Frozen shoulder after humerus fracture. Anybody had a frozen shoulder?

[Antonia]

October 1st I severely fractured my humerus. I had surgery with a plate and 18 screws placed and subsequently was in a sling and swathe for days. I started therapy soon after and things seemed to be going well. And basically they are, however, I have a froaen shoulder in that I cannot raide my arm above chest level. Now I'm doing exercises to get my shoulder moving and I go to the YMCA and put in the whirlpool almost everyday. I'm still doing PT twice a week and exercising at home and at the Y.

For anyone who has ever suffered this, I'm just wondering. Does a frozen shoulder GRADUALLY show improvement or one day will it just BOOM start working????

I can't even do my job like this and I need to get back to work sometime before I forget how to work!!!

 

[Northstar]

Gradually.

My experience:
1. It stops hurting like you want to scream when somebody bumps you or you turn over in bed.
2. It stops hurting except when the therapist is pushing at your limits of motion
3. It stops hurting, but you just don't have the range of motion... you'll go to raise your arm up to get something off a shelf, and it just stops and won't go higher.
4. You start to get back a little more range of motion... when you're doing the exercises and stretching they gave you in therapy, you can feel that, even though it's stiff, if you push a little bit you can move farther.
5. You have almost all your everyday motion back again... you can put on your shirts and reach up to high shelves... but if you have to twist and reach or reach up to scratch an itch on your back, you notice you're not quite 100% unfrozen.

According to my physical therapist, the therapy is really important for speeding up the process after step 2, but most people get to step 5 eventually even without therapy.

Frozen shoulder, ugh, no fun at all. I feel for you.

 

[padams]

DH had a frozen shoulder which did not get better in spite of PT. He had to have it "unfrozen" as a day surgery patient under general anesthesia.

 

[Antonia]

That's exactly what I'm hoping to avoid. How did that go? Was it unfrozen immediately after the procedure?? Did he have to keep going to PT? I am so sick of seeing the therapists. They are wonderful people, don't get me wrong. I just long for the day when I can barely remember their names.

I am doing all kinds of exercises at home on my non-PT days and doing the whirlpool and even exercising in there while it is heated and all limbered up!

 

[Jennasis]

The couple of people I've known who suffered from frozen shoulder ended up having to do like the pp's DH. Outpatient surgery where they forcibly...umm...unfreeze it.

 

[padams]

His shoulder was immediately "unfrozen" after the procedure. He had to do some PT afterwards to regain the shoulder and arm strength (while your shoulder is frozen, you are likely losing muscle strength in your arm and shoulder). He wishes he had been "unfrozen" sooner but like you, he was hoping to not go that route.

 

[Adipoo]

I had a frozen shoulder for no real reason. I couldn't brush my hair or even scratch my nose with my left hand. I had cortisone injections and 5 months of PT with heat, TENS, and manipulation. Some days tears would be running down my face because PT hurt so much, but I stuck it out. I still don't have complete range of motion but it's good enough to live with for now. If I feel it tightening up, I start back on the exercises full force.

I don't think you realize how much work your shoulders do until they don't function properly. It really makes day to day activities extremely difficult. Best of luck to you!

 

[travelbug]

I broke my shoulder a few years ago. Physical therapy took time, but went well; yet I still developed a frozen shoulder. As someone else said, it didn't hurt unless I or the therapist moved the arm where it did not want to go. Then it hurt like crazy!

After months of PT, it became evident that the frozen shoulder wasn't going to be solved by PT or by extra exercises. I had to have the procedure done. If you want to google it, it's called "Manipulation under Anesthesia" or MUA. The doctor applied a nerve block, put me under, and then manually broke the scar tissue and adhesions. When I was released, the friend that drove me took me directly to physical therapy where they worked the arm right away. I was amazed at the range of motion that had been returned to me after the procedure. I had to do PT every day for 10 days (except Sundays of course), but it was SO much easier after the procedure. Recovery was really quick. I was very glad I had it done.

 

[jeepgirl30]

Just went through this. I got a shot of cortizone and the next morning it started moving again. I'm supposed to do PT but not sure i need it now

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Mine responded to a cortisone shot plus PT.

 

[Antonia]

I'm stretching it like crazy. So maybe when I go back to the doctor he willl suggest a cotisone shot and NOT a MUA!!!!!

I hope my stretching and PT will show improvement by my appt in 12 days. Maybe I will at least show progress and he won't want to do the MUA. He had said there is a risk of refracturing my arm so he does not really want to do the MUA - hopes I can get it working on my own.

 

[Planogirl]

I had a frozen shoulder too also right after injury of a sort. I got a cortizone shot and went through several months of therapy. I did a lot of exercise by myself with light use of weights being the most effective for me.

I heard that some people have it unfrozen through surgery but I was told that occasionally it refreezes. Odd stuff.