Frozen Shoulder

[mom2rtk]

Anyone have experience with this they want to share? How long did it last? What did you do that helped?

 

[JaxDad]

Anyone have experience with this they want to share? How long did it last? What did you do that helped?

I had it a couple years ago. When I finally went to a doctor (actually a PA), he gave me a hydrocortisone shot and sent me to PT. I did two sessions of PT to learn the best stretches and exercises and how to do them properly, then just did them on my own. It was essentially as good as new in three months or so. I let it bother me for much longer than that, before I finally sought treatment. I should have gone sooner.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

It is so painful that it kept me awake at night and I couldn’t do simple things like take a jumper off or put a coat on. The phases are agony, which lasts a couple of months, slightly (only slightly) less painful and slowly healing. My GP suggested YouTube videos ( good old NHS) and the exercises worked. About 12 months later I have 99 percent of my movement back. Slightly wary of Space Mountain in two weeks time . Moral of the story.... don’t try boxercise when you are no longer a spring chicken.

Painkillers and hot water bottles helped and putting a pillow between your body and your arm. Good luck.

 

[mom2rtk]

I had it a couple years ago. When I finally went to a doctor (actually a PA), he gave me a hydrocortisone shot and sent me to PT. I did two sessions of PT to learn the best stretches and exercises and how to properly do them, then just did them on my own. It was essentially as good as new in three months or so. I let it bother me for longer than that before I finally sought treatment. I should have gone sooner.

That's encouraging. I'm about 8 months in. I saw the ortho the other day and he wants me to do the exercises and come back in 6 weeks. If it's not better, they'll likely do the shot then.

It is so painful that it kept me awake at night and I couldn’t do simple things like take a jumper off or put a coat on. The phases are agony, which lasts a couple of months, slightly (only slightly) less painful and slowly healing. My GP suggested YouTube videos ( good old NHS) and the exercises worked. About 12 months later I have 99 percent of my movement back. Slightly wary of Space Mountain in two weeks time . Moral of the story.... don’t try boxercise when you are no longer a spring chicken.

Painkillers and hot water bottles helped and putting a pillow between your body and your arm. Good luck.

I haven't really had any help with pain killers. I hear you on the pillow though. I use one at night and anytime I'm sitting for a while. I have them in various places around the house to always have one handy. It really stinks to wake up hurting all the time because the pillow shifted.

The most discouraging part for me is that my other shoulder started hurting a week or so ago. I'm sort of panicking because I won't be able to get dressed or blow dry my hair if that one freezes up too (so far just hurts, no loss of range of motion yet).

 

[KPeterso]

I had it a number of years ago. After suffering a week, I went to my doctor who moved it all around painfully, and then sent me for an x-ray (fell in shower) to be sure nothing was broken. Thankfully, nothing was broken, and I was prescribed pain killers and anti-inflammatory (NSAID) and physical therapy. I was not able to start the physical therapy for about 2 more weeks (soonest I could get the new patient appointment). But as soon as I did, it started to improve quickly. I did PT about 2 months and by the end I had gained the range of motion that is considered acceptable. I can get my arm up straight next to my head, but going over backwards for 360 is very hard and stiff. And this is probably 7-8 years later. And I will have days it still aches a lot --- especially if I am carrying a lot on my shoulder like when travelling. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[DisneyOma]

I have rotten shoulders to begin with, so when I hurt one, it got really bad. Primary Care doctor gave me a packet with exercises. None of them helped, actually made the pain worse, and didn't loosen up the shoulder. Friend showed me one exercise she did to open up her shoulder sockets, and it worked. Swimming gently in a pool also helped. I had injured it in May of last year, made it worse over the summer, saw the doctor in August, had it freeze up during the fall and winter, and got it moving about a month into the exercise in April. It's still not 100%, but I can get the arm up to horizontal.

The exercise was to pretend to wipe a table. Small circles, larger circles, low circles, high circles

 

[disykat]

The thing that really helped me was physical therapy. The best was when the PT would have me lay down and basically push and pull on my arm and shoulder and everything would just feel like it was ripping. Each time he did that it felt like things opened up dramatically and I had more range of motion to work with.

 

[Tink9721]

Definitely physical therapy! I'm a PT student and just did my first clinical rotation this summer. I observed and worked with a lot of shoulder patients. I can't remember any frozen shoulders off the top of my head, but I saw a lot of patients with restricted range of motion, and PT definitely helped them get some of that range back. At my clinic they were also really good about asking the patients if there were any specific functional activities they wanted help with, and they'd give them exercises that would help with those. Like if they were having trouble hooking/unhooking a bra, they'd give them stretches with the "bad" arm behind the back, etc.

 

[DisBud]

I had this last year. I had physical therapy, it was very painful, but they stretched me way further than I would have done on my own. It did feel like things were bursting, but my recovery was only about 3 months and it was gone. It was important to keep up with stretches and excersizes between appointments (I went twice a week). Good luck, it can get very painful!

