Sunday, November 8, 2009

Frozen Shoulder Experience and Treatment Options

Hi!  This single post blog is for those who have recently been diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder and are wondering what to do.  I will tell you how the condition affected me, it's progress, the treatment options that were recommended, and the choices I ultimately made about it.  Unless you or a loved one actually has frozen shoulder, I would read no further.  I plan to discuss my experience in detail, and there is no point looking for trouble if you don't have it.

First, I can tell you the whole story in one sentence:  I DID NOTHING for my frozen shoulder, and it got better on its own.  This was contrary to all the medical advice I received, but it turns out I was right, and they were wrong.

Ok, now I'll start at the beginning.


June 2008

I am not a devoted yogi, but once in a while I get the urge to iron out the kinks with some yoga.  After a few months' hiatus I started my usual routine and eventually started to go into Triangle Pose.  I put my right hand down and tried to put my left arm up, but it wouldn't go.  It didn't hurt or anything, it just wouldn't go up.  I thought that was weird, but I switched to the other side and that was ok, so I didn't think any more about it.  I think the same thing happened the next day, but then I lost my interest in yoga again and forgot about it.

August 2008

I am starting to notice some pain in my left shoulder.  It is especially painful doing up the hooks at the back of my bra each morning, and each day it seems to get worse.  It is really excruciating, I have to rest and take some deep breaths each time I do it.  I buy a bunch of front-closing bras and decide to go to the doctor.

At the appointment the doctor asked me to raise my arm to the front and to the side, and I am able to lift it about three quarters of the way up.  He then asked me to touch the centre of my back and I could not get my hand any further than my hip at that point.  "You have a frozen shoulder!" he exclaimed.  He asked me to come back in three weeks to check my progress and talk about treatment.

Of course, I immediately went home and googled "frozen shoulder", as you probably have done too.  I learned that frozen shoulder is caused by adhesions that form in the shoulder joint.  I learned about the three stages of frozen shoulder -- the painful stage, the frozen stage, and the thawing stage.  I learned that some doctors believe it is an autoimmune disorder, and this is my belief as well.  I never injured my shoulder, but I already had an autoimmune disease of the thyroid, and apparently if you have one autoimmune disorder you can be prone to others.  As is typical, it was my non-dominant side that was frozen, i.e. I am right handed, and my left shoulder was frozen.

I learned that there are differing treatment approaches depending on where you live.  The British websites tell you to do nothing, and in about a year it will go away on its own.  At least, that is what they said when I was reading them.  The American websites recommend physiotherapy to maintain some range of movement, and some websites recommend really aggressive physiotherapy, or else your shoulder will be permanently frozen!  There are two surgical treatments.  The caveman surgery involves general anesthetic and a strong doctor who manually forces the joint to move, which sometimes results in a broken arm.  The new 21st century surgery uses an arthroscope to release the shoulder joint.

September 2008

Armed with all this information I went back to the doctor for my next appointment.  Now it seemed like I knew more about it than he did!  I think a lot of doctors hate the internet.  He told me that I was going to need months and months of physiotherapy.  Now, I wanted some physiotherapy, because it seemed like a good idea to at least prevent things from getting worse, but physiotherapy is not covered by Ontario health insurance, and a lot of physiotherapy was going to be very expensive.  We agreed that I would go a few times so I could learn the exercises and then do them on my own at home.

The other treatment my doctor wanted me to get was something he called "needling", which he would do in the office.  This would involve putting an acupuncture needle into my shoulder over and over to loosen the joint.  I hadn't read about this anywhere on the internet.  I was dubious, but I made the appointment for the treatment.

The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea.  First, I have a strong dislike of needles.  I've had acupuncture, and that was ok, but this sounded like it was going to be a lot deeper.  My shoulder joint was inflamed and sore, and it seemed like sticking needles in it would be very painful.  I kept the appointment, but refused the treatment, and just talked about other issues.  My doctor was annoyed.

At my first physiotherapy appointment the physiotherapist measured my range of motion with various oversized compasses and protractors.  It was not very good, and furthermore taking my arm to the limit and holding it there while she measured was quite painful.  At this point I could lift my arm just over halfway to the front, less than halfway to the side, and anything that involved twisting the arm or reaching to the back was out of the question.

A lot of websites talk about the pain of frozen shoulder.  I found that if I twisted my arm or put my weight on it wrong there would be a really sharp stab of pain in the joint.  I had been in the habit of pushing myself off the sofa, but something about that motion combined with the weight was sudden and excruciating and I quickly learned to use my legs to stand up again!  But unless I did something wrong, it didn't hurt much otherwise.  Sometimes I would take an anti-inflammatory like aspirin or Advil, but not often.

Sleeping is the other big challenge with frozen shoulder.  I switch around between sleeping on my stomach and sleeping on my side, and I found I couldn't sleep with my shoulder to the back at all.  I learned to sleep just on my side with my arm down and to the front.  If you sleep on your back you will probably have no problem.  For a couple of weeks I would wake up in the night after rolling into the wrong position, but my body adapted pretty quickly.

October 2008

The physiotherapist gave me a set of exercises.  One group involved holding a broom handle with both hands and using the good arm to push the frozen arm into a wider range of motion.  She also recommended using your body to swing the frozen arm forward and back and side to side.  She wanted me to buy this pulley system that you attach to the top of your door so you can use the good arm to pull up the frozen arm.

I went home and I faithfully did my exercises, morning and evening, although I put off buying the pulley.  I found that my shoulder became a lot more painful, and I had to keep up with the anti-inflammatories all day.  My range of motion was getting worse too.  This went on all month, and then for some reason one day I didn't do the exercises.  The next day my shoulder felt a lot better.  I mentioned this to my physiotherapist, and she suggested that I might be doing the exercises too vigorously.  I tried cutting back, but it quickly became clear:  there was significantly less pain if I just left my shoulder alone.  I decided to believe the British websites.  I stopped doing the exercises and cancelled the rest of my physiotherapy appointments.

November 2008

When I stopped doing the exercises my range of motion stopped getting worse, but it did not get any better.  Living with frozen shoulder is awkward, but I came up with different strategies to cope.  Driving was one area of adjustment.  I was not able to move my left arm up over the top of the steering wheel when turning, so I learned to scooch along the bottom of the wheel.  Fortunately I was always able to dress myself, the internet talks about people who can't do up their own buttons, but I retained enough range of motion to dress and wash my face.

