What can you tell me about your frozen shoulder?

[johnsontrio]

The title says it all... Finally recovered from having my neck fixed in January when a bunch of different symptoms started in the same arm. Progressively getting worse and worse limiting my range of motion. Last couple of weeks interfering with my sleep. Once I'm a grumpy bear to everyone and absolutely sleep deprived, it's time to see the Dr.

The good news is I don't need an additional surgery and there are no arthritic changes in the shoulder. The bad news is that it is a frozen shoulder and the treatment is to work it loose gradually with PT. I hear it is quite a painful process. The Dr. says the timeline is typically 3-4 months immobility and pain increase to their peak (says we are probably three-fourths of the way through this part), 9-12 months pain and immobility are stable at a high level while you do the PT, then another 3-4 months while the joint relaxes and pain decreases and mobility returns. He says the entire process can be a year to a year and a half.

So I am sure that I am not the only one that has experienced this. The PT says she has had a run on them this summer and they know exactly what I need to get me going. So if any of you have experience with this could you please share. Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated. I need some positive thoughts and encouragement. At the end of this, I will have spent over half of my DD's high school years either sick or recovering. TIA, Amy

 

[powellrj]

I have no advice, but I understand what you are saying. I spent years with knee pain until I had my knees replaced and during my PT for those, I then developed bursitis in my hip and a torn rotor cuff in my shoulder. I feel like I lost my youngest DDs youth due to my pain.

Chronic pain is awful and I hope you feel better soon!

 

[jackemail]

All I can tell you is that we just went through this with my Mother....for her , unfortunately, it was almost 2 years before things really got better. She had therapy twice a week (but due to her age, probably didn't work as hard at therapy). The "3-4 months" after therapy waiting for the mobility to return was more like 9 months for her. The good news is that it is finally better..

 

[johnsontrio]

Thank you for the replies. I know I'm sounding like a big baby and it could be so much worse. I have a SIL with stage 4 oral cancer finishing her radiation this week. She has been an example of determination and grit.

I was up all night, finally fell asleep while DH was in the shower at 6:10, just to get up at 7am to run DD's carpool to school. The pain isn't bothering me near as much as the sleep deprivation.

I'm hoping you Disers that slept all night are over your frozen shoulders and can chime in here.

 

[Jennasis]

Dh just had surgery a month ago for a torn labrum. It's similar to a rotator cuff. He was in a lot of pain for years leading up to the surgery and still in discomfort now while it heals and he does PT...so hugs from us on the chronic pain. He lost years of sleep with it.

With the frozen shoulder, is surgery an option? The mother of one of my students had a frozen shoulder. years of agony and immobility and finally they decided to fix it surgically. The basically knocked her out and then forced...cracked...the shoulder to move, bussting up all the calcium deposits and stuff. Then she began PT. Much shorter process than trying to loosen the shoulder over time.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I am in PT right now for a frozen shoulder. I got it from having my L neck dissected due to thyroid cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes.. I actually should have had started the PT in Feb. but if you followed my saga on the boards you will know that I am now going to be having operation #7 in nov. so I have a small time frame to get this done. My ins. co. only approved 8 visits which I used, twice a week and now 6 more. I do everything they tell me to do and what I can do at home. The sessions are about an hour long. I dont know what is going to happen if I cant move my arm in the right range of motion when the ins visits are up. I really dont want to pay to go to this place, its just a place my ins. co. approves of etc. I am glad its my L arm and not the dominant arm I use daily R arm. The PT is only painful when they actually do hands on and stretch out your arm. They only do that about 10 min. and I actually wish they would do it more etc. I have a high pain tolerance anyway. Wishing you the best of luck.

 

[johnsontrio]

I am in PT right now for a frozen shoulder. I got it from having my L neck dissected due to thyroid cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes.. I actually should have had started the PT in Feb. but if you followed my saga on the boards you will know that I am now going to be having operation #7 in nov. so I have a small time frame to get this done. My ins. co. only approved 8 visits which I used, twice a week and now 6 more. I do everything they tell me to do and what I can do at home. The sessions are about an hour long. I dont know what is going to happen if I cant move my arm in the right range of motion when the ins visits are up. I really dont want to pay to go to this place, its just a place my ins. co. approves of etc. I am glad its my L arm and not the dominant arm I use daily R arm. The PT is only painful when they actually do hands on and stretch out your arm. They only do that about 10 min. and I actually wish they would do it more etc. I have a high pain tolerance anyway. Wishing you the best of luck.

I have seen some of your posts regarding your surgeries but didn't know the origin of it all. I am so sorry to hear. Most times thyroid cancer is the one you would pick if you had to choose..sorry yours has spread. If you noticed in my first post on this thread I referred to my SIL. She had bilateral radical neck in July as a result of her oral cancer which had spread to the floor of her mouth, however they were able to spare the muscles of her neck. Only 2 of her nodes tested Positive and she completes radiation/chemo this week. I am guessing since you are approaching 7 surgeries, you probably have already done the radiation.

