I had frozen shoulder a few years ago, for almost a year. I didn’t go to a doctor because I was afraid that surgery would be recommended, so I kept hoping it would improve on its own. I finally went to a specialist who recommended PT, and recommended a particular person. I started 3 times/week, and it was clear to me from the start that it was working, and I regretted having waited so long. As others have said, the sessions started with heat and ended with ice. There were a lot of exercises, done under an assistant’s supervision, and they changed as the weeks went by. Then I had a “massage” from the PT - a cruel label for what was really quite painful manipulation of the shoulder to break up adhesions. I could tell that the guy really knew what he was doing, and he was a good judge of how much pain I could tolerate. I probably did 3x/week for about 6 weeks, then reduced the frequency for another month, and by then I was almost back to normal. Full range of motion came back soon after that.
If it happens again (and there have been 7 frozen shoulders among my four sisters and me) I will head immediately to PT. I recommend it highly, but be sure to get someone good, who specializes in shoulders.
Good luck!
eyeamom, Are the yoga DVDs that helped you the Viniyoga ones by Gary Kraftsow? I swear by those.
No, I can’t remember the name. I can’t do some of them, but she did show some very practical stretches I’m doing every day, sometimes more than that. One that stretches it all out is laying on your back, arms stretched out, knees lifted up and then bring the legs to one side, then the other. It stretches the back and the rotator cuff surprisingly well. I couldn’t even use weights right now, just lifting them up is work enough!
It’s the worst! There’s a Facebook group called Frozen Shoulder Friends, that really listed everything people were trying (and having luck with.) From vitamin supplements to exercises. It was the worst pain; I feel for you.
Just a caution on self diagnosis. A friend of mine had shoulder pain that sounded a lot like frozen shoulder. I told her what I thought it was – luckily she ignored me and saw a doctor. She had something else (I don’t remember what) and the treatment was different than what you would do for frozen shoulder.
When I had my incident, I bypassed my doctor and went straight to PT. She diagnosed frozen shoulder. I consider myself really lucky that I caught it early.
@NYMomof2, there must be a genetic component, no? Did any of your siblings get it more than once in the same shoulder, because I understand that while getting it in each shoulder is common, getting it twice in the same shoulder is rare. Hope so, because I have only 2 shoulders and would like to think at most I will only get this once more in my life.
I realize now how much I contributed to my own misery. I thought my shoulder felt better when I rested it,but that only contributed to the stiffness. Stretching now is helping considerable. I brushed my hair using my left hand today.
Barfly, no one in my family has had it twice in the same shoulder. I hope it’s true that this is unlikely; like you, I would hate to think that I might get it more than once more!
It’s really hard to know what to do without guidance. I have a friend who had it, and she would stand in a hot shower for a long time every day, to get some relief. She ended up at the dermatologist who immediately recognized her skin problem as a result of frozen shoulder! She also went to an acupuncturist (a Chinese doctor in our town) and she thought it helped.
@NYMomof2, what skin problem? (Related to the hot showers?)
I contacted the orthopedic surgeon who had diagnosed my frozen shoulder, and who did not send me to PT, to ask about PT. This is the reply: there is no indication that PT speeds up the process any more than stretching exercises at home IF the patient actually regularly does the stretches and is someone who understands how far to push it (uncomfortable but not painful). Based on my history (college athlete and a lifetime of sports, etc.), he was confident I knew the difference. He will refer me to PT if I want to go. I explained my improvement since starting the stretches and he and I agreed to stay the course for another week and then reevaluate. So, FWIW, at least this one doctor thinks stretching can be as effective as PT, but he definitely puts a lot of weight on the individual’s personal history and whether the patient knows his/her body well.
I am improving, whether due to the stretching or just the stupid syndrome progressing through phases. I do believe it’s mainly the stretching and knowing now to NOT favor or rest my left arm.
I’m grateful for this thread. I, too, have been struggling with frozen shoulder for months. I started physical therapy in February and made some progress, but the pain increased this week, beyond the help of prescription strength NSAIDs, and I could barely stand the thought of PT.
