Frozen Shoulder — Getting Back into Intensive Workouts

I am recovering from a bad case of frozen shoulder. It started 10 months ago and was worst in early January when I could barely lift my arm. The nerve pain was awful and sleeping through the night was nearly impossible. After months of PT I’ve regained most of the ROM, I’m finally back to upper body workouts with dumbbells, push-ups, swimming 1200 yards at a time. Pretty much pushing the shoulder on both strength and flexibility. When I started doing hanging leg raises where I rest my entire body-weight on my elbows and forearms, i felt like I may have really aggravated the shoulder. So I’m going to cut that exercise out of my routine entirely, although that’s the best abdominal exercise I have. If anyone has experience with frozen shoulder recovery and how hard to push or not push as you get back into more intensive workouts please share your experience here. Thanks in advance! Sam
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Replies

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    I've had a lot of shoulder issues (6 surgeries) it sucks. I'm sort of surprised the hanging bothers your shoulder as hanging is often recommended for shoulder health. Sample article:

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-two-surprising-exercises-for-shoulder-health/


    Are you doing actual hanging leg raises or leg raises using a roman chair something like this: n7o00g3y4ihn.png

    If using the roman chair I could see the pressure on the shoulders giving you pain. Try the leg raises hanging from a bar.

    Also my personal favorite for abs/core is the ab wheel: https://athletesacceleration.com/anterior-core-training/

    Good luck.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    I mostly stick to planks now for abs and ab machines at the gym. Not for the shoulder (though I've had a lot of shoulder issues over the years), but for my back. Stomach vacuums are also great. Basically like a crunch but not killing your back or neck.

    When you do pushups, be careful and place your hands directly under your shoulders or even slightly lower.

    If you aren't pulling enough, that makes a huge difference. Make sure the amount of pushing and pulling are similar. Years ago, when I wasn't doing much pulling (and tons of bench pressing), I had a lot of shoulder issues. Now, since I can't run any longer (bad knee), I mostly row on a rowing machine for cardio -- six days a week for an hour a day. With all that pulling now, I sometimes get shoulder pain if I'm not doing a ton of pushups (pushing) to compensate for all the pulling that I'm doing. I've found balancing those two, along with just hanging from a bar, at least a couple of times a week, helps immensely.

    If I get too heavy on the DBs (recently had some shoulder pain as I was using 30 lb dumbbells on some lateral raises -- I've been lifting a long time). If I have some pain, I go back to mostly the lat pull machine or (slightly) assisted pullups. I'm getting too old to do a ton of unassisted pullups.

    I also know a lot of folks that love the Body Blade. It's an amazing device created by a PT to use the small muscles in the shoulder. Great warmup device. If you don't want to buy one of those, then (I know it's a pain), use some Therabands and warm up those small muscles before you lift. I had a frozen shoulder once and that's all I did for like five months. It sucks to go to the gym and do that, so do yourself a favor and warm up those small muscles before it gets bad again.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,514 Member
    I baby my shoulders in order to keep being able to swim. In fact, I worked hard to improve my stroke, making it much easier on my shoulders. I had to go back to swim school to do it, but it worked! I also always do some breast and back stroke when I swim. A little backstroke at the end of the workout particularly helps with range of motion.

    One little change I had to make was to stop doing side-planks. I used to love them for the obliques, but they hurt my shoulder. Incredibly, I've found that side-leg raises are even better (at sort of a 45 degree angle).
  • astod4
    astod4 Posts: 49 Member
    sladah10 wrote: »
    I am recovering from a bad case of frozen shoulder. It started 10 months ago and was worst in early January when I could barely lift my arm. The nerve pain was awful and sleeping through the night was nearly impossible. After months of PT I’ve regained most of the ROM, I’m finally back to upper body workouts with dumbbells, push-ups, swimming 1200 yards at a time. Pretty much pushing the shoulder on both strength and flexibility. When I started doing hanging leg raises where I rest my entire body-weight on my elbows and forearms, i felt like I may have really aggravated the shoulder. So I’m going to cut that exercise out of my routine entirely, although that’s the best abdominal exercise I have. If anyone has experience with frozen shoulder recovery and how hard to push or not push as you get back into more intensive workouts please share your experience here. Thanks in advance! Sam

    The tricky thing about a frozen shoulder is that it can take years to go through the entire process of freezing, being frozen, and thawing. It sounds like you’re on the upswing of it all! Keep working the ROM and the strength will eventually return!
  • Antiopelle
    Antiopelle Posts: 1,184 Member
    I've had one 10 years ago and it took one year to recover. I had a lot of extremely painful PT and I regained full mobility after roughly one year - but then again, I was also 10 years younger.