Washing my hair was trickier, I couldn't reach that high but I found that if I bent over it was ok.  Drying my back was the most annoying thing.  Finally I realized that I could just put on a terry cloth robe and that would absorb the water on my back before I dressed.

So I adapted.  Except for yoga maybe, I don't think I was prevented from doing anything I normally do because of my shoulder.  If you are into sports, or working out, or have a physical job, then you might have to make changes for a while, but remember, it is only temporary.

January 2009

Early in January I suddenly realized that the pain in my shoulder was gone, even if I tried to twist it.  I had entered Stage Two, the Frozen Stage.  I really believe that when I stopped exercising I gave the inflammation in my shoulder a chance to die down, so I was able to progress to the second stage fairly quickly.  My range of motion was not improved at all, but I felt a lot better now that I was in no danger of moving it the wrong way and getting that really sharp pain.

My physiotherapist called also in early January to see if she should close my file or if I wanted to come back.  I told her how my shoulder was doing and that I hadn't been doing the exercises.  She was very concerned that if I didn't do the exercises my shoulder wouldn't get better.  She suggested that I should get the "caveman" procedure done soon, because the longer I waited the tighter my shoulder would get.  She admitted that a broken arm had happened occasionally with that procedure.  She didn't know if the arthroscopic surgery, was available in our part of Canada.  I told her that I would do some yoga, and she was satisfied with that.

I think I tried once to do a simple yoga routine, but it was really impossible.  So, I continued to do nothing.

February 2009

No improvement in my range of motion.

March 2009

No improvement in my range of motion.

April 2009

I had not been testing my shoulder regularly, but one day I wanted a bowl from the top shelf in the cupboard and I just reached up with my left hand and grabbed it.  It was like my body knew I could do it before I did.  From then on there was just slow and steady improvement in my range of motion.  I did nothing to help it along, no exercise of any kind.  It was Stage Three, the Thawing Stage, and it just thawed out on its own.  By September I had 95% of my range of motion back.

November 2009

As I write this I have my full range of motion back.  I can do up a back-closing bra, which even in September I still couldn't do.  I am going to stick with the new ones, though, they actually fit better.  I can do Triangle Pose, although it is uncomfortable.  It is not sore in the joint, it is the muscles that seem both tight and weak, but I guess after so long that is to be expected.  Not being able to do yoga for so long has given me a new desire and appreciation for it!  I am really looking forward to a regular yoga routine.

In summary, I guess you can see that frozen shoulder is a slow process -- about a year and a half in my case.  But the outcome is perfect, and I didn't have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on painful treatments.  I just waited it out.  And I think it's important to say that I didn't worry or stress about it, and contribute to the inflammation that way.  Also, in September 2008 I started taking a variety of good quality supplements, a multivitamin, omega3, glucosamine and MSM, coQ10 mainly, not for my shoulder specifically, just for health.  They may have helped too.

Doctors say they don't know much about frozen shoulder, but based on my experience here is what I think is happening in there.  For some reason your immune system starts attacking the lining of your shoulder joint, and this causes it to become inflamed.  It is the inflammation that causes the adhesions to form, as I experienced when the exercise inflamed my shoulder even more and my range of motion grew smaller.  Once you are through the first Painful Stage the inflammation has subsided and no new adhesions are being formed, although the old ones remain.  Over time the adhesions start to break down, I think through a combination of gentle daily motion and the healing of the tissue inside your shoulder.

I hope this has helped you as you weigh your options.  This is one of the websites that helped me with my decisions, although it has been revised to be more pessimistic than when I read it in 2008:

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Frozen-Shoulder.htm

89 comments:

  1. Hi Monica!
    Thanks for your comment on my new blog. I just saw it tonight, and came to check out your story. My mother has just been diagnosed with frozen shoulder, and I'm going to pass along your information to her. I'm glad you are better!
    All the best,
    Jennie

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  2. Thanks for writing your experience. I am just now coming to the end of the first 3 months and I am so glad to have found your story. Thanks for posting it.

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  3. Thanks so much !! it's very helpful and well written too:-)

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  4. YES! Thank you for this post. I am on month 8 of freezing/frozen ... and really needing to hear some personal stories to assure me that what I am hearing from the medical community is true... that it will most probably go away. I loved hearing specifically how your range of motion returned quietly and when you weren't even paying attention. I am doing some basic stretches every day and it is frustrating to see no change.... the watched pot... just got to keep going on faith. Thanks for sharing your personal experience, Monica!

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    1. I'm glad it helped, Carolyn! I still think the best thing to do is to just leave it alone as much as possible. The more you aggravate it, the longer it will take to heal. Hang in there!

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  5. Just as a general comment, I want to let everyone know that I have had no lasting damage of any kind from my frozen shoulder. My left shoulder now has better mobility than my right shoulder, which I think is probably a little scarred up inside from tennis. I have no pain or stiffness of any kind, and the joint is flexible and strong. Frozen shoulder is a strange thing, but it is not permanent. Be well everyone!

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  6. Thank you for writing about your experience, I'm going through frozen shoulders ( yes both... ) now ! My right one started hurting in Aug followed a few weeks later by the left, the pain at night has been excruciating ! I only got max 3 yrs sleep each night for 2 weeks. The lack of sleep was actually worse than the pain ! I was put on Naproxen but it did nothing really, last week I saw a specialist, he gave me a cortisone shot and i have to say it made a HUGE difference, the pain is almost all gone, the range of motion I still have to work on by going to physio. its a really disabilitating condition, I know its slow to heal but I guess when you're going through it it seems to completely take over your life, your thoughts !!
    Thank you again for posting your story
    Laura

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    1. Laura, I am glad that my story has encouraged you. In my experience, I found that it was complete rest, rather than physiotherapy, that allowed my shoulder to heal the fastest. My range of motion came back on it's own.

