It can take a long time before you start to see improvement with frozen shoulder. Perhaps someone with a medical background would like to comment on typical time-frame. It’s surprising. Finding this out might be somewhat depressing but could also be encouraging for someone in a stage where nothing seems to be changing and wondering whether to stay the course with exercises.
This sites discuss the pros and cons of using ice or heat:
http://www.frozenshoulder.com/Frozen-Shoulder-Heat-Ice-Pain-Relief
Just saw this thread today, and need to read through it all at some point. Happydad was just diagnosed with frozen shoulder yesterday, and has an order for PT. The physician told him that PT 3x a week is the first thing to try, that it’s likely he won’t see any improvement in the first or even second month, but by the third month things should be getting better. If that doesn’t work, the Dr. will manipulate the shoulder under anesthesia to break the adhesion(s), and that should do the trick.
I’m trying to imagine Happydad actually completing 3 months of PT 3x a week. That will be interesting!
My adhesions were broken just recently after very strong manipulation by a guy, this is after years of massage, therapy, acupuncture, but I did feel the burning and stinging. I think my problem was that I didn’t realized at the the time that I need to get it treated right away. I thought it should go away on it’s on eventually.
Same with anything broken, I broke my left foot, didn’t put a lot of pressure on it for 8 weeks, the result is muscle astrophy, which doctor didn’t tell me, bones were healed but the muscle was stiff for a long time. Finally, after years of physical manipulation, it got better and not stiff in the morning. Gave me a lot of faith in my body’s ability to heal. I never thought this could happen. Almost gave up.
One thing that can contribute to tendon issues, including tendonitis and bursitis in the shoulder for me is taking florquinolones–Avelox, Cipro, Levaquin antibiotics, especially for folks 60 or older. I was unaware until I started reading about others having side effects from this class of antibiotics and started researching.
UCSD is doing a fluorquinolone study about the good and bad for folks who have taken this class of meds–still looking for participants. Some have lifelong side effects, long after they stop taking the med. I found Avelox very effective at knocking out infections but have had to stop taking this class of antibiotics due to a severe reaction when last taken 8 months ago.
Most drugs have side effects. That’s why I’m resisting taken anything for a long term. Even rub like Tiger balm from Rite Aid, I used them but have stopped for a while now. The only thing I can’t do now is sleeping on a pillow, I can’t relaxed enough on a pillow, perhaps it’s probably stretching my shoulder muscle, who knows.
@happymomof1 I started off doing PT 3x per week as well, and stretching at home 3x per day. It was pretty brutal the first month. After that i tapered off to 2x per week for PT and 2x/day for stretching for another couple months, then finally 1x per week PT and 1x/day stretching.
I had 2 different PTs. One was merciless, and the sessions were incredibly painful. The other guy was more gentle and not nearly as excruciating. I liked to switch between the 2, as I felt like I was getting more progress with the more aggressive PT. I generally used the more aggressive guy but switched when I needed a mental break (and it is really a rough course mentally, so be prepared for your DH to maybe feel a little despondent/down). Taking 3-4 Advil an hour before PT sessions helps with recovery soreness afterwards, and I would very strongly recommend a cold shoulder wrap. The pain will definitely increase for the first few months, but not a ton, just moderately.
My best advice is to stretch aggressively at home while going through PT. If you don’t stretch it yourself, the PT will. And it will hurt a hell of a lot more when the PT does it. Once I got religion on home stretching things progressed much faster.
Fluorquinolones can cause tendon rupture and a host of other very long-lasting bad side effects. It was the antibiotic my docs put me on every time I had an infection for the past 15 years, which really knocked out the infection but made me develop bad side effects now any time I take it.
I’m getting surgery tomorrow. I’m now nearly completely unable to use my right arm and it’s excruciatingly painful. The Dr gave me percocet and I had a terrifying experience flying home the other day. It was a 12 hour travel day and I took one pill while waiting hours to clear customs. On the next flight I literally felt like I was going to die midair. I got light headed, things blackened around me and I thought I was going to pass out. I ended up vomiting in the bathroom and having to sit in there splashing water on my face. Hubby kept coming to check on me, I’m assuming people thought we were joining the mile high club. Once we desended I felt back to normal. It didn’t occur to me it was a bad idea.
