Frozen shoulder

Should you visit a Private Physiotherapist, do check that they are displaying a certificate showing they are MCSP ie a Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Yes it is excruciating pain but steroid injection really eased my pain. Only problem was when left shoulder 'thawed' out and movement returned my right shoulder froze so had to go through all the agony again, about three years all told! Good luck, certainly pursue the steroid route, sure it will help.

Very painful.... have you tried exercises specifically for your shoulder. There are some good ones on YouTube which may loosen up your shoulder over a period of time. But they do need to be done regularly even when you don't feel like it! Hope you recover soon.

Oh how I symathise! I had it in both shoulders, but not at the same time thank gawd!! I had acupuncture for the first one and it helped a bit. The second time I was at a different surgery and they recommended a physiotherapist. She gave me a rope and pulley contraption to use, which again helped a bit, but as others have said it's a'time thing'!!
BTW I tried to give the 'rope and pulley' back to the surgery but they wouldn't accept it. They said I would just have to 'throw it away' ...... Yep, that's part of the NHS problem - utter waste! (I still have it, as can't bear to just ditch it. Will use the rope part for something in the garden!!!)

I had a frozen shoulder years ago - Eventually I was given an injection but could not get a physiotherapist appt for six weeks after that, so it did not help much. The infra red lamp felt lovely while it lasted, but did nort cure it.
What worked in the end was my going privately to a chiropractor. The manipulation and exercises he gave me to do at home worked within weeks after about six months of suffering. Worth every penny, and now my first point of call with any back, neck or shoulder problems, even if it means eating beans on toast for a week to pay for it!

I hope by now you are feeling better. I too was delayed at my local surgery because only I Doctor could give a steroid injection. I went to a local private hospital who when I said I had BUPA cover wanted to arrange a small operation! I declined and had the steroid injection which cured the pain instantly. That was 18 months ago and the pain has not come back.

I couldn't believe how painful a frozen shoulder could be. Evenually I had the steroid injection at a hospital outpatients clinic and the pain went immediately. (I cried all the way home - from relief, I suppose - and went straight to bed. I still remember the wonderful feeling of being free from pain and able to sleep.)

I'm another ex sufferer. It wears off on its own eventually and I didn't find physio or osteopathy made any improvement, but in the later stages it wasn't as excruciating unless I suddenly knocked it or somebody banged into me. I found it was just about manageable if I rearranged my life style around it. Front fastening bras, clothing easy to get into, Biofreeze gel or spray to apply and paracetamol & codeine to allow me to sleep. Learn what painkillers suit you best and don't hesitate to use them. I managed to work through it by adapting to the condition and avoiding anything that aggravated it, but like others have said, it is a horrid condition and very wearing, but all of a sudden it starts to go and mine vanished over a few weeks. How long it lasts varies from person to person, but it will heal itself within two years. I'm so sorry you've fallen victim, but there's no miracle fast cure I'm afraid.

For my husband it was two years. Sports physio helped. Heat, rest, anti-inflamatories (naproxen or diclofenac) from GP because the shoulder joint tissue is actually inflamed and codeine for pain. He survived, but we have never found out why adhesive capsulitis (sp) takes so long to go... it seems to come on so quickly!

You can get a support strap for it. Just saw this the other day on this site as I got OH a knee brace from them. Good prices, fast delivery. (Egads... between the two of us we are falling apart!)

www.physioroom.com/injuries/shoulder/frozen_shoulder_sum.php

Do you have a walk-in surgery locally, if so, try them.

Hi Wobblybits and everyone else who has or has had frozen shoulders. I've had both mine frozen in the past as had my mother before me. She had the old barbaric treatment i.e. Manipulation (read ripping apart!) under anaesthetic which I believe was agony and only marginally improved the condition.
With my first I tried everything, acupuncture, tens, physio, seeing a consultant who said- we can operate and it'll take a year + to get over or you can leave it and it'll take about the same time! So, second time around I just suffered the phases , stiffness followed by agonising pain and immobility, then gradual easing of the pain but still no mobility then finally a gradual return to movement. During this last phase exercises are definitely beneficial. Some years later my shoulders are back to normal with acceptable flexibility for my age. I do think that the severity of this condition varies from person to person, the physio I saw gave up with me saying that since the joint was immobile she could do nothing for me.
The bottom line is that whether you treat it or not it takes a couple of years to recover from the condition. Patience and forbearance gransnetters!