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks for everyone's input. It sounds like I really need to get going on some PT. I've held off because of my crappy insurance plan. With an ugly deductible, it's basically all going to be completely out of pocket. I'm doing the exercises suggested by the ortho. And I'll probably try doing one or two PT visits then try to do it on my own.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I’m sorry you’re in pain! DH got the cortisone shot pretty quickly and they gave him some exercises to do. It resolved within a week or two. Funny how it’s treated differently depending on where you go.

 

[mom2rtk]

I’m sorry you’re in pain! DH got the cortisone shot pretty quickly and they gave him some exercises to do. It resolved within a week or two. Funny how it’s treated differently depending on where you go.

Thanks Pea. I think it's more like it's treated differently when you have suck insurance and know you have to pay out of pocket for all of it. I probably could have escalated things at any point, but was trying not to break the bank.

 

[DisneyOma]

Definitely physical therapy! I'm a PT student and just did my first clinical rotation this summer. I observed and worked with a lot of shoulder patients. I can't remember any frozen shoulders off the top of my head, but I saw a lot of patients with restricted range of motion, and PT definitely helped them get some of that range back. At my clinic they were also really good about asking the patients if there were any specific functional activities they wanted help with, and they'd give them exercises that would help with those. Like if they were having trouble hooking/unhooking a bra, they'd give them stretches with the "bad" arm behind the back, etc.

Who unhooks or hooks their bra up from the back? I've never heard of that before - I just hook it in front, then rotate it around to the back No wonder they hurt their shoulders,

 

[Sabeking]

Sorry I have no advice but want to say mom2rtk your daughter has grown up! She is beautiful and I wish her the best in her future!

 

[js]

. Moral of the story.... don’t try boxercise when you are no longer a spring chicken.

Painkillers and hot water bottles helped and putting a pillow between your body and your arm. Good luck.

Hi. I have never hear of frozen shoulder before this thread.

Do most injuries come from working out (and age lol).

Im 52, physically fit and at the gym approximately 5 times a week. What do I need to avoid? Had to stop running after I had swollen bone marrow, heel fractures and a tear in my arch but I believe that came from an incorrect cortozine shot and had a boot on for about four months. So now I have to modify on the treadmill but wondering if I need to do something different with my shoulder/back work. Part of my daily workout routine is 30 minutes on the rower and back and chest machines in addition to my uphill treadmill work.

I am terrified of needing an operation because of my working out and glad I opened this thread since when I saw the title at work today, I thought it was about pork or some kind of meat lol

Thanks.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV, but if you're worried about the cost of PT, try these:

Stretches from Harvard Med

(And take the part about warming it up seriously!)

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Do most injuries come from working out (and age lol).

I didn’t warm up my shoulders and apparently boxercise is reknown for causing this type of injury.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV, but if you're worried about the cost of PT, try these:

Stretches from Harvard Med

(And take the part about warming it up seriously!)

These are exactly what I did. They worked. The important thing is not too force the painful shoulder. Use your good arm to support it. And the pendulum swings should be gentle not like a windmill .

 

[mom2rtk]

Who unhooks or hooks their bra up from the back? I've never heard of that before - I just hook it in front, then rotate it around to the back No wonder they hurt their shoulders,

I've always hooked mine from the back. Until this year of course. I hate sliding it around because I'm usually doing so after a shower and it won't slide very well.

Hi. I have never hear of frozen shoulder before this thread.

Do most injuries come from working out (and age lol).

Im 52, physically fit and at the gym approximately 5 times a week. What do I need to avoid? Had to stop running after I had swollen bone marrow, heel fractures and a tear in my arch but I believe that came from an incorrect cortozine shot and had a boot on for about four months. So now I have to modify on the treadmill but wondering if I need to do something different with my shoulder/back work. Part of my daily workout routine is 30 minutes on the rower and back and chest machines in addition to my uphill treadmill work.

I am terrified of needing an operation because of my working out and glad I opened this thread since when I saw the title at work today, I thought it was about pork or some kind of meat lol

Thanks.

I hadn't heard of it before either. The ortho says they see them every day in their practice.

I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV, but if you're worried about the cost of PT, try these:

Stretches from Harvard Med

(And take the part about warming it up seriously!)

These are exactly what I did. They worked. The important thing is not too force the painful shoulder. Use your good arm to support it. And the pendulum swings should be gentle not like a windmill .

Thanks! The funny part is that is exactly the list of what I did for about a month earlier in the year. When it didn't help, I gave up.

Sorry I have no advice but want to say mom2rtk your daughter has grown up! She is beautiful and I wish her the best in her future!

Thanks so much @Sabeking . She left for college 3 weeks ago and boy am I missing her.

 

[LouChris]

Get PT and quickly and do the exercises even though they hurt.

I have had one frozen shoulder and the other try to freeze up on me. One got bad enough that i could only get my arm up to about what a 90 degree angle. I couldn't raise it up, couldn't put on a shirt without help, PT couldn't unlock it. That one had a bone spur in it. I ended up having to have surgery where they had to remove the spur and manually unlock it while i was asleep. After surgery I started PT 24 hours later. Worst pain of my life and I have had 3 C-Sections and chronic appendicitis.

The other should started to freeze up on me and I immediately went in and got the cortisone shots, PT and acupuncture and it stopped after treatment. It's worth paying for the PT versus letting it really freeze!