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  7. Monica, Thank you for your story. I felt better when I saw you have been doing nothing because I have been doing nothing. My Ortho Doctor actually agreed with me and thought I made a good choice. Although many others tell me I will be sorry. Anyway, I have never heard about the autoimmune thing??? My doctor never mentioned that. I was diagnosed 1 year ago. I started out with therapy but it did not work. It only got worse so my doctor and I decided to wait it out! I thought that was the right thing but lately I am a little concerned. My pain was bad in the beginning and they gave me a non-narcotic non addictive med (Tramadol) which I asked for. So I started out with lots of pain and my movement became more limited. While on the pills I eventually felt very little pain and even began to think I was in the last stage. I went one whole week with no pain at all. I was so happy to feel what I thought to be normal again. About 2 months ago (10 mths into this)I began to have some weird symptons and did some research on the pain meds I was taking. Apparently many people struggle with them and some are going after the drug company saying they are addictive. I was taking the max dose I could, but now I was not sleeping and not functioning well. So I began to withdraw slowly. The idea of possibly being addicted made me nervous. Now I take only 2 a day from 8 but the pain has increased a lot. My arm hurts as much as it did in the beginning and the stiffness is even worse. So am I still in stage 1 because I have so much pain? Just worried that if doing nothing is OK then why am I getting worse? Or am I just feeling it worse because I was on more pain meds. Its been a year and I am sooooo tired! I am questioning the stage I am because it feels like it did in the beginning and I even have numbness now in my fingers and more shooting pain. Thoughts?

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    1. Dear Anonymous - First, I am not a doctor, so all I can offer is my own experience and opinions. My thought on your situation is that the pain med you were on has delayed the healing of your shoulder. I can think of two reasons why that might be. One, with the pain masked, you may have been using your shoulder more than you should have been. Two, most pain meds are anti-inflammatories, which in your case may have actually interrupted the progress of the condition. So it does sound like you are still in Stage 1.

      I completely understand how exhausted you must be feeling. My suggestion would be to switch to an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (I mainly used Advil), and to rest your shoulder as much as possible. My primary message here is that rest, not exercise or physiotherapy, is what heals a Frozen Shoulder the fastest. My prayers are with you! All the best. :)

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    2. Thank you Monica. I appreciate your comments. I am just confused about one thing. In the 1st paragraph you said pain meds with anti-inflamatories may have actually interrupted the progress of my condition. Then later you suggest an over the counter anti-inflammatory. Just confused.

      Since I wrote this I did call the doctor because my pain was unbearable. I had asked about anti-inflamatory meds thinking that my shoulders are inflamed and that may give relieve. The pain med I was on he said had no anti-inflammatory in them and I should take Ibuprofen or Advil inbetween the pain med. I have tried that for the last few days and it feels somewhat better.

      Again, thank you for the info. Could you please clarify about the anti-inflamotory? Thank you.

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    3. Something to take the edge off, but not eliminate the pain entirely, was my intention with that comment about the Advil. I think that still feeling some pain will help you avoid the movements that make your shoulder worse, and actually be an aid to healing. Be well!

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    4. That makes sense. I get it. Yah they told me to move my arms so they wouldn't get stiff. So I didn't try to avoid that. Thanks again.

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  8. Thank you for taking the time and writing your story. It was such a relief to read an actual honest experience like yourself. I'm in the first phase and I tired the physio with no use! Now that I know its a common process, feeling better already.

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  9. Thanks for posting your story. I have had some problem with my left arm for more than one year. It was mostly feeling a bit pain when my arm move in certain way, such as reaching out for the seat belt when I was in the driver seat, or lifting my heavy iron wok when I was cooking. But since about 2-3 weeks ago, I has started to feel pain during my sleep. The motion range has become worsen quickly --- my left hand has been unable to reach my back for past 3 days ;-) I am not sure what stage I am at and how much worse my condition will become... I may try to follow your approach first in dealing with it.

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    1. Valley Nomad, your situation does sound a little different, when you say that you have been having trouble for a year already, but just now are getting to the really painful part. I would get a doctor to make sure it really is Frozen Shoulder and not something else. If it is frozen, though, then I still believe that rest, and not exercise, will be the fastest cure.

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  10. Hi, i would like to know, did your arm just keep getting better? i noticed you wrote this in 2009. have you had any reoccurances?
    thank you for your blog. i do appreciate it.

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    1. Hi Misty,

      Once my frozen shoulder thawed out, it has been fine ever since. You would never know I had it. The mobility in the left shoulder, which was the frozen one, is now better than my right shoulder, which has some wear and tear from tennis. All the best!

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  11. Your writing is like a Yoga pass for me! I have frozen shoulders in my right arm and now I feel it coming in te left one too. I was struggling in the beginning I tought that this condition had something to do with my work ,Iam a textile artist. I long for yoga, to stretch out, to work real hard but this will take time. It´s great to find your writing and very comforting.
    Anna-Lena

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    1. I'm glad to help, Anna-Lena. I guess this is an opportunity to develop a more Zen-like quality of acceptance!

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  12. Hi - today I googled 'frozen shoulder getting worse' and found your article. i woke up one morning in august with a severe kink in my shoulder and back, and a massage worked it out ... mostly. sept/oct were fine, just a bit reduced range of motion. october i 2 massages with someone who specializes in shoulders and he gave me some exercises to do. i started to experience more pain, and more pain in december while i continued with the exercises. in january i started with accupuncture (5 sessions) and continued with the exercises and now i have even reduced range of motion ... and then i started to think that while i pay more attention to my shoulder, it just gets worse. i think i will give the whole thing a rest, and just relax, and trust. thank you.

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    1. Trust your own experience, Anonymous. If your shoulder feels better when you rest it, then that is the right thing to do. All the best!

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  13. Thanks for sharing your story! You are spot on. My situation has seemed to mirror yours. I spent $600 going to a PT and was absolutely miserable. I read your post about 5 months ago and decided to stop everything I was doing. All of a sudden I have noticed major improvement in my range of motion. I am about 7 months into this journey and am looking forward to a full recovery without doing anything!

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    1. I am so glad to hear that, Anonymous! Here's to a complete recovery!

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  14. Hi Monica, I read your blog during the early stages of my first frozen shoulder which began late 2011. I followed a more active path which ultimately included surgery after cortisone injection, aggressive physiotherapy and hydrodilatation. It was after 3 weeks of excruciating physio with no improvement that my physiotherapist finally agreed with me that it was adhesive capsulitis and recommended the hydrodilatation (injecting cortisone and saline directly into the shoulder to stretch capsule and improve inflammation - surprisingly not painful). I tried this as I had a wait of about 9 weeks to see an orthopaedic surgeon but didn't notice any improvement. Surgery can be performed when you reach the frozen stage where there is no pain at rest. My dominant arm was frozen and work (in a school library) was very difficult so I chose the surgical option which included manipulation under anaesthetic and arthroscopic release of the adhesions. I had 3 weeks off work and about 10 weeks of post-op physical therapy. I have not regained full range of movement, particularly behind my back and over my head, but have strength and a working shoulder again. Unfortunately, I am now in the first phase with my other shoulder (my mother has also experienced it in both) and have revisited your blog. I am resting this one as much as possible and will just see how it goes this time. My mother's second frozen shoulder was much quicker than her first so I am hoping that this will be the case for me. If work becomes too hard I will consider laser surgery which is more expensive but has you leaving the hospital the next day with full range of movement...requiring ongoing physio to keep it moving (no manipulation, much less swelling and bleeding into joint). I am hoping, though, to wait it out as you did and try not to stress about it. I have experienced other autoimmune problems and I share your belief that this may be the cause. Thank you for writing about your experience...I hope that, ultimately, I get the same result as you.