I had a frozen shoulder about 15 years ago, as a result of a partially slipped disc in my neck. A series of minor adjustments by a chiropractor over a period of about 10 weeks put it right. It wasn't cheap but would have been worth it at ten times the price! I believe the treatment did become available on the NHS some time later, but am not sure that is still likely to be the case. Worth an ask, though. I do hope you get it sorted out!

My Dh frozen shoulder responded well to physio, Hope you feel better on all fronts soon.

I practise Reiki & Seichem and have successfully treated quite a lot of frozen shoulders.

I'm currently staving off frozen shoulder using painkillers & physio , I've got my full range of frontal & side movement yet but not the back. If your painkillers aren't working ask your GP for stronger ones. I ended up on Tramadol which helped enormously as it meant the pain didn't stop me from using my arm which I think helped it from turning into full blown frozen shoulder.

Wobbly - by March you will hopefully be feeling a lot better , I think the usual time for the severe pain from FS to subside is around 6 weeks . It always is for me , I can count the days!

Hi Wobbly ! sorry to hear that you are in pain ( another sufferer here) have you actually taken any painkillers? just referring to your post " unless I can get some relief " etc , Painkillers are very effective for FS and also reduce the inflammation and swelling . I believe that a small dose of Valium helps to stop the spasm in the muscles which is what causes most of the pain btw . I understand that pain makes depression worse but try not to get into a negative cycle of thinking , it WILL get better . Glad you have appointments in the pipeline but I am not an advocate of Physio and know of no one who has been helped by it , it seems to just serve to keep physios in employment and gives GPs somewhere to refer you to . Others may disagree I expect . Good luck xx

Funnygran, poor you ! I have Polymyalgia too, but fortunately fairly mildly, so have chosen to ride it out without the steroids. I mostly cope well but this damp weather doesn't suit me. I hope you will soon feel the benefit of the medication, and be able to reduce the dose soon.

Wobbly, I am pleased you have a physio appointment so soon, although it probably seems like a long wait to you. In my area there is at least a 3 month waiting list, which is why I went private for my shoulder tear physio. For my two previous frozen shoulders I didn't bother.

Just seen this thread wobbly, so pleased you have your appointments. Constant pain is seriously debilitating, you had enough to manage without this. Hang on in there, it will come to an end. In the meantime sending hugs.

wobblybits I do sympathise and hope the physio can help you even though you have to wait until March. Not quite the same but this week after blood tests and a few weeks of intense pain in all my joints, I have been diagnosed with polymyalgia. I am now on my second day of steroid tablets so no real difference yet. I don't think I realised how depressed pain can make you when nothing seems to relieve it and found myself wanting to shed tears over anything. According to GP I am the right age and sex for this complaint ☹️

I can only say how sorry I am. As I once had one as well and it was agony. I went down the steroid jab route and also phsio. What made me smile was waiting for physio,sat among a load of burly blokes like rugby players etc and no other women there. Glad to say the treatment worked and I had forgotten all about it until I saw this thread. Hope you soon recover.

I've had two frozen shoulders, not both at once fortunately and on each side. I had to wait for a physio appointment but I found to begin with it was just too painful to do exercises anyway. The initial pain was tremendous, as bad as childbirth but lasting longer! I really felt ill with it. Once I saw the physio I found that the exercises were the same as you can get online anyway. He also said that there was no evidence they made recovery any quicker. (Cost cutting?) Both mine took at least 2 years, but it does go eventually.

Got an appointment through to see an NHS physio at the beginning of March.

that wasn't my experience, shy. I was in constant pain for many, many months.
I think it depends on the person, on the circumstances, and whether they had any treatment. I didn't, until I went private.
I sincerely hope that you get help quite soon Wobbly and that your pain goes away. Depression might be effect of pain - it is very insidious. As I mentioned earlier, I was mostly in tears a lot of the time - dependent on DH to un/dress me, to cut up my food, to drive me around... It was horrible.

You won't be in pain for that length of time, it will probably only be a matter of weeks. It will just become a minor inconvenience, and you will find ways round doing what you want to do.