Yesterday, I went in for a Cortisone shot. For those who are interested, the shot itself was…uncomfortable. It was the longest injection ever. Apparently, it has a leader of Novocain, so initially there is some pain relief, but after several hours, the Novocain wears off and the injection itself causes pain. I took some pain med last night and, by morning, I was feeling some relief. There’s still a bit of pain, but I’d say it went from an 8 before the injection to about a 3 one day later, and they say it takes 24-48 hours to kick in. And they told me to lay off the PT for a week.
I’m motivated by what I read in this thread, which of course led me into a rabbit hole of books and youtube videos, and I’m hopeful that I’ll make more progress in the coming weeks. Thanks everyone for posting your experiences.
I have had bursitis and found that carrying a purse aggrevated it. I believe my sister (who has had frozen shoulder) says that carrying a heavy purse made her condition infinitely worse. We have both moved to carrying mostly nylon bags and keep them as light as possible.
@HImom, the purse is a problem for me, too. I have switched to a tiny light cross-body purse and I take ONLY my DL, debit card, glasses and lip balm, and I usually leave the bag in my car and put my DL and debit card in my pocket if I’m going to be walking anywhere. Not sure why for years I had a big heavy bag with a wallet full of things I don’t usually need, 3 lipsticks I never use, and hand lotion which adds like another half pound to my bag!
A waist pack also takes the weight off the shoulder. They have some very nice, light ones, made from a variety of materials. It’s dangerous to leave a purse or bag in the car or even the trunk–thieves can make your day miserable. Niece and her friends all put their laptops in the trunk and it was broken into and all their laptops were stolen. If it is visible from the outside, a thief may be tempted to break into the car and steal.
Also, the featherweight nylon (& other material) string backpacks that hold the bare essentials are a nice way to carry just a few items. S likes tso use it for his sports shoes and a towel, but it can easily hold whatever little things you like. There is also a sports belt you can wear that has space for a phone, credit card and other essentials.
Many women I know have aggrevated their shoulders by carrying bags that are frankly HEAVY!
can anyone direct me to some youtube exercise videos that you have found helpful in dealing with a painful shoulder?
A week before this thread began, I began to feel shoulder pain for the first time in my life. I’m somewhat new to an exercise program, so I thought that maybe it was one of the exercises but after reading this thread, I began to think otherwise.
I have full range of motion (so maybe I don’t have frozen shoulder - or maybe I have the early stage of it? dunno.) but I do have pain moving my arm sometimes. The pain can be strong enough that I will wince and I am not careful when I do move it although I am not babying it.
I think that I"ve found it helpful to do some stretching with my exercise band but I’m unsure what else to do. And advice? Videos? Thanks!
momonymous, I’d wait more like a week to let the cortisone really reduce the inflammation. The more it works, the better you’ll be in the long run. Whatever benefit you’ll get you should see in a week or so.
I sometimes get “flares” with those shots. Those are when the cortisone crystallizes in the joint and that compresses the nerve so it feels like someone has beaten you with a baseball bat. When I get a shot in my foot, I bring crutches just in case I get one and then I have them handy for the next day. Can be about 48 hours of misery.
Thanks @Lergnom, that’s probably why she said to lay off PT for a week. It’s good to know it may feel better still over the next week. Today is definitely more manageable than yesterday, so progress. I’m pretty sure the pain I was feeling down my arm and across my back the last few days was from the inflammation compressing a nerve. It was debilitating. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I don’t experience those “flares”. And I’ll keep taking the NSAIDs a bit longer.
Im not seeing a doctor and working on my stretches and strengthening myself. Part of my problem is the computer and mouse. I need to become a leftie. Im stretching several times a day. I know the difference in stretch and pain. Any idea how long this takes?!
@eyemamom, I think my doctor said each of the 3 phases can take 2-3 months, but in some cases it can last for years. Unbelievable. He thinks I am halfway through. I thought this started right before Christmas,but it was actually before October. Guess how I remembered that? A friend was going for her mammogram and I remembered that I couldn’t lift my left arm to place it where they wanted it for my mammogram… Oh Yeah my shoulder was hurting then and that was early October!
It was actually doing pretty well until last night - a volleyball flew at me in the bleachers and by reflex my arm shot up to block the ball. I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. I also probably looked like a total goofball - I’m sure people thought - why is she so upset? The ball didn’t even come close to hitting her. :-S