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    1. What a long road you have been on, Anonymous! I am glad you have come back to report on your experience, and I hope you will do the same with the other shoulder.

      I know it is hard to do nothing when we are a "doing" society, but I still believe it is the right approach for frozen shoulder.

      People frequently say that frozen shoulder is a build up of scar tissue, but I think that is wrong. It is much more like a scab, and the more you pick at it, the longer it lasts.

      Best wishes, and please let us know how it progresses!

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  15. Thank you for raising a discussion of frozen shoulder. I'm currently going through a second bout of this syndrome. The first occurred in 2003 in my right shoulder. The doctors talked about a possible surgical solution, but instead, I took asprin or NSAIDs for inflammation (my shoulder felt hot to the touch) and pain. My shoulder took about a year and a few months to heal. Now, I'm recovering from the same in both shoulders! This started in 2011, again after a major illness. The right shoulder fully recovered late last year, but the left shoulder is stll slowly "thawing". I expect it will be another six months to a year before the healing's complete. I agree with you that rest, patience, and anti-inflamatories when needed works best.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experience! It is interesting that your frozen shoulder occured after a major illness. That reinforces the idea that the immune system is involved.

      Here's to a complete recovery!

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  16. Thank Monica
    What a great blog for those of us inflicted with frozen shoulder. I woke this morning and decided it was time to set up a blog to document my experience with this condition. I am glad you have got there before me and are able to give details of a positive outcome.

    I am still at the painful stage about 5 months in to it and found the exercises and physical therapy in the beginning made the pain so unbearable. The medical practitioners only speak from theory and not from the sleepless night it inflicts.
    I have some tips that have helped me though and I wanted to share those with people who want to try do this without taking pain medication. I went a therapist who is a Chiropractor and energy worker with a very gentle approach. Adjusting my upper back, collar bone and generally making sure everything else is in line has helped loosen up the shoulder a bit though it has not helped the range of movement. What has been really helpful for pain is Lymphatic drainage massage. I do it myself a couple of times a day and when I wake up with pain at night. I simply raise my arm above my body (when lying down)and stroke back towards my heart with the palm of the other hand. work the underarm back to the chest first and then the back and front of the arm. There are some great you tube and websites describing what it is about. I am really interested now in learning more about this technique because of the pain relief 10 minutes of gentle self massage can offer.
    Thanks for the great positive outcome post...
    c

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    1. Thanks for dropping by, Coco. I'm sure anyone would be interested in another way to manage the pain. Good luck with your recovery!

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  17. Thanks Monica for your wonderful description of your experience with frozen shoulder. I was searching on the web for the association of an autoimmune disease and frozen shoulder since I have lupus, which in itself is joint pain from inflammation when the chronic illness is flaring as one of the symptoms for lots of lupus patients. I too, did the MRI and X-RAY, and finally the Shoulder Dr, that I was sent to by my rheumatologist, said what you said, "It will go away on its own in 90% of the cases." He asked what I had been doing which was PT and MASSAGE to the right side, right shoulder and arm. He said to continue, but the only one I felt relief from was the massage that I started by doing weekly and now I am down to every three weeks. PT hurts as she stretches it beyond what it will do...I could not reach up to blow dry my hair, put my hand in my back pocket, button the front of my pants, pull up my jeans, and that sharp pain when my arm hits something, would bend me over in excruciating pain. I will say that after 7 months, all of those symptoms are better after I have stopped the stretching exercises and I am letting it heal more on its own. Hopefully, it is in the thawing out phase because I do have more range of motion and less pain. Now I can sleep at night without it killing me. I will keep doing the massage, because she is loosening the muscles that seem to be so tight and restricted and it increases blood flow for better healing.
    I still wonder about the connection with autoimmune disease.....and will continue to research this point.

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    1. I am glad to hear you are on the mend! At least with Frozen Shoulder you CAN look forward to a complete recovery, so it is not exactly like an autoimmune disease, which is ongoing. But it does seem like Frozen Shoulder is a disproportionate response by the immune system to some small change in the shoulder joint. Thanks for sharing your story!

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  18. My Frozen Shoulder Story, April 2013
    My conclusions from my experience and stories I’ve read……..nothing works to heal it, you just have to let it run it’s course and manage the best you can with it. It last about 1 to 1 1/2 years from beginning signs to feeling normal. Here’s my story……..
    I’m a 48 year old woman. I'm going on my 3rd bout of frozen shoulder. 1st was 5 years ago in my right (dominant) shoulder. At first I thought sleeping on it wrong was the cause of the strange pains. It was very scary thinking I might lose my arm for the rest of my life. I went to the doc and was diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder and was sent to physical therapy. IT DID NO GOOD. Then was given a cortisone shot which set my shoulder on fire for almost an hour, and IT DID NO GOOD. I quit PT and did exercises at home, but no improvement. It eventually got better, it took about a year from start to finish. The pains of sudden movements were off the "pain charts"; sleeping was a bit uncomfortable but I slept.
    December 2011, the familiar feelings came again in my left shoulder. By February it was at it's worst. This time the pain was worse, extended to my lower shoulder blade, and down my arm. I wasn't sleeping well, and I had such extreme fatigue 24/7 that I thought I was sick with something else on top of the shoulder problem, though I had no symptoms other than exhaustion. I had tons of tests done, to no avail. I was so at my wits end that I went to the emergency room. I was prescribed sleeping pills and referred to an endocrinologist who ran more tests, but I was perfectly healthy other than high peroxidose levels in my thyroid, and low on vitamin D. I was told the peroxidase levels were not affecting my thyroid so it was fine. Vitamin D seems to be "fad" lately. The sleeping pills did help me sleep.
    This bout made it nearly impossible for me to work. I am a real estate appraiser and measuring a house was too painful, and the exhaustion made driving unsafe, not mention hard to focus on doing research and reports.
    From February through April I was pretty incapacitated. I went to an orthopedist to see if there was any new recommended treatment. He suggested the cortisone shot and said in my last experience, the shot was not placed right. So I tried it and this time it did not cause the pain, and my shoulder felt immediately looser. I was amazed and SO HAPPY!!!!! BUT….. it was short lived and within a day or two the shoulder had tightened up again. He had also prescribed me anti-inflammatory drugs, which I took. Beginning in April the pain started receding and I started doing exercises at home, though I wasn’t diligent. It gradually improved and in the fall I was able to play golf.
    So here we are April 2013. I have been functioning pretty normal although I still cannot clasp my bra in the back. I would say I’ve been at 90-95% range of motion. I expected healing from this second bout would take longer than the first to heal as it affected me much worse than the first bout. BUT THOSE FAMILIAR FEELINGS ARE RETURNING IN THE SAME SHOULDER!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    It has been a long winter here in New York. For Christmas I got my own golf clubs and rig and have been looking forward to using them! I’m going to play while I can now, as I know in a month or so I won’t be able to play at all. I can only hope it doesn’t affect me as hard as it did last time, so that I can work and sleep. I don’t plan on going to the doctor as I have learned from experience that nothing helps and I just have to let it run it’s course over the next year or so. However if necessary, sleeping pills may be the only thing useful.
    From my experience and stories I’ve read that no matter what “treatments”, or no treatment at all, it still takes about a year to a year and half to get back to normal. This tells me that the treatments don’t really help for the most part.

