Frozen Shoulder conversation and suggestions

NunyaWest
NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
edited November 27 in Motivation and Support
I had a spontaneous bilateral adhesive capsulitis - no treatment - got real bad but gradually went away over the course of two years - still with limited ROM. I am interested in other people’s dealings with this horrible condition. I feel there is much misinformation out there on the subject. I am also interested in what may have worked for you.

Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    I've had frozen shoulder for a year and a half. It's been getting better slowly. I do specific exercises for it almost everyday. I found them on YouTube--Ask Dr Jo. Now only a couple of movements are painful and I'm targeting those. I started doing something about it last September. If I stop exercising it, it gets worse.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago now that lasted just about a year. It was very, very painful at first where it was difficult to sleep and the slightest “wrong” movement would make me see stars. *Very* gradually it got to the point where it hurt only when I tried to raise my arm. During the last couple of months of it, I purchased a LightStim which I think helped a bit ( hard to tell, really ). I tried heat and certain exercises I found online to no avail. It’s a nasty condition that I hope I never have to deal with again. Just applying deodorant or shaving was difficult and painful.
  • jenneh
    jenneh Posts: 1 Member
    I have frozen hip, and I had a lot of success with dry needling. It relieved my range of motion problems although did not help with the pain.
  • H2596
    H2596 Posts: 286 Member
    Stretching exercises from a physiotherapist did the trick for me. Hurt like crazy initially but you have to keep going.
  • NunyaWest
    NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
    workinonit1956 wrote: »
    I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago now that lasted just about a year. It was very, very painful at first where it was difficult to sleep and the slightest “wrong” movement would make me see stars. *Very* gradually it got to the point where it hurt only when I tried to raise my arm. During the last couple of months of it, I purchased a LightStim which I think helped a bit ( hard to tell, really ). I tried heat and certain exercises I found online to no avail. It’s a nasty condition that I hope I never have to deal with again. Just applying deodorant or shaving was difficult and painful.

    Yes - I almost forgot how painful it was - even difficult to wash my hair. So is yours gone completely?
  • NunyaWest
    NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I've had frozen shoulder for a year and a half. It's been getting better slowly. I do specific exercises for it almost everyday. I found them on YouTube--Ask Dr Jo. Now only a couple of movements are painful and I'm targeting those. I started doing something about it last September. If I stop exercising it, it gets worse.

    One shoulder or both? What exercises - the weighted circles?
    What do you think was the cause of it all?
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    @Troyjlambert yes, it’s gone completely now. Thank goodness!
  • Niki_Fitz
    Niki_Fitz Posts: 951 Member
    I have a tight posterior joint capsule on one side and my shoulder wants to become frozen. Wall angel exercises have really helped it stay happy over time. I also get bodywork from people who know how to free up the whole shoulder girdle including the subscapularis and serratus anterior muscles.
  • roderick2464
    roderick2464 Posts: 12 Member
    Antibiotic cipro caused it for me and someone I know says on the bottle now still got it in elbows sucks
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Ooo, I thought this was about someone giving you the cold shoulder. How about a therapy pool.
  • NunyaWest
    NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
    roderick2464 wrote: »
    Antibiotic cipro caused it for me and someone I know says on the bottle now still got it in elbows sucks
    I have seen where frozen shoulder was associated with antibiotics and steroids online. I have no idea what caused my onset. I think it moved to my sternum if you can believe that one.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I’ve never heard about the antibiotic link. Interesting. I don’t know what triggered mine.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Troyjlambert wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I've had frozen shoulder for a year and a half. It's been getting better slowly. I do specific exercises for it almost everyday. I found them on YouTube--Ask Dr Jo. Now only a couple of movements are painful and I'm targeting those. I started doing something about it last September. If I stop exercising it, it gets worse.

    One shoulder or both? What exercises - the weighted circles?
    What do you think was the cause of it all?

    One shoulder.

    Weighed circles, pole work (I use a broomstick handle), elastic bands--"Ask Dr Jo" on YouTube will show you what to do. I swim and, a year and a half ago, I couldn't do one lap without searing pain in my right shoulder. Ditto for reaching for something out of the cupboard, using a blowdryer (had to use my left hand), shampooing my hair--the list goes on.

    Today I did 25 min of lap swimming. The only pain I still have is when I pull a T-shirt off over my head. By the way, the pain moves around. It's not always in the same place.

    The cause is hard to say. I'm 63 and, therefore, prone to injury if I'm not careful. I might have been pushing too much on my swim stroke, or doing my gym stuff.

