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[Joni]

I searched “frozen shoulder” on here 5 mins ago and was overwhelmed by the number of posts about this. Any advice for the best treatment for this? Pharmacist pretty certain this is what is causing the excruciating pain I have in my neck, shoulder and arm. Seeing my GP is nigh on impossible for a while and I’m climbing the walls with no sleep or escape from this debilitating agony.
                           Joni x

[Taz2]

Hi Joni. Can you afford a session with a private physio? It will be well worth it. It's a tricky condition and it takes time to resolve but my best friend found her physio made a lot of difference when she suffered from it. I hope you get some relief soon.

Taz x

[Dierdre]

Anti inflammatory tablets and physio. Google the exercises you need to do if you can't afford private on the NHS websites. There are PDF instructions and videos.

[CLKD]

As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  Both frozen shoulder and hiatus hernia are common in peri menopause.  Mum was advised to lean forwards holding the table with one hand, using the affected side to make 'stir pudding' movements from the waist downwards.  Do seek physio advice.

[Kathleen]

Hello Joni and welcome to the forum.

I haven't had this but a friend has had problems with both shoulders ( though thankfully not at the same time, that would be unlucky! ). She had treatment through her GP but was told that she would benefit from more physio sessions so she added on some private treatment. She recovered both times after a few months I believe. She was told that it can take two years to get back to normal but her recovery was much faster than that.

I hope this helps and take care.

K.

[CLKD]

If left without treatment frozen shoulder may well resolve within 24 months, however: humans breath, sneeze, cough, yawn - all of which impacts on the upper chest region. 

[Joni]

Thanks for your replies. What exactly has gone wrong in the shoulder to make it so painful and any tips for an unsympathetic husband?
 He wasn’t sympathetic during my menopause (I’m post-meno now, for about 10 years) I’ve never grumbled about any health issues till suffering from a chronic back pain condition, which I have seen a wonderful consultant about. I do like a lie-in some mornings but not every day.
                  Joni x

[CLKD]

NHS - Causes of frozen shoulder

It's often not clear why people get a frozen shoulder.

Frozen shoulder happens when the tissue around your shoulder joint becomes inflamed.

The tissue then gets tighter and shrinks, which causes pain.

Frozen shoulder can happen because:

you had an injury or surgery that keeps you from moving your arm normally

you have diabetes – it's still unclear why this is, but it's important to have your regular diabetes check-ups to catch any problems early

Or it can be due to laxity of muscle due to inflammation.  It is common in peri menopsause

[Petra]

I had this...drum roll...in one shoulder then two years later in the other. Total hell!! I found physio useless (and excrutiating) until well into the thawing stage (see below). I ended up getting a cortisone shot in the shoulder joint, which itself was very painful, but really helped, as in the worst of the pain pretty eased within about two weeks after the shot, and then the thawing slowly took place. I did this for the second shoulder, and it wasn't quite as successful, but still helped.

Yes, frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis does resolve within 18 months on its own (break it into three phases: 6 months freezing; 6 months frozen; 6 months thawing) but that is an effing long time to be in such pain not to mention being somewhat incapacitated ... I couldn't lift my arm higher than 45 degrees away from my body...no rotation mobility. And the pain, it's quite indescribable as you know. Like someone plunging a knife into you arm, one that grips...I think I screamed sometimes.

At the thawing stage is when I think physio is helpful to try to get back a full range of motion, which I never did. I don't really notice it too much, but i definitely can't reach back (the kind of motion you use to put your arm in the sleeve of a coat) as far as I could before the frozen shoulders.

If you have this (and even if not of course), you have my absolute and utmost sympathy and empathy. It is a really reallly hideously painful affliction. I tried every technique, piece of equipment, alt treatment I found on every internet site and discussion group in the universe, BTW, and nothing worked except the cortisone shot. Not saying it will be true for everyone.

There are definitely some FB support groups for this. I know of no reason I got this: no injury, no surgeries, no ill health... They have no clue!

[Joni]

Thanks again CLKD, that makes sense and if it does go on for 24 months, I’m already halfway through it!

         

[Joni]

Petra, thanks for your info. Yes, I do find putting my coat on awkward. Your description of the pain is exactly how it feels and I was literally wringing my hands at 5.30 the other morning. I’m not one for suffering bravely and if there’s an injection to help, I want to have it. Funny, I have quite a high pain tolerance but cannot bear this FS discomfort,
             
                    Joni x

[Petra]

I remember hating that I couldn’t exercise, other than maybe sitting on an exercise bike. I couldn’t run, walking was risky (any movement could set it off); obviously no one-armed swimming, haha.

Your post prompted me to look back through my journals. Endless screeds about the FS. A couple of excerpts just because they mention meds I was on (I’d forgotten already) and the cortisone shot I got. (Guided means they watch on an ultrasound monitor as they guide the needle in; and the reference to the post-shot flare is that after a shoulder injection like this, you can have a flare which, well, hurts like HELL...I did, as I recall, with the first frozen shoulder...panic that what I'd done had made it worse, but that went away in a day, TG) in case any of it is useful. I'll shut up now. Probably scaring you silly. Sorry! Maybe I have PFSSD (Post Frozen Shoulder Stress Disorder), haha.

------

10 Sept: I’ve been trying to be motivated by the pain. I have a freezing shoulder. The pain is grinding and relentless, though there are occasional breaks. And pain is so horrible. It’s so overwhelming. It shuts out everything else. There is no way to purely feel anything else at all.

24 November. Nothing much new to report. Pain. Last night was the first night in a while that I didn't use either diclofenac (75mg) or tramadol (for which I got and need an anti nausea med) and I got through the night. Now I'm sitting at the laundromat and a fair amount of pain. Having fled the house in a rage.

4 December. Since about 1 December, the pain has eased. Since 2 December, I haven’t been taking the 75 mg a day diclofenac. Yesterday, I did take one 25 mg pill. Today, so far, none. Mostly I’ve been taking 1000mg of panadol/paracetomol 2x or 3 x a day.

20 December Had an ultrasound guided IAGHJ steroid injection, 7 ml (I think…or was it 8?). So far, no post shot flare. It’s been nearly 24 hours. Yay!!!

[CLKD]

The injection used in England is 'depomedrone', a steroid which is a bit like WD40 into the joint in that it oils the area.  Steroids reduce inflammation. 

Tnx Petra!

[jaypo]

Have you looked up the McKenzie exercises on YouTube? There are great neck ones and they saved me from getting  a rather horrific operation x

[Ayesha]

Jaypo, you have reminded me of a family member who is a professional cyclist. She had a severe damaged knee from an accident, the surgeon wanted to operate to repair the damage. Her physiotherapist said that if she went ahead with the operation she would never cycle again. Intensive physiotherapy got her back to competitive racing again.

Never underestimate the power of physiotherapy, I swear by it every day getting my back muscles sorted out, thank you NHS!