# Frozen shoulder



## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

After being very ill for almost a year, I was congratulating myself on the fact that if I HAD to get a dreadful disease, at least it wasn't a painful one. Well, I must have Jonah'd myself, because now as part of the muscle problems, I've developed a frozen shoulder. 

I've only had it for about 6 weeks, and have been told it will be with me for up to 2 years, but the level of pain I'm having has become unbearable. Doctor has given me strong painkillers, but they just aren't hitting the surface. He gave me an anti-inflammatory, and I had to be rushed to hospital from a severe allergy to it (he thinks it may have reacted to another of my medications). I can't have a cortisone injection, because I've just been weaned off steroids. 

Last night I was on the point of ringing an ambulance to take me to hospital, the pain level being 9/10 and only the fact that I remained conscious prevented me from putting it at 10/10. However I've survived (with difficulty) and will get my doctor to visit me ASAP. I'm very drowsy from the drugs, but unable to get a decent sleep because of the pain. 

Has anyone else suffered from a frozen shoulder, and how did you cope with it? Did physiotherapy work for you? According to my doctor, it can sometimes make matters worse, so he's reluctant to recommend it for me, given the fact that I'm already very dependent on outside help to cope with everyday life and the disease I have attacks the muscles and every organ in the body (sorry to make life difficult, but I prefer to preserve my privacy re the condition - but it's a nasty one. It won't kill me - but any of the conditions it leads to will). I'd appreciate any advice or comment.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

I had frozen shoulder a few years ago. Physical therapy returned full use of the shoulder BUT...PT hurt like the devil. Sometimes my entire shoulder and arm down to the wrist would be hard as a rock...and the therapist would have to stick her fingers into the muscles a good 6-8 inches (well, it FELT like that!) and massage to loosen the muscles. Then of course, we got to do MORE of the stuff that caused the muscles to harden up!

I've had physical therapy for several things and I can truely say, the PT for the shoulder was the most painful I've ever had...but then again, it was 99.7% successful.

Mon


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I've come close to having it and my nerosurgeon warned me to do the PT or I would regret it. Even so, I did end up in the ER due to the pain...I thought I was having a heart attack!

I found that doing some of the PT while in a hot shower really helped. Start trying to rotate your arm slowly after you've let the hot water run over your shoulder for a while. 

Also, I found that a heating pad gave me a little bit of extra relief.


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## jynxt (Apr 5, 2004)

I don't have any suggestions, just wanted to say I hope that something happens to help you feel better!


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I think my husband is developing Frozen Shoulder from repetitive motion on the job.

I am wondering if a build up of uric Acid is contributing to the condition (think Gout).

So we are working on limiting his red meat consumption, including more veggies, especially celery and celery seed, Pineapple (Bromelain), Wild Cherry Juice, made up a Topical use oil of Juniper EO in a base of Emu oil, St. John's Wort Tinc internally and externally (great help for nerves).
And he has been doing a form of PT that involves standing next to a wall with his right shoulder facing it and he 'crawls' his fingers up the wall as high as he can, he does this as many times as he can.
We have also been looking at the possibility of a food allergy...especially gluten.

It breaks my heart to see my HARD WORKING husband have to lift his right arm with his left hand..... (


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## Square Peg (Dec 20, 2007)

Physiotherapy IS very painful but it did work for me. (The exercise marinemomtatt mentions is very good.) The most important thing may be to find a physiotherapist you can trust and communicate with honestly. The exercises they put you through WILL hurt but you shouldn't feel brutalized by them and you shouldn't be made to feel like a wimp when you sometimes find them overwhelming. Unfortunately, physiotherapists need to push you farther than you will feel comfortable with in order to help.

I found it easier to sleep (well, not really sleep but rest) if I elevated the bad shoulder on a pillow (sometimes lying on my "good" side and hugging a pillow with my "bad" arm). This meant taking over the whole double bed to myself temporarily but it was the only way I got any sleep.