    Now, I'm 16 months (it started with our first lockdown) in and it is slowly starting to thaw and the intense pains have subsided. PT wasn't even an option because of the intense pain, and after a lot of research and a good talk with a leading expert surgeon and a excellent sports therapist, the current view (as opposed to 10 years ago) is to avoid the pain as much as possible as every new tear in the encapsulated part will just lead to longer recovery time. Exercise as much as possible without feeling any pain or strain is the best advise. If you feel that a certain movement makes it worse (for me it's even driving a car for example), avoid it.

    Yes, it takes time and yes it isn't pleasant to have to skip workouts, but remember that every new pang means a new tear that needs time to heal again.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    Antiopelle wrote: »
    I've had one 10 years ago and it took one year to recover. I had a lot of extremely painful PT and I regained full mobility after roughly one year - but then again, I was also 10 years younger.

    Now, I'm 16 months (it started with our first lockdown) in and it is slowly starting to thaw and the intense pains have subsided. PT wasn't even an option because of the intense pain, and after a lot of research and a good talk with a leading expert surgeon and a excellent sports therapist, the current view (as opposed to 10 years ago) is to avoid the pain as much as possible as every new tear in the encapsulated part will just lead to longer recovery time. Exercise as much as possible without feeling any pain or strain is the best advise. If you feel that a certain movement makes it worse (for me it's even driving a car for example), avoid it.

    Yes, it takes time and yes it isn't pleasant to have to skip workouts, but remember that every new pang means a new tear that needs time to heal again.

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).
  • astod4
    astod4 Posts: 49 Member

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I’m in PT school right now, and learned about this recently. First off, every case is different. Secondly, it’s true that if you don’t move it, the more frozen it will become, however, once it’s frozen you can’t thaw it be the body has to go through the process on its own. In the thawing phase is where PT can do the most good, but even then you have to increase the ROM without causing damage. If someone can “work out” a frozen shoulder in a session or two then it wasn’t really a frozen shoulder.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    astod4 wrote: »

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I’m in PT school right now, and learned about this recently. First off, every case is different. Secondly, it’s true that if you don’t move it, the more frozen it will become, however, once it’s frozen you can’t thaw it be the body has to go through the process on its own. In the thawing phase is where PT can do the most good, but even then you have to increase the ROM without causing damage. If someone can “work out” a frozen shoulder in a session or two then it wasn’t really a frozen shoulder.

    I don't know of anyone else that can do what this guy can do. He has saved many careers, including a former Cy Young runner up (and starting pitcher in an All-Star game) and worked on an NBA MVP, as well as working on the guy that just won the Badwater 135. Everyone in the professional sports world knows of this guy. And what he does is very unique.

    What I've learned about medical professionals is if they can't personally do it, it's "impossible". They keep the realm of possibility into whatever they personally can charge for.
  • lianatherunner
    lianatherunner Posts: 45 Member
    I've had it twice, once in each shoulder. I had a rough few months where I had it in both shoulders at once. I went to physical therapy. I did push it, but not too hard. Honestly, the most helpful exercise was spelling the alphabet with my arm extended (like I was writing in a big wall). I got more range of motion that way. One of my shoulders still has problems. My arms are still weak. For reference, I had it in my right arm starting in 2016 and it lasted about three years and then I got it in my left arm in 2019.
  • astod4
    astod4 Posts: 49 Member

    I don't know of anyone else that can do what this guy can do. He has saved many careers, including a former Cy Young runner up (and starting pitcher in an All-Star game) and worked on an NBA MVP, as well as working on the guy that just won the Badwater 135. Everyone in the professional sports world knows of this guy. And what he does is very unique.

    What I've learned about medical professionals is if they can't personally do it, it's "impossible". They keep the realm of possibility into whatever they personally can charge for.

    I don’t doubt that he’s good, whoever this guy is, but the average person isn’t a world class athlete. Every body is different and everyone recovers differently. You can’t generalize that this guy can fix a frozen shoulder in 2 sessions because he’s done it before. In general, it takes 12-42 months to resolve itself, and is spontaneous.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    astod4 wrote: »

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I’m in PT school right now, and learned about this recently. First off, every case is different. Secondly, it’s true that if you don’t move it, the more frozen it will become, however, once it’s frozen you can’t thaw it be the body has to go through the process on its own. In the thawing phase is where PT can do the most good, but even then you have to increase the ROM without causing damage. If someone can “work out” a frozen shoulder in a session or two then it wasn’t really a frozen shoulder.