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    1. Oh my goodness, what a story! Frankly, I believe that all the treatments that are out there are not just unhelpful, but are actually detrimental and interfere with the body's own healing process.

      I have been wondering recently if completely immobilizing the shoulder would be helpful, but now I don't think so. A previous commenter mentioned massage to maintain blood flow, and that does seem like it would help the healing, especially in stage 2 and 3.

      To me, the exhaustion you had in your second round, and the unusual peroxidose levels in your thyroid do suggestion some kind of immune reaction. But although that may help with an explanation, it doesn't help with treatment, because you still just have to avoid anything that makes the pain worse, and wait it out.

      All the best!

      Delete
  19. Sounds familiar to me.

    Had a frozen right shoulder and Impingement in 2010/11. After several months of bad pain, I had a arthroscopy. 3.5 months of bad pain physiotherapy later, my shoulder was in perfect condition and fully movable.

    In Oktober 2012, my left shoulder started to hurt. Movement went worse every day. Now in April 2013, I still have bad pain in the shoulder, very bad sleep at night and it doesn't seem it is getting better, soon. To date I had 20 sessions at my physiotherapist, so I will start taking MSM and G lucosamine in the hope it is getting better, soon. I also did exercises with the result that it went worse. I will now try to rest and stop exercising.

    What is of interest regarding the suspision that a Frozen Shoulder is caused by a autoimmune sickness is, that during my yearly checkup, my Triglyceride serum level was way to high (I drink seldomly, so that was not the cause). I now read in the book "Disorders of the Shoulder: Diognosis and Management", page 543, that a study of 50 affected persons revealed that a majority of them had an exorbitant increased Trigyceride serum level. See http://books.google.de/books?id=ssX25YIdAFIC&pg

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    1. Very interesting, Bertl! All the best with your recovery. :)

      Delete
  20. I have had frozen shoulder for 6 months. I have tried all of the things that you did too. I am currently in the frozen phase. The pain is so much better! I look forward to the thaw stage. I am gonna just listen to my body. Alittle light exercise and massage but I am not gonna let them put me to sleep and adjust it like they want. Thank you for posting this.

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    1. You are doing well, Anonymous, if your pain is already gone after 6 months. Now it is just a waiting game, as you say. Be well!

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  21. Hi Monica, you may not be a doctor, but you have given everyone a wonderful story of hope. I am going on my seventh month in, and feel so much better. I listened to my own body and stopped doing things that would aggravate it. I felt stupid holding a broom and the pain was unbearable. Yes, it's a long journey, but save your money and patience will prevail. Thank you and everyone else who shared their story. I feel so much better!!!

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    1. I am very glad that you found some support here, Anonymous. You are right, patience will prevail. All the best!

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  23. Thank you for sharing this story and for all the comments. I was just diagnosed with frozen shoulder today and am glad that I am not alone. i appreciate hearing the different ways you all cope with it and realize there is light at the end of the tunnel. thank you!

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  24. Hi all, thank-you for your blog and words of wisdom, encouragement and hope. After 3 months of painful chiro and physio treatment, and without any success, I was diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder on my dominant right side. After struggling with terrible inflammation and pain in my right arm, I consulted with an Orthopedic Surgeon who suggested that a frozen shoulder needs time to heal itself as it is not like an injury (such as a break or fracture). So to cope with the pain he suggested I have the hydrodilatation procedure, which while extremely painful, did help for 8 weeks. However, the pain is slowly returning, but not like it was before the cortisone injection. The cortisone has helped alleviate the inflammation (the painful throbbing hotspots in the arm). I want to share that my saving grace has been an essential oil called Wintergreen from the company doTerra. This oil really helps take the edge of the pain and decreases the need for oral anti-inflammatory meds, which are hard on the liver and kidneys. I really recommend this remedy for Frozen Shoulder pain, as it's all about managing the pain now for me. While after a while you get used to having a certain amount of pain, when I notice the pain escalating, I rub this oil (undiluted) directly on the affected area. Within 5-mins the pain slowly dissipates. Wishing Goodluck and less pain to all fellow sufferers.

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  25. For anyone with Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), there's a Facebook support group that's absolutely wonderful. It grew in a few short years to over 500 members. There are so many of us out here. If you're looking for support and information, please check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/13790934450/ I happen to agree with this blog about NOT doing strenuous physical therapy. But on the Facebook Friends page, you'll find many different experiences and info from REAL people who know, more than most victims learn from the medical practitioners. Good luck to anyone suffering form this hideous condition. ---Genie

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  26. Hi Monica, I believe you. i am now suffering from left frozen shoulder maybe for the past 6 months now. haven't really done anything, just heat compressing it and light movements only. In my own opinion, it is almost similar with groin pull which i had a few years back, i had limited right leg/thigh motion, had stabbing pain, stopped doing yoga, etc.. i didn't do anything to cure it, plus the fact that, that part (groin) is not as "busy" as our shoulder joints, i guess it healed faster.. so now i will do the same with my left shoulder, give her a rest and avoid aggravating it, i believe it will heal on its own.. thank you i am more encouraged now..

