Frozen shoulder - anyone else got one?

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Diagnosed today as having Adhesive Capsulitis/Frozen shoulder.

Anyone else on here had/have it?
Has anyone made a full recovery?
Was it long term?

According to the paperwork from the physio it could take up to 3yrs to recover from

[Chester Perry]

Diagnosed today as having Adhesive Capsulitis/Frozen shoulder.

Anyone else on here had/have it?
Has anyone made a full recovery?
Was it long term?

According to the paperwork from the physio it could take up to 3yrs to recover from

Physio is not guaranteed to fix it either - you will need to do the resistance exercises forever - I know people that have effectively had to have procedures that effectively ripped all the muscle fibres (surgeon literally wrenches the arm to rip/tear them (under anaesthetic thankfully) so that they could re-form it is a lengthy process and again not guaranteed 100% success

wish you the best of luck it is a horrible thing to live with if it gets really bad

[brunlea99]

Unfortunately, I had both shoulders affected at different times. The first instance I went the physio route at it took almost 12 months to get back to near normal movement. The pain at times was horrendous. I used reading glasses at the time and once I was getting up from a chair with the glasses on the top of my head. As I rose, they slipped off the back of my head and instinctively, reached behind my back with the affected shoulder. The pain was immense. Sadly, about 9 months after the first shoulder was better, my other should developed the same issue. This time I took an option to see a consultant for shoulder manipulation under general anaesthetic to try to reduce the treatment time. This didn't work for me and I underwent another 7/8 months of physio and regular exercises. This was some 10 years ago.

[Bosscat]

Diagnosed today as having Adhesive Capsulitis/Frozen shoulder.

Anyone else on here had/have it?
Has anyone made a full recovery?
Was it long term?

According to the paperwork from the physio it could take up to 3yrs to recover from

Hope you can get it sorted GIADJ ... a cousin had this not nice at all

I was going to make a joke about having 2 Frozen Shoulders ... in our Freezer ... Lamb Shoulders ...

[Lancasterclaret]

Just recovering from one

Took about a year unfortunately

Best thing to do is swing your arm after being completely relaxed - up and down, side to side, in a big circle - maybe 20 rotations each, every day

[Lancasterclaret]

https://www.nhsaaa.net/allied-health-pr ... exercises/

This is the link the docs gave me for helpful exercises, but it will take time

[ClaretTony]

A frozen shoulder is the reason I have a beard. I was having problems with my right shoulder in 2014 and couldn’t lift my arm far enough to shave and wasn’t risking using my left arm. That was resolved by having cortisone injections after physio hadn’t done the trick.

It’s never returned but then I got similar in my left shoulder in 2020 and unable to get any treatment because of the pandemic. I Just used it as best i could and thankfully it did sort itself out.

[Vegas Claret]

only from the mrs

[bobinho]

In this weather? Are you mad?

One of the lads at work has had it, took ages to recover proper. Good luck with it.

[Lancasterclaret]

Really weird thing about it for me was that it didn't stop me riding a bike but if I suddenly moved to catch something or brushed against anything I'd be on the floor in agony

[Croydon Claret]

I've had it for almost 6 years. Various medics and physios assured me it would be gone within 18 months.

I'm type 1 diabetic, so prone to it, but 6 years is trying my patience

Had the initial NHS physio which achieved very little so just learned to live with it in the expectation that it would soon be gone.

In 2021/2022 I had 12 months of regular intense private physio on it having fallen off a horse whilst show jumping and broke my arm near the same shoulder.

After 6 months it was clear the frozen shoulder was getting in the way so had an operation where they scrape away the scar tissue on the muscle to free it up. Didn't make a blind bit of difference.

There's another operation you can do called hydrodilation which involves injecting a steroid into the shoulder to expand the joint. Not an option for me as the steroid causes high blood sugar levels but I understand that it's usually the best option.