    I don't know of anyone else that can do what this guy can do. He has saved many careers, including a former Cy Young runner up (and starting pitcher in an All-Star game) and worked on an NBA MVP, as well as working on the guy that just won the Badwater 135. Everyone in the professional sports world knows of this guy. And what he does is very unique.

    What I've learned about medical professionals is if they can't personally do it, it's "impossible". They keep the realm of possibility into whatever they personally can charge for.

    I really can't believe nobody else can do what he does. I have gone to a very well known PT who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He sees clients (all the way from the pro/Olympic athletes to the regular Joe's) 3-4 days a week, he has an intern most of the time working with him, learning his methods

    The other days he writes, does seminars, etc. passing on his methods. Can't believe the guy you're talking about is keeping his knowledge under a basket and not training others.
  • Antiopelle
    Antiopelle Posts: 1,184 Member
    Antiopelle wrote: »
    I've had one 10 years ago and it took one year to recover. I had a lot of extremely painful PT and I regained full mobility after roughly one year - but then again, I was also 10 years younger.

    Now, I'm 16 months (it started with our first lockdown) in and it is slowly starting to thaw and the intense pains have subsided. PT wasn't even an option because of the intense pain, and after a lot of research and a good talk with a leading expert surgeon and a excellent sports therapist, the current view (as opposed to 10 years ago) is to avoid the pain as much as possible as every new tear in the encapsulated part will just lead to longer recovery time. Exercise as much as possible without feeling any pain or strain is the best advise. If you feel that a certain movement makes it worse (for me it's even driving a car for example), avoid it.

    Yes, it takes time and yes it isn't pleasant to have to skip workouts, but remember that every new pang means a new tear that needs time to heal again.

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I'm convinced I got the right treatment and advice; both surgeon and PT I've talked to have their credentials speaking for them (also treating top athletes in basketball). They also said to move it as much as possible, but without pain. That is the boundary: if it hurts then you are tearing it again, prolonging the recovery. I hurt so much 10 years ago during PT - to the point of fainting and only afterwards I heard from several people that it would have subsided anyway, even without PT. Basically, both surgeon and the PT confirmed what I already suspected: patience over pain.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited August 2021
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    astod4 wrote: »

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I’m in PT school right now, and learned about this recently. First off, every case is different. Secondly, it’s true that if you don’t move it, the more frozen it will become, however, once it’s frozen you can’t thaw it be the body has to go through the process on its own. In the thawing phase is where PT can do the most good, but even then you have to increase the ROM without causing damage. If someone can “work out” a frozen shoulder in a session or two then it wasn’t really a frozen shoulder.

    I don't know of anyone else that can do what this guy can do. He has saved many careers, including a former Cy Young runner up (and starting pitcher in an All-Star game) and worked on an NBA MVP, as well as working on the guy that just won the Badwater 135. Everyone in the professional sports world knows of this guy. And what he does is very unique.

    What I've learned about medical professionals is if they can't personally do it, it's "impossible". They keep the realm of possibility into whatever they personally can charge for.

    I really can't believe nobody else can do what he does. I have gone to a very well known PT who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He sees clients (all the way from the pro/Olympic athletes to the regular Joe's) 3-4 days a week, he has an intern most of the time working with him, learning his methods

    The other days he writes, does seminars, etc. passing on his methods. Can't believe the guy you're talking about is keeping his knowledge under a basket and not training others.

    He is not a traditional PT. He's has around 15 licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy). He uses the Niel-Asher Technique, according to his website. But I've also been to many others that specialize in ART and can't do what he does. And this guy is barely even on the internet. He worked with the entire UK basketball team the year they won the National Championship and had like 6 NBA players. Word spread from there. He also worked with a Reds pitcher that had back issues for two years and got him back on the mound at a high level. After that, he didn't need to advertise or be on the internet.

    What it comes down to is there are two veins of physical therapists. One for athletes and those that have a great deal of pain tolerance and those for everyone else.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    astod4 wrote: »

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I’m in PT school right now, and learned about this recently. First off, every case is different. Secondly, it’s true that if you don’t move it, the more frozen it will become, however, once it’s frozen you can’t thaw it be the body has to go through the process on its own. In the thawing phase is where PT can do the most good, but even then you have to increase the ROM without causing damage. If someone can “work out” a frozen shoulder in a session or two then it wasn’t really a frozen shoulder.

    I don't know of anyone else that can do what this guy can do. He has saved many careers, including a former Cy Young runner up (and starting pitcher in an All-Star game) and worked on an NBA MVP, as well as working on the guy that just won the Badwater 135. Everyone in the professional sports world knows of this guy. And what he does is very unique.