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  27. thanks for this ... I've got past painful freezing and now into slightly-achy frozen. In freezing I found intense pain if someone bumped my arm, or if I reached out suddenly (before I 'leraned' not to!) ... the pain would have me doubled over and last for a few minutes with a residual painful ache for half an hour. But the worst pain is over and it's just waiting. I'm taking cod liver oil, glucosamine/ chondroitin/ MSM and also rubbing with magnesium oil. Physio three times a week, acupuncture weekly ... not sure if anything is helping but it's not getting worse (although not getting beter). Guess I'm impatient ...

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  28. Monica, your experience sounds exactly like mine. I quite physical therapy (covered by our great insurance) a few weeks ago since my therapist would use passive motion to stretch my arm beyond its limits, causing more pain and less range of motion. I found all the same information, if only I had found your blog first. Thank you for posting this.

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  29. Monica, your experience parallels mine almost exactly. I wish I had read this prior to starting and then quitting painful and harmful physical therapy.

    Thank you for posting.

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  30. after almost one year of fs and a growing inflamation in my leftbshoulder, I decided to mae an operation. had it yesterday and I'm currently in the hospital. Doc said the locking was much worse than on my right shoulder in 2011. Inflammated materialwas removed, also. Luckily due to modern drugs I'm without any pain. Today physio starts. As I know from 2011 what to expect in the next 8 weeks, I mentally prepared myself to this painful treatment (hope that helps). Bottom line is, 60 sessions physio didn't change anything but the purse of my physiologist. Thankfully my insurance covered it all. keeping you updated.

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  31. Thank you Monica for following the comments years after your thaw. I had a frozen left shoulder 7 years ago and went thru 2 rounds of cortisone, MRI and 4 months of physical therapy and by then, it had been a year. PT HURT HURT HURT but I kept it up. Now, I think it resolved because of the time that had passed, not the therapy. Now right is frozen and has been for 8 months. Doing very light stretches..nothing that hurts. But will do nothing more than that and wait for resolve. And I know it will. I am a diabetic and forecasts say that I may not resolve. Watch me. And does anyone see a relationship to estrogen and frozen shoulder. Menopausal women tend to get it more than others.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Anonymous. Personally, I do not think estrogen is a factor, because a significant percentage of the people affected are men. Maybe it is not half any more, but it is still up there. I think men are just more likely to suffer in silence!

      I believe more than ever that it is an over-reaction of the immune system/healing process, where some minor injury (that we may not even notice) causes a huge scab to form in the shoulder and immobilize it. And eventually, if we don't keep picking at it, the scab will start to break up and be re-absorbed by the body.

      I know you will get better too! Best wishes. :)

      Delete
  32. Thank you Monica. I am going through the painful process of Frozen Shoulder presently. I am only 2 months in so I have a long way to go before full recovery but your story gives me hope that this too shall pass.

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  33. Thank you for sharing your experience Monica. I have come to the same conclusion. I wanted to also share that I had a blessing in disguise when I needed to take a 6 day tapering dose of prednisone for a very bad bug bite. A secondary help was to reduce the pain in my shoulder to zero. I had been icing it nearly all day long until then. So now I just await the 'big thaw'. And pray that I don't have it a second time, which seems to be pretty common. le sigh.

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  34. Well said Monica. My feelings exactly

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  35. I've had a left frozen shoulder for a year now. The range of movement is still very restricted. Physiotherapists and chiropractors did nothing for me. I saw an orthopaedic surgeon a couple of weeks ago who told me, because my tendons and muscles are so tight around the capsule, if I don't have the shoulder manipulation done, it will probably never get any better than what it is now. I'm really not sure what to do!

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    1. Well, anonymous, do you have to decide right now? What if you took it easy for 3-6 months, and then re-evaluated? It doesn't sound like it would get any worse at this point.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Monica! I did ask the surgeon what if I would just wait it out and see what happened. He then told me if I waited too long, I may need surgery and that it would be more complicated than the manipulation. What I don't understand, is that from what I've read, after a while, the shoulder returns to normal on its own (or should!). Why would he tell me that mine would probably not???

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    3. That's what they told me too, Anonymous. It's time some better research was done on this, I think.

      Delete
  36. What a pleasure to find your blog Monica! I developed a frozen shoulder in my left shoulder over a period of two months... from lameness to absolutely excruciating pain. I had a rotator cuff tear in my right shoulder 10 years ago and thought that I had done the same damage to my left shoulder. I saw the orthopaedic surgeon yesterday and he has confirmed a frozen shoulder and has recommended a Cortisone injection and maybe an op. I don't want either and having read your blog, I've decided to persevere through the pain and different stages. If this takes a year to 18 months to resolve then so be it, at least I know it will eventually get better! Thank you for the 'support' your blog has given to all of us with FS!

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  37. I believe I have frozen shoulder and I found your blog posts very helpful. Thank you.

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  38. Hi Monica. Similar story here. After six months of increasing pain (and misdiagnosis) I reached the second stage and a good surgeon gave me a clear diagnosis and the best advice. So now I don't worry and am just waiting it out. However you seemed to skip through describing the thawing phase. I just can't figure out how this locked shoulder is going to 'magically' open up again?

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    1. The body is an amazing thing sometimes. My theory is that the shoulder is "glued" tight, same as a scab on the skin. Eventually, the scab breaks apart and the pieces are reabsorbed into the body. The thing is to let that happen gently and naturally, and not encourage new scabs to form. It sounds like you are on the road back to wellness. Good luck!

      Delete
  39. My problem started about six months ago. I've had no treatment and my range of motion has remained fairly good -- can't put my arm behind my back or raise it all the way, but I am coping. The pain seems to be getting a little worse but overall has not been bad. Internet research is frustrating because the sources contradict each other in various ways. I found your post helpful - thank you.

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  40. My exoerience was exactly like yours. Only mine more recent with thawing stage starting in April 2014. I am encouraged to know you got full range of motion back by Sept. Will wait patiently for Fall! Love your scab analogy btw.