    For anyone who has it--good luck. It hurts like hell. I wouldn't let it rest too long since it doesn't go away on it's own. Specific exercises work, and I saw a difference after a week. If not--go to a doctor.
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    Ugh. I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. It came on very gradually and took me ages to realize just how much my movement had been impaired. I couldn't reach my arm up my back to get my bra on or off, and struggled with getting out of shirts. Had the same problem as others have mentioned about reaching into cupboards, washing and drying my hair, etc etc. It was bloody miserable.

    I saw a physiotherapist a couple of times a week for about six months and did the exercises she gave me every day. One involved lying on my back and lifting a broom handle over my head. Another had me put my bad arm behind my back with a strap round my wrist. The strap was then placed over my shoulder and I would pull it with my good arm to pull the bad one up to my shoulder blade. Hurt like hell, but really helped with the movement.

    I've pretty much got all my movement back, but still have the occasional twinge if I hold my arm in a certain position. When I feel that happening, I do a few exercises just to loosen it up.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    Ugh. I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. It came on very gradually and took me ages to realize just how much my movement had been impaired. I couldn't reach my arm up my back to get my bra on or off, and struggled with getting out of shirts. Had the same problem as others have mentioned about reaching into cupboards, washing and drying my hair, etc etc. It was bloody miserable.

    I saw a physiotherapist a couple of times a week for about six months and did the exercises she gave me every day. One involved lying on my back and lifting a broom handle over my head. Another had me put my bad arm behind my back with a strap round my wrist. The strap was then placed over my shoulder and I would pull it with my good arm to pull the bad one up to my shoulder blade. Hurt like hell, but really helped with the movement.

    I've pretty much got all my movement back, but still have the occasional twinge if I hold my arm in a certain position. When I feel that happening, I do a few exercises just to loosen it up.

    Thanks. I'm going to try the strap around the wrist.
  • NunyaWest
    NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    Ugh. I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. It came on very gradually and took me ages to realize just how much my movement had been impaired. I couldn't reach my arm up my back to get my bra on or off, and struggled with getting out of shirts. Had the same problem as others have mentioned about reaching into cupboards, washing and drying my hair, etc etc. It was bloody miserable.

    I saw a physiotherapist a couple of times a week for about six months and did the exercises she gave me every day. One involved lying on my back and lifting a broom handle over my head. Another had me put my bad arm behind my back with a strap round my wrist. The strap was then placed over my shoulder and I would pull it with my good arm to pull the bad one up to my shoulder blade. Hurt like hell, but really helped with the movement.

    I've pretty much got all my movement back, but still have the occasional twinge if I hold my arm in a certain position. When I feel that happening, I do a few exercises just to loosen it up.

    Thanks. I'm going to try the strap around the wrist.


    It almost seems that there’s really no rhyme or reason to any of the treatments are interventions to fix adhesive capsulitis. I am really wondering if the various interventions have anything to do with it at all, if we just got better because we got better.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    Troyjlambert wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    Ugh. I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. It came on very gradually and took me ages to realize just how much my movement had been impaired. I couldn't reach my arm up my back to get my bra on or off, and struggled with getting out of shirts. Had the same problem as others have mentioned about reaching into cupboards, washing and drying my hair, etc etc. It was bloody miserable.

    I saw a physiotherapist a couple of times a week for about six months and did the exercises she gave me every day. One involved lying on my back and lifting a broom handle over my head. Another had me put my bad arm behind my back with a strap round my wrist. The strap was then placed over my shoulder and I would pull it with my good arm to pull the bad one up to my shoulder blade. Hurt like hell, but really helped with the movement.

    I've pretty much got all my movement back, but still have the occasional twinge if I hold my arm in a certain position. When I feel that happening, I do a few exercises just to loosen it up.

    Thanks. I'm going to try the strap around the wrist.


    It almost seems that there’s really no rhyme or reason to any of the treatments are interventions to fix adhesive capsulitis. I am really wondering if the various interventions have anything to do with it at all, if we just got better because we got better.
    Honestly, I think that’s the case.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Troyjlambert wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    Ugh. I had a frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. It came on very gradually and took me ages to realize just how much my movement had been impaired. I couldn't reach my arm up my back to get my bra on or off, and struggled with getting out of shirts. Had the same problem as others have mentioned about reaching into cupboards, washing and drying my hair, etc etc. It was bloody miserable.

    I saw a physiotherapist a couple of times a week for about six months and did the exercises she gave me every day. One involved lying on my back and lifting a broom handle over my head. Another had me put my bad arm behind my back with a strap round my wrist. The strap was then placed over my shoulder and I would pull it with my good arm to pull the bad one up to my shoulder blade. Hurt like hell, but really helped with the movement.

    I've pretty much got all my movement back, but still have the occasional twinge if I hold my arm in a certain position. When I feel that happening, I do a few exercises just to loosen it up.