I'm sure this frozen shoulder is the last thing you needed after all this. I think you can probably rehab it at home after the first couple of visits. I am only prescribed 4 weeks to start and then will probably take it over after that. I do yoga a couple times a week and my instructor is awesome at stretching us out. I think she will help me with any additional stretches that can be useful. The doctor already has me putting my arm against the doorframe and walking thoughr the door stretching it out behind me as far as I can. That is a killer. Not sure how well I am going to tolerate this.

LuvMary, to you...

 

[johnsontrio]

Dh just had surgery a month ago for a torn labrum. It's similar to a rotator cuff. He was in a lot of pain for years leading up to the surgery and still in discomfort now while it heals and he does PT...so hugs from us on the chronic pain. He lost years of sleep with it.

With the frozen shoulder, is surgery an option? The mother of one of my students had a frozen shoulder. years of agony and immobility and finally they decided to fix it surgically. The basically knocked her out and then forced...cracked...the shoulder to move, bussting up all the calcium deposits and stuff. Then she began PT. Much shorter process than trying to loosen the shoulder over time.

I'm sure in some cases it is but thankfully my case isn't catastrophic. I had surgery in Jan with 5 hours of anesthesia and then a endoscopy in Feb due to non-healing gastritis r/t all the meds taken for the nerve pain from the herniation. The last thing I want is more anesthesia. I'm sure they will assess my progress and I am going to do everything I can to resolve this w/o surgery.

As you said the big beef is the sleep deprivation. I was up last night until 6am (got 3.5 hours total) and am not particularly tired and it's now 9:15pm. I hope I can settle down and sleep but I feel hyped up from the steroids he injected in the shoulder. Tomorrow I am going to channel all that into cleaning my house.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I have seen some of your posts regarding your surgeries but didn't know the origin of it all. I am so sorry to hear. Most times thyroid cancer is the one you would pick if you had to choose..sorry yours has spread. If you noticed in my first post on this thread I referred to my SIL. She had bilateral radical neck in July as a result of her oral cancer which had spread to the floor of her mouth, however they were able to spare the muscles of her neck. Only 2 of her nodes tested Positive and she completes radiation/chemo this week. I am guessing since you are approaching 7 surgeries, you probably have already done the radiation.

I'm sure this frozen shoulder is the last thing you needed after all this. I think you can probably rehab it at home after the first couple of visits. I am only prescribed 4 weeks to start and then will probably take it over after that. I do yoga a couple times a week and my instructor is awesome at stretching us out. I think she will help me with any additional stretches that can be useful. The doctor already has me putting my arm against the doorframe and walking thoughr the door stretching it out behind me as far as I can. That is a killer. Not sure how well I am going to tolerate this.

LuvMary, to you...

I only had 3 surgeries for the cancer. I only had to have 1 dose of radioactive iodine and I am cancer free right now. I think besides the regular cancer the surgeon who had to save my life told my dh he just went in there and started chopping to get to my jugular vein which split in 2. These new surgeries are all for my wonderful stomach and hernia wich is getting fixed again on thurs. So now the pt is off. I dont know how I will ever get better from the shoulder now. I will just do what I can do at home until I see when I can go back and what they will pay for etc. I think the stretching really helps. So the yoga instructor could do stuff as long as its done correctly etc. Yeah, my dr. told me to "walk the wall", use my fingers to get my shoulder up etc. I hope you rehab quickly.

 

[Mom2Angels]

I had a frozen shoulder and went through the no sleeping, the sharp pains when moving to quickly, etc. I went through physical therapy, cortisone shots and nothing worked until I had the MUA (Manipulation Under Anesthesia), when I woke up, I had not once ounce of pain (not even from the MUA), I could lay on that side with NO pain what so ever, I had PT for a short time, after a while some pain came back, but no where like it was, I can lay on that side and extend that arm most of the way, I still don't have complete mobility, but I would say I'm at 90%. I had it for about two years (I didn't seek treatment at first) before I finally had the MUA and it's been two years since I had it.

Good Luck!

Debbie

 

[Jennasis]

I had a frozen shoulder and went through the no sleeping, the sharp pains when moving to quickly, etc. I went through physical therapy, cortisone shots and nothing worked until I had the MUA (Manipulation Under Anesthesia), when I woke up, I had not once ounce of pain (not even from the MUA), I could lay on that side with NO pain what so ever, I had PT for a short time, after a while some pain came back, but no where like it was, I can lay on that side and extend that arm most of the way, I still don't have complete mobility, but I would say I'm at 90%. I had it for about two years (I didn't seek treatment at first) before I finally had the MUA and it's been two years since I had it.

Good Luck!

Debbie

Yes this. This is what my student's mom had done.

 

[Disney Doll]

My co-worker had a frozen shoulder post-radiation after cancer surgery and she did yoga and said it helped enormously. She has pretty full mobility in it...maybe a little stiffness, but she is in her late 60's, so that could be a bit of arthritis at this point. But she swore by the yoga.

 

[Mom2Angels]

My co-worker had a frozen shoulder post-radiation after cancer surgery and she did yoga and said it helped enormously. She has pretty full mobility in it...maybe a little stiffness, but she is in her late 60's, so that could be a bit of arthritis at this point. But she swore by the yoga.

I'm assuming I had it because it's common in diabetics, I've been Type 1 for about 23 years.

Debbie