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    1. You're in the home stretch, Deanna! All the best. :D

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  41. I am with frozen shoulder for 3 months now. I can sleep better but still have the pain. If I jerk my arm b/c of a bug flying by the pain is so difficult. I have Hyperthroidism (Graves). Just wondering if anyone out there has that too. Anyone believe in a special type of diet to help recover quicker?

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    1. My own experience with autoimmune disease has made me believe that it is a bad idea to take extra supplements to make my immune system stronger. Anti-oxidant rich foods such as berries also made things worse.

      I would just eat a generally healthy diet, rest your shoulder but otherwise keep moving, and be patient. There's still a way to go, but you'll get there. All the best!

      Delete
  42. Monica, thank you so much for your story. Mine started 6 months ago. I was playing with my dog and when I reached my left arm back behind me to catch her I heard a pop. The pop wasn't in my shoulder joint, but in the middle of my arm, which seemed strange. But that's when the pain started and loss of range of motion. My pain was always in the middle of my upper arm. Like you, what bothered me most was that I could no longer hook and unhook my bra from the back. I had to hook it in the front and slide it around to the back. Couldn't raise the arm up high enough to shave under it either. I had alot going on in my life and put off going to the doctor for 3 months. By that time the pain had subsided, but still had poor range of motion. He wanted to give me a coritzone shot and set me up for physical therapy. I declined both and went home and googled it too, like you did. I was planning to go ahead with the physical therapy which was going to cost me $1,000 out of pocket, but this morning I suddenly realized I could raise the arm up nearly normally and could reach behind my back higher than I had been able to in several months. So after reading your story and other websites, I'm convinced that I will fully recover on my own in time. So thank you again!

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    1. LOL, this time procrastination was probably your friend, Laurie! I'm glad it's getting better already. All the best!

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  43. I have been having the same experience as you did with frozen shoulder (visits to doctors, physical therapy, etc.). I too noticed that the exercises were making things worse. So I stopped doing them and, just like you, my range of motion stopped getting worse but didn't get any better. It's funny I should run across your story because just today I had the feeling, as if my mind was telling me what my body needed, that I should do nothing, manage as best I can, and the frozen shoulder will eventually heal. That's what I've always done in the past when I've injured myself and the injury gradually healed on its own --one day I just realized it was better and in the following days improvement continued and then I was well. I know it's just going to take longer with frozen shoulder. Thanks for putting your story on line. It was just the confirmation I needed.

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    1. The same thing has happened to me many times -- we find the right information when we need it. I'm glad to help and good luck!

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  44. Monica -- I have to agree with the rest of the comments: Thank you. Your blog, and the following comments, have been more informative than all the websites I found. I'm in month 4, easing into the "frozen" stage. I've gone to a few sessions with a chiropractor who does passive manipulations -- I think I'll save my money and stop.

    Also, for the person who recommended Wintergreen oil: Yes! That does help the pain. And, if you can get it -- try WOOD LOCK OIL. That stuff really helps. It's like industrial strength Tiger Balm. Smells strong, but does take the edge off.

    Has anyone considered that the initial "injury", the immobilization, could be from holding a position for a long time at a computer keyboard? I've read that FS sometimes follows an injury that necessitated immobilization. ( I agree with Monica's "scab" analogy)

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    1. I'm glad that my story and the other comments have helped!

      I am purely speculating, but I could imagine that a micro tear inside the shoulder might occur after a period of immobilization, which could give rise to a massive over-reaction by the body and a frozen shoulder joint. Maybe some people have done too much, too soon after surgery or an injury. But why does the body react so strongly? There're two sides to investigate.

      Anyway, I hope you'll be feeling better soon!

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  45. Hi Monica,

    Thank you so much for your blog. It kept me going through 6 months into my second FS. The 1st was in my right shoulder and I'm a massage therapist so I had the surgery and endured the 3 months of PT. After scouring the web for anything new, I came across a clinical trial for Xiaflex. Xiaflex is an enzyme that dissolves the adhesions slowly. I was in enormous pain with spasms and no sleep. After my first injection I received my first night of sleep without spasms. It continued to work for 21 days until I had no pain during the day and just painful stiffness in the morning. Just had my 2nd injection with a minor complication and side effect causing a bruise from my shoulder, past my elbow. The discomfort lasted a few days but subsided. I'm completely pain free and have noticed my range of motion has improved to the point I can lift things and reach the top of my head again. I will receive the 3rd and last injection in 2 weeks and hope to report a complete recovery in 3 months time without surgery. Just want to let everyone know there is something new coming. Not sure when it will be released to the public, but they are still accepting participants across the US at no cost to the recipient. Spread the word!!!!!

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    1. Wikipedia has the article on this new treatment here:
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagenase_clostridium_histolyticum

      Experimental treatments always have unknown risks down the road, and frozen shoulder IS something that will clear itself in time. Everyone will have to balance the risks and benefits for themselves.

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  46. Thanks for the post - quite interesting as I have had a painful shoulder for the last couple of days and "frozen shoulder" looks quite bad if I google for it - I'm 49 so in a risk age for getting it and I did sprain my same shoulder about 14 years ago after falling off my bike.

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  47. hi thanks for your help ive read all this an I believe I hnave a frozen shoulder also im in the 2 stage an hopin it will thaw out soon with a thyroid problem an graves dieses myself I trust with gods help an lots prayers to ill be getting better thanks again

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  48. Hi Monica,
    Update on the Xiaflex clinical trial. In 3 months I'm pain-free and have most of my range of motion. I'm still not 100% but have been able to work with both my hands through the entire process. It stopped the pain immediately which would have been enough for me. Reversing the loss of movement was an added gift.

    Some people in the program have recovered complete range of motion. However full recovery for me means I can do deep tissue massage treatments which I still can not do. If you work with your hands like I do, being out of work for 18 months is devastating.

    They will be offering a new clinical phase of Xiaflex across the USA, sometime early 2015. The one I was in ended 2 weeks ago. My guess is the new one will allow for more than 3 injections for complete recovery. This is not an advertisement, just a place to find ongoing clinical trials for everything under the sun. www.ClinicalTrials.gov

    Yes, weighing out the possible side effects must always be considered and I had one. My choices were bankruptcy ,surgery with 3 months PT costing me $10K out of pocket or the clinical trial that only required me to drive to a major city 10 times in 3 months.

    All in all, I'm pleased. It stopped the FS pain in its tracks and I will probably have complete recovery by my definition in the next month or so. My FS started in December of 2013. I started treatment in late July of 2014.