    What I've learned about medical professionals is if they can't personally do it, it's "impossible". They keep the realm of possibility into whatever they personally can charge for.

    I really can't believe nobody else can do what he does. I have gone to a very well known PT who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He sees clients (all the way from the pro/Olympic athletes to the regular Joe's) 3-4 days a week, he has an intern most of the time working with him, learning his methods

    The other days he writes, does seminars, etc. passing on his methods. Can't believe the guy you're talking about is keeping his knowledge under a basket and not training others.

    He is not a traditional PT. He's has around 15 licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy). He uses the Niel-Asher Technique, according to his website. But I've also been to many others that specialize in ART and can't do what he does. And this guy is barely even on the internet. He worked with the entire UK basketball team the year they won the National Championship and had like 6 NBA players. Word spread from there. He also worked with a Reds pitcher that had back issues for two years and got him back on the mound at a high level. After that, he didn't need to advertise or be on the internet.

    What it comes down to is there are two veins of physical therapists. One for athletes and those that have a great deal of pain tolerance and those for everyone else.

    I'm going to agree with the last statement.

    I've had 6 shoulder operations and both thumb joints replaced, all by the same doctor and all using his in-house rehab facility. I was told by a friend before the first surgery to ask the PT to rehab you as close as they can to an athlete or someone whose career depended on the particular body part working well, i.e. screw the pain and be aggressive as you can with the rehab without doing harm.

    I told this to the PT the first time and he said sure thing, let's get after this. He said he was quite a bit more aggressive with me than typical because pain didn't seem to bother me. Said my recovery as a 50+ year old was like the college athletes he worked with.
  • astod4
    astod4 Posts: 49 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »

    I've had 6 shoulder operations and both thumb joints replaced, all by the same doctor and all using his in-house rehab facility. I was told by a friend before the first surgery to ask the PT to rehab you as close as they can to an athlete or someone whose career depended on the particular body part working well, i.e. screw the pain and be aggressive as you can with the rehab without doing harm.

    I told this to the PT the first time and he said sure thing, let's get after this. He said he was quite a bit more aggressive with me than typical because pain didn't seem to bother me. Said my recovery as a 50+ year old was like the college athletes he worked with.

    Personally, I love this statement. A PT should be pushing you, but you also have to want to be pushed. A good PT knows how to help motivate their patient, but there are many who just don’t want to be worked harder.

    The best patients are the ones who continue to work when no one is watching.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    astod4 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »

    I've had 6 shoulder operations and both thumb joints replaced, all by the same doctor and all using his in-house rehab facility. I was told by a friend before the first surgery to ask the PT to rehab you as close as they can to an athlete or someone whose career depended on the particular body part working well, i.e. screw the pain and be aggressive as you can with the rehab without doing harm.

    I told this to the PT the first time and he said sure thing, let's get after this. He said he was quite a bit more aggressive with me than typical because pain didn't seem to bother me. Said my recovery as a 50+ year old was like the college athletes he worked with.

    Personally, I love this statement. A PT should be pushing you, but you also have to want to be pushed. A good PT knows how to help motivate their patient, but there are many who just don’t want to be worked harder.

    The best patients are the ones who continue to work when no one is watching.

    Yep, my guy said unfortunately many do the exercises in the clinic and that's it. The real rehab happens in the time outside the clinic in most cases.
  • Alinouveau2
    Alinouveau2 Posts: 6,127 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    astod4 wrote: »

    I find that odd advice. I know a guy that is a pretty famous Physical Therapist. He's worked out frozen shoulders in one or two sessions. But one of the things that makes it harder (according to him, at least) is lack of movement. The more someone doesn't move the shoulder, it seems the more "frozen" it gets. And this guy has worked on a ton of very famous athletes, including pros in football, baseball and basketball (like some of the top athletes in the world). To be honest, I don't trust everything surgeons say.

    This guy, I'm referring to, has several licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy).

    I’m in PT school right now, and learned about this recently. First off, every case is different. Secondly, it’s true that if you don’t move it, the more frozen it will become, however, once it’s frozen you can’t thaw it be the body has to go through the process on its own. In the thawing phase is where PT can do the most good, but even then you have to increase the ROM without causing damage. If someone can “work out” a frozen shoulder in a session or two then it wasn’t really a frozen shoulder.

    I don't know of anyone else that can do what this guy can do. He has saved many careers, including a former Cy Young runner up (and starting pitcher in an All-Star game) and worked on an NBA MVP, as well as working on the guy that just won the Badwater 135. Everyone in the professional sports world knows of this guy. And what he does is very unique.