As others have said, physio does work (took me about 6 months, going twice a week) but it is a painful process. The good news is it does work -- and you can regain full use of your shoulder. I'm truly sorry to hear you have to deal with this on top of other medical issues.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

marinemomtatt,

I put off seeing the doctor until it got REALLY bad...couldn't sleep on that side or my back because of the pain. I couldn't raise my arm up more than a VERY few inches above my waist, nor lower it more thana couple inches below my waist. I could not fasten my blue jeans, nor wash with a washcloth (it was my right shoulder & I'm right handed), or even wash my hair well.

It took really agressive physical therapy. My arm & shoulder muscles often would get all hard and sore after a therapy session and the therapist would sometimes have to spend 30 minutes getting them to loosen up so I could do the therapy.

Get it taken care of before it gets worse!

Mon


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## blue gecko (Jun 14, 2006)

I work with frozen shoulder quite often in my massage therapy practice. If you can find a good therapist to work with you in conjunction with Physical therapy, things will go easier. If you can apply heat to your shoulder before either venue it will loosen things up so the therapists can work more effectively (staying hydrated will help as well). Ask the massage therapist to look up the anatomy of latissimus dorsi and study a) the attachment as it relates to the humerous and the medial head of your biscept b) its relationship to serratus anterior - mainly to separate the facia between the two. Have him/her loosen pectoralis minor and its attachments to your clavicle. 

If the massage therapist will work with your shoulder as you lay on your good side he/she will get a better range of motion and can feel for muscles that are not flowing smoothly across each other during range of motion.

Are you sore where your clavicle (collar bone) meets your sternum? If yes, then roll up a towel and place it on your sternum as you lay face down while your massage therapist manipulates your shoulder through gentle rotations, gently pulling and pushing to and from the socket. At home you can reinforce this by lying on the rolled towel and "swimming". While you are doing that rotate your hand over and under and work within your limitations.

Be sure that the therapist works the muscles in your neck and all the way down your arm to your fingertips. 

This is what I suggest to my clients as Homework: Roll your shoulders as best you can forward then backward as big a circle that you can without pushing your pain limit. At first these may be very small movements. Do this with your head facing forward, then again with your head looking to the right, then to the left, then upward then downward.

Be gentle! Be consistent! Don't worry so much about any "popping" you feel/hear as long as it isn't painful, it will lessen with time. 

I hope you'll try some of these suggestions...the adhesions formed during a frozen shoulder can be very difficult to work through. The longer you wait the harder it is to recover.

I use Arnica Montana and ice to help soothe the achyness experienced from therapy. 

What ever you do DO NOT warm that shoulder up and then go to bed! The heat loosens the facia and is great for increasing range of motion however when things cool down the facia becomes more solid and can actually make things worse if it becomes more solid in an awkward position. 

Ice is a wonderful anti-inflammatory. If it hurts, ice it. 

Dark red, purple, blue foods contain high amounts of anthocynanin another excellent anti-inflammatory.

A reminder about all of this. I am not a doctor, I'm a massage therapist and a nutritionist. Everything I've mentioned is either a suggestion or a description of the methods I use. You should consult your doctor before trying anything new. 

I hope some of this proves helpful.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Thank you for the helpful info. The pain became so severe that I was sent to hospital by ambulance the other day and given pethedine. After further x-rays and scans, my doctor has decided that the risks involved with more steroids and very large doses of opioid painkillers are outweighed by my level of suffering, which has been extreme, so I'm getting a cortisone injection today. I will probably have physiotherapy later on once the pain levels are manageable.


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## blue gecko (Jun 14, 2006)

Bummer on having to resort to cortisone. I really hate that stuff. Hopefully, though, it will give you some relief while you get started on a healing road. I have clients that have come from Australia....making any plans for a trip abroad?


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

No travel plans. No money. Besides, I'm accustomed to having my medical care at home - except in emergencies! It's free, too! Why would I want to go anywhere else? Tee hee. Of course, once I'm well enough to drive, I'll be expected to, which is only fair. This shoulder is only part of another bigger issue.


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