For you, the intense pain should go after a couple of months and you'll just be left with the restricted movement. Do your best with the physio and it will help to a certain extent

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Really weird thing about it for me was that it didn't stop me riding a bike but if I suddenly moved to catch something or brushed against anything I'd be on the floor in agony

Yeah, this is me right now.
Some of my movement is limited and it generally doesn't hurt but today I tripped on a kerb and the jolt it gave my arm was horrific...
Enough to make me call the docs and see their physio today.

I've never felt pain like it

[evensteadiereddie]

Yup, lamb.

[Lord Beamish]

Really weird thing about it for me was that it didn't stop me riding a bike but if I suddenly moved to catch something or brushed against anything I'd be on the floor in agony

I had one that developed just before Covid hit in 2020. I too could still cycle, but when I was walking the dog, I couldn’t hold her with the affected arm, and sometimes, just stepping off a style the wrong way would see me doubled up in pain.
It took about a year for it to pass with physio, which I still do daily.

[Sykoclaret]

I had a particularly painful one I guess about 35 years ago. Couldn't change gear in the car or lift my arm. Doctor suggested a steroid injection which he could do himself. Told me to have it on a Friday as it would be extremely painful and wouldn't be able to work. He didn't lie! Had to sleep in the chair that night, pain brought tears to my eyes. By Monday all the pain had gone and never felt a twinge since. Bloody marvellous.

[CoolClaret]

Yup

Get yourself a spikey massage ball to help myofascial release and do these - alot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02HdChcpyBs

Be good to go in no time

- also consider strength training focusing on 'pull' exercise over 'push' exercises with a ratio of 2:1

Modern existence/routines has a tendency of getting us to internally rotate and can lead to shoulder impingement

[jos]

Sadly I wouldn’t rely on the NHS as they rarely lay a hand on you but just send you exercises to perform. Find a good recommendation for a private therapist and see them.

Mine was sorted within a few weeks by someone who knew what they were doing.

[Jimmymaccer]

Running a 10k in London, felt like I’d been shot in the neck…………no reason for it, the day after my right shoulder and arm were numb, and my neck agony……disc number 4 if I remember rightly!

Basically 12 months for me……………now it’s like nowt happened!

[CrosspoolClarets]

Played racquet sports at quite a high level and suffered from this.

It was in part due to bad posture from decades on a computer then suddenly playing sports.

What solved it (after physio) was pilates. A few daily exercises to get normal movement again. Get the muscles working correctly. Rotator cuff and other upper back stuff. The guru I learned from has sorted a lot of elite athletes like Premier League footballers.

A test to see if posture is the same as mine was is to put the hand flat on the chest and move out to the opposite shoulder, does the shoulder bulge forwards? Mine did. Now it does not. I’ve never had the problem since.

[DukeOfBar]

I had this for about 6 months in 2009… reason I remember if so well.. happened to be at wembley that May for a certain footie match. And when Wade Elliott hit the back of the net, instinctive reaction… arms thrust high… then down on my knees in agony..!! Still was worth it!

As others have said, local GP recommended exercises, but still took 6 months!! Don’t envy anyone having to deal with it!

[littlemissclaret]

Mine was mild, but excruciating when getting my arm into a coat or commonly when hitting a golf ball. Had it manipulated under Anaesthesia, as I have PMI, and it was fixed in 5 minutes!

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Physio didn’t make the shoulder any better

Rang the docs this morning and just had a cortisone injection at the surgery to see if that helps.
I’ve got to keep doing the physio for the foreseeable because the jab alleviates the pain, but not the joint stiffness

[ClaretTony]

Physio didn’t make the shoulder any better

Rang the docs this morning and just had a cortisone injection at the surgery to see if that helps.
I’ve got to keep doing the physio for the foreseeable because the jab alleviates the pain, but not the joint stiffness

It was cortisone that did the trick for me

[CoolClaret]

Physio didn’t make the shoulder any better

Rang the docs this morning and just had a cortisone injection at the surgery to see if that helps.
I’ve got to keep doing the physio for the foreseeable because the jab alleviates the pain, but not the joint stiffness

Have you tried the shoulder dislocates exercise I provided a link for?