    What I've learned about medical professionals is if they can't personally do it, it's "impossible". They keep the realm of possibility into whatever they personally can charge for.

    I really can't believe nobody else can do what he does. I have gone to a very well known PT who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He sees clients (all the way from the pro/Olympic athletes to the regular Joe's) 3-4 days a week, he has an intern most of the time working with him, learning his methods

    The other days he writes, does seminars, etc. passing on his methods. Can't believe the guy you're talking about is keeping his knowledge under a basket and not training others.

    He is not a traditional PT. He's has around 15 licenses in ART (Active Release Therapy). He uses the Niel-Asher Technique, according to his website. But I've also been to many others that specialize in ART and can't do what he does. And this guy is barely even on the internet. He worked with the entire UK basketball team the year they won the National Championship and had like 6 NBA players. Word spread from there. He also worked with a Reds pitcher that had back issues for two years and got him back on the mound at a high level. After that, he didn't need to advertise or be on the internet.

    What it comes down to is there are two veins of physical therapists. One for athletes and those that have a great deal of pain tolerance and those for everyone else.

    I'm going to agree with the last statement.

    I've had 6 shoulder operations and both thumb joints replaced, all by the same doctor and all using his in-house rehab facility. I was told by a friend before the first surgery to ask the PT to rehab you as close as they can to an athlete or someone whose career depended on the particular body part working well, i.e. screw the pain and be aggressive as you can with the rehab without doing harm.

    I told this to the PT the first time and he said sure thing, let's get after this. He said he was quite a bit more aggressive with me than typical because pain didn't seem to bother me. Said my recovery as a 50+ year old was like the college athletes he worked with.

    I had a shoulder repaired in 2019. My surgeon is the one for our local pro sports teams and I guess because I like to be athletic and was considered young he gave me a very aggressive rehab protocol. My PT would shake her head saying how can he expect this...I fell behind one week and then just made it my job to work at it and when I was going for my 3 month check up my PT sent me away saying he should be pleased.... he was and I got cleared to go back to all my sports (I had already given myself permission for one).

    If you can tolerate an aggressive recovery protocol then it does make life way easier but you do have to be willing to work. No PT is a magician and can magically repair something in a couple of treatments...even for an athlete.
  • anaidjo
    anaidjo Posts: 3 Member
    In 2015 I got a horrible case of frozen shoulder. The physiatrist I was referred to *never* diagnosed it as frozen shoulder. He did however do dry needling, give me a bunch of antiinflammatories, do nerve testing (DO NOT RECOMMEND), and various other things before throwing his hands up and saying it’s fibro. 😳

    I had an ortho appointment that same day and the PA took one look at it and told me it was the worst case of frozen shoulder he’d ever seen in someone in their 30s and non-diabetic. The cortisone shot he gave me was the first pain relief I’d had in over 9 months, and I definitely wasn’t moving it because the pain when I tried (from day 1) was excruciating…which of course made it worse. A second cortisone shot and a discussion about what they called a surgical manipulation after some PT sessions (to satisfy insurance) and I went from barely being able to get a cup of coffee to my mouth to having 75% ROM 2 days after the manipulation.

    It took almost 2 years of weekly PT and daily exercises and stretches to get my arm strength even sort of back. Did you define your goals/needs to your PT? One of mine was to be able to heft 50# feed bags again. She gave me a number of strength training exercises to do in order to achieve that. Likely, a PT could suggest an alternate exercise to do what hanging leg raises do for you OR how to further strengthen/protect that shoulder so you can safely do the leg raises.

    I also find doing the stretches I was given in PT whenever my shoulder starts acting sore or stiff really helps.

    Frozen shoulder is freaking hellish. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone including my ex husband and that’s saying something. 😉
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,297 Member
    I'm more or less free of real shoulder pain, I lived with it for many many years. I strongly suggest you get back to your physio for the best advice on how to keep the movement you have. If you repeat or recreate more damage to this complex, sensitive area, I fear you will have a similar experience to myself and no one deserves that. You needed proper advice on how much you should expect your shoulder movement to improve given how restricted you were. Its a great temptation to do too much.

    The only thing which has got my neck, shoulders, upper back working properly and balanced has been regular acupuncture. Skeletal loss due to hypothyroidism, as well as orthopaedic team lifting of many persons over time contributed to my issues. Thinking how long its been, its way over 16 years because I could not lift a grandson that age and its was bad before that, now I can lift the 19 month old ggs easily, doing it infrequently as possibly in a child care situation. I even get the rising 4 year old out of the car playfully, like a cork from a bottle, but I still need top up acupuncture.

    Please take great care of yourself.