Anyway, I’m nervous and anxious and ready to get this over with.
Eye atom,
Good luck with the surgery. I took a Percocet in my 20’s and hallucinated (walls undulating), so I’ve resisted that drug ever since. I cannot imagine taking anything unknown when traveling. Nothing against Percocet, my dad survived on them.
I didn’t do the surgery on my shoulder after the car accident, but did do elbow surgery. It was at a surgicenter. The nurses were great. One was putting up my hair, another shaved my arm, and within minutes, I was out. The anesthesia was excellent, meaning no nausea. I barely needed pain meds.
Anyway, I hope you have as good a time, and a speedy recovery.
Good luck eyemamom! Hope the surgery goes well and the recovery is quick.
Good luck with your surgery. I hope it will help you.
Please let us know your recovery progress. Best wishes!
Sending good wishes your way @eyemamom !
I just came across this thread. Not sure if the OP is still reading it, or how you are doing, but my frozen shoulder resolved completely in about 12 months, but significantly in about 5 months with really aggressive PT – maniupulation / passive stretching to break adhesions followed by strengthening excercises. It was incredibly painful but worth it. Then I started doing Yoga, which significantly helped with extending my range of motion to normal, and was the ONLY thing that got rid of the lingering pain in my shoulder joint. I still need to be diligent about doing stretches (usually simple yoga stretches) to keep the joint loose. It’s the first thing to get achy when I stop exercising. And I still can’t lie on that side for a significant amount of time. But other than that I’m back to normal and have no nighttime pain – that was the worst part of it for me. Hope you are doing well!!
I don’t have frozen shoulder, but I do have pain. I got an injection a couple of months ago, and got blessed relief for awhile. Looks like the next step is an MRI. Apparently, I have a bone spur, and doctor said it felt “crunchy” when she did the shot. The rest of you seem to be suffering more than I am, but I really need to sleep!
Hey, OP here! I’ve been off of CC for quite a while, but thought I’d check back in.
There is hope for you frozen shoulder sufferers: while I still have very little flexibility in my shoulder, the pain is greatly reduced. It no longer keeps me up at night or hurts constantly. Instead, the only real pain I have now is when I make a wrong movement, which is about once every couple days now and only rarely in my sleep. I have done nothing to improve my situation, to be honest. The doctor I saw said it was “self limiting” and he did not prescribe PT. He gave me some flexibility exercises, which I did for a short time, along with exercises ya’ll posted here, but then I just completely quit. In spite of my laziness, I do have slightly more flexibility now than I did a few weeks/months ago. I’m starting to do the stretches again now since the pain is so much more bearable.
I’m sure I’d be further along if I had followed the doctor’s instructions (I normally do exactly what experts tell me to do. This was a stupid time to experiment with defiant behavior, but at least I didn’t run out and get a tattoo.)
Good luck, everyone. Perhaps for some of you relief is coming, even if all you do is wait it out like I did.
@eyemamom I hope you are successfully healing!
I’m 3 weeks post surgery. I had way more than frozen shoulder so I don’t know if I qualify to be on the thread. I had the manual manipulation under sedation, they removed an inch and a half of my clavicle, cleaned out the 60% tear, reconnected a torn bicep and increased the space for the shoulder tendons. I can now move my hand and raise my arm 90 degrees when I bend my elbow. I go to pt 3 times a week and do exercises 2x a day. My range of motion with the pt is up to about 165 170 degrees. I only use pain meds now to get through pt. I can’t use a computer, wash my hair or get a bra on to give you an idea of my day to day. I can’t lift or carry anything in my right arm heavier than a cell phone. Today at pt when laying on my back I did the last arm stretch up over my head on my own.
Thank goodness I’m married to a very helpful man. I would seriously be in trouble without him.
They initially told me 4 to 6 months recovery and im beginning to believe it’s accurate to get back to more daily use.
If you’re still reading this, do not wait and hope for spontaneous healing. Don’t wait until I did and my arm became so painful and useless.
I’ve actually got better on both sides on my shoulder, thanks to this thread. I did go through sleepless nights before I get to this stage. But constant stretching did the trick. I have not had to visit my acupuncture nor massage therapist, well not regularly as I did before I read this thread.