Telling you - do them with intense massage from a spiky massage ball and you’ll be good as new

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Have you tried the shoulder dislocates exercise I provided a link for?

Telling you - do them with intense massage from a spiky massage ball and you’ll be good as new

No I didn’t because I’m rubbish and forgot

[CoolClaret]

No I didn’t because I’m rubbish and forgot

Get on it - I had a terrible shoulder after separating my clavicle playing ruggers.

Physio was useless, I had a massive ganglion cyst in my shoulder and bad impingement. Intense massage work with the spiky massage ball (roll up against a wall on your shoulder) holding on any trigger points till you feel a release - it hurts like mad but so worth it. Massage once or twice a day.

Another alternative is seeking an Active Release Therapist but there aren’t many about … never seek a chiropractor or anyone like that - they offer temporarily relief with pseudoscientific procedures that usually result in further degradation and long term problems

[upanatem]

Gee, common ailment, frozen shoulder. Didn't realise so many people have/had it.
I had it in both shoulders – not at the same time, probably about 2 years apart. It runs in my family, if that is possible, since my Mum had it and 2 sisters also.
I went to the Doc for the diagnosis, and he suggested an injection, which for me did not work. It just got worse – maybe it was just in its early phase.
After a few months of agony esp. after sudden movements, and trying exercises as above posts, I was referred to Burnley General at the time for physio. I recall at my first session there were about 12 of us in a joint class all in a circle, one of the women opposite me had it in both shoulders at the same time. Up to that point I had felt sorry for myself. Not any more. There is aleways some poor b''tard worse off than you!
At physio they recommended I go in their bespoke pool and do exercises underwater. This worked for me, and I experienced almost immediate positive results – maybe it was coincidental as it could have been on the way to recovery. All up, I recall feeling considerable pain for maybe 9 to 12 months.
I felt no pain whatsoever after it cleared up, and have not felt any since. What I noticed was a slight restriction in arm movement, which my Doc mentioned when it first started.
Good luck!

[dibraidio]

Had both of them go over the last 3 years. Very painful but both of mine were resolved in about 6 months.

Second one went this time last year, strange because I still managed to kayak regularly but I really struggled to put on a coat or a ruck sack. It was also a struggle to put on the spray deck on the kayak as I had to get my hands behind my back. That's one of the tell tale signs when you can't lift your hand up behind your back.

Whenever the physio asked me to do 10 reps of something I'd 30. I was determined that it wouldn't last years as they said it might. I did a lot of pull exercises in different directions and positions and once I'd got through the worst of it swimming really helped. I concentrated on stretching my arm out and worked through the pain. It wasn't pleasant but after a few minutes I'd feel that I'd gained in mobility and after half an hour the pain would be almost gone for a while.

One thing that really doesn't help is your sleeping position. Best thing is to sleep on your back but for me that means snoring which opens up a whole other set of problems.

[Chobulous]

I've had it in both shoulders at different times. Didn't stop me playing golf but I couldn't do simple little things. on both occasions it lasted about 6 months then started to improve with exercise. Standing next to a wall then turning sideways while pushing against it with one arm outstretched was one exercise. Trying to touch both hand behind your back was another. The last time I had it was about 10 years ago and I have taken glucosamine every day since with no further problems

[GodIsADeeJay81]

My first injection wore off and the pain was still there

Took myself to an osteopath that was recommended to me by a mate who’d also been initially diagnosed with the same problem

Turns out it’s tendon damage at the very top of the arm, not a frozen shoulder

Just completed my 2nd session with her and I can see an improvement, albeit a minor one, so I’ll hopefully be back in full working order by February at the latest

The nhs docs/physios, whilst quick to see me, just got it wrong and it’s not uncommon apparently due to a lack of knowledge and they rarely refer people to see osteopaths

[IanMcL]

Is it a condition where acupuncture could help?

[IanMcL]

Answers own Q.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8572337/