matter of personal choice. Any thoughts?! I'm so confused. I just want my shoulder back!!!

Hi there. So nice to find other people (however unfortunate) going through this, because it is true... NOBODY could understand that has not gone through this nightmare of a condition. And I am not a stranger to pain. In the past I have dislocated a hip and tore up my face and hands in a nasty car accident, bore a child naturally without any meds, etc. But I have to say, nothing has ever compared to this. After having a manipulation done on my left frozen shoulder in March 2012 (suffered with it for almost two years), I developed it again in my right shoulder by July 2012. I feel like I am living in hell. Question for those that have had MUA... were you given a general anesthetic (put to sleep)? I was not. My doc filled my shoulder with saline, injected Novocaine (really?) and went to town. You know that lightning bolt of pain when your arm gets jolted by accident in daily life? Imagine initiating that on purpose. It was very traumatic, but it did work. I have most of my range of motion back on the left shoulder and mostly pain free. However, I am in fear of having this done again next month for the new shoulder and am unsure if I should insist on being put to sleep.

What has worked for me: sleeping with two extra pillows (one under or between knees, and one under the affected arm/s). doesn't make for perfect sleep, but it sure helped a lot. my stomach is pretty sensitive to NSAIDs and narcotics so my doc prescribed Volteran gel that I rub on a few times a day, that seems to help a bit with the constant mysterious ache. he offered to prescribe me Prednisone but I am afraid of the mood swings, as I already feel very depressed and hopeless at times. Funny side note, listed under it's side affects: inappropriate happiness. Wth? But back to what helps... Hot tubbing. Massage. Poetry (gotta find what lifts your spirits too). I tried acupuncture and while it did not help with shoulder range of motion or the lightning bolt pain, it did help to ease the tension and soreness in my trapezius muscles that seem to get affected by this.

My advice before getting the MUA, if you are not put to sleep... ask for an ativan or valium at least, to take beforehand.

i've had 2 frozen shoulders, one in each shoulder, over the years. both times i had cortisone shots along with tramadol. first time i did their little pt. second time i went without it. both times lasted a few months. frozen shoulders go thru phases like freezing and thawing and take time. i think freezing is the most painful part. if you ever get shoulder pain along with diminishing range of motion, it is very important that you get to the doctor asap. the sooner they can start treating you the sooner it will be over.

I only had 20 visits of pt with my insurance. But my Ortho had me going 5 days a week for four weeks first time he did the surgery. I went two days after the surgery. He wanted it moving ASAP. I still didn't get all my motion back and was having pain a year later. That is why we did it again. I am good now! (with the shoulder) Just had back surgery four weeks ago.

Hi Magic and welcome to the chronic pain forum. You have posted on a thread that is no longer active as the original poster is no longer with the forum. We ask that all of our new members to make their own intro thread so that all members will see it and be able to give you a proper hello and welcome aboard.

Take care........

Susie

Hello YourKey and welcome to the chronic pain forum. Wow, what a story your have to tell and a very good one. I am so glad to read what a success story you have to share with others.

We ask that all new members start their own intro post so that all members will see if & be able to give you a proper hello & welcome aboard. By posting on someone elses thread most of the members will not see your post. You can copy & paste what you have written here & it will be fine for an intro post.

Welcome aboard......Susie