    I have no interest in promoting any particular treatment, but wish to provide information of my experience . After reading everything I could get my hands on about treatments for FS, I found most of them bogus, I tried special massage therapy treatments, physical therapy, cortisone injections, cold laser, looked into the hydrodialation, and ended up doing surgery 4 years ago with my first FS which actually went well but I had good insurance. My insurance had changed and I needed another option.

    I thought I could just wait it out as you did, since this time it was my left arm and I was grateful for your blog. After 6 months, I was ready to gnaw my arm off from pain and lack of sleep. Work was becoming impossible and I I was ready to opt for surgery again, until I came across the clinical trial.

    I'm not sure if I'm just a big baby or there are different degrees of pain. Either way I feel no shame after having FS twice. Good news, is I will not get it again,Praise God!

    For all of you out their, hang in there. Again, I thank you Monica for your story as there are not many. I hope to post my own story on www.my2feet.com blog in the next week or so. As there is not enough info out there to discern if Xiaflex treatment is a good choice or not.

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    1. I am glad you are feeling better, and I wish you continued improvement.

      I think the reason your pain continued for so long was because you had to keep working at a physical job, so you never could really rest your shoulder. Your job is not the same as an office job!

      I'm glad there are starting to be better options for frozen shoulder. Things have improved a lot in five years!

      Delete
  49. Hello,
    Frozen shoulder has to be the worst experience of my life, and I have had many painful things happen, but this tops them all.

    When things first started happening i saw my PCP. She advised physical therapy since this treatment helped a shoulder issue 10 years prior. While in PT the shoulder began to freeze...the exact opposite of what they were trying to avoid.

    I stopped PT due to the agonizing pain. I am not a baby, but the burning was like red hot metal in my shoulder. A normal arm gesture literally brought me to my knees..crying. I went back to the PCP to get the shot which i was trying to avoid. She did that and nothing happened.
    After a month and a half and my insurance would finally cover a visit to the orthopedist. At that time I was begging for the cortisone shot.
    The shot went well, the pain dissipated, and I went the their PT.
    After 7 visits my range of motion improved to about 75% . I stopped PT due to the cost.
    I am in the thawing stage now and will continue to do normal reaching and stretching. I've lost strength in my arm, I've become depressed, but this article is helpful. The shoulder still has pain, but it's different, more tolerable, and according to the doc...moving in the right direction. Thank you all for your stories.

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    1. For me, once I got to the thawing stage there was no pain at all, I just didn't move well. If your shoulder still hurts, there may be more going on. I would really give it a good rest over the holidays. See how you are doing in the new year, and maybe revisit the doctor then if it still hurts. All the best!

      Delete
    2. Hello Monica,
      I believe this started as an injury..I lifted a tote bag and flung it over my shoulder. The problem is, I am not able to have an MRI due to a medical device...they only did an x-ray, showing no breaks, or spurs.
      As I said I am not totally resting it so hopefully that is why it continues to hurt.
      The question I have for anyone on this blog...As per normal how many sleep on their side? The affected side?
      Besides the tote bag...sleeping on my side is the only thing I can think of that we may have in common.

      Delete
  50. Wow, what a fruitful google search this was! So glad I found your blog. What I thought was arm pain began in the spring of 2014 after a long day of vigorous raking. In Sept. of 2014, while shoving a bag into an overhead bin, I felt searing pain down my arm (most of my pain seems to refer to my bicep). MRI revealed tendonosis and acromial spur. Ortho dude gave me a cortisone shot which helped for a couple of days. PT since--flexion and mobility substantially worse in past 2 weeks, and therapist thinks I'm heading into frozen shoulder. Ortho dude thinks subacromial decompression will fix it, PT guy says "don't do it, it will get better on its own eventually." All I can say now is, "Bring on the frozen stage, coz I'm sick of the pain!" But anyhoo: what your blog has really done for me is to give me some hope that things will get better, and to help me accept that this will be a long process. I say "help," because I'm still very pissed at the prospect of not being able to kayak or swim for months or years. At least I can run. Will try your approach of curiosity and positive adaptive behavior, and will keep checking your blog for new comments. Thanks!

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    1. I am very glad to help, Anonymous! I am impressed that your PT guy didn't try to sell you a lot of unhelpful treatments. Maybe the community is finally getting the message!

      I truly believe that the less you do to aggravate your shoulder, the sooner it will heal. My shoulder is 100%, fully mobile and at full strength. If it wasn't for this blog, I would have forgotten about it by now. So, yes, baby your shoulder and take a philosophical approach, and I know that in a year you will be good to go as well. All the best!

      Delete
  51. Dear Monica,

    this is just to thank you a lot.
    You are right!

    I read your main post at the end of January 2014 after about 6 months of left shoulder freezing symptoms .
    I decided to give it a try and it worked :)

    I can say my shoulder is now at about 80/85 per cent of its full mobility and keeps improving.

    I would be happy to give more details of my full FS symptoms and recovery in a future message.
    For now I just can suggest to all those reading to try.
    The process is extremely, extremely, extremely slow. You just need a lot of patience, and a lot of respect for your shoulder.

    Thanks again Monica for sharing your story and pointing me to the right direction.


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    1. I am so pleased that you are well on the way to complete recovery! I calculate that it's been 11 months for you, so you are right when you say that patience is needed. I think your best observation, though, is that you need "a lot of respect for your shoulder." That sums it up! Here's to a full recovery!

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  52. Thank you so much for posting your experience. My symptoms of bilateral FS began in June '14. 3 Dr visits, a cortizone ��, and a PT evaluation later, I found your blog. I decide to take your advise and I'm so glad i did. I still have some aches in shoulders but nothing like before. My main concern currently is the loss of muscle i have now. I've always had decent upper body strength but over the last 7 months it has greatly diminished. I've spoken with a personal trainer about beginning to rebuild, but im scared of a relapse. What is your opinion on this?

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    1. I am glad you are feeling better! In my experience, there was no pain at all once I'd reached Stage 2, the frozen stage. My shoulder just didn't move, that's all. I believe that once you reach Stage 3, with no pain and increasing mobility, then it is probably safe to start working out your upper body. If you're not 100% confident about it now, I would wait another few months. Your body remembers being strong, and once this is over you will get it back. Good luck!

      Delete

New comments are no longer accepted on this blog. My frozen shoulder is a distant memory, and it is time for me to move on! The best thing I can wish for everyone now, is that someday your frozen shoulder will be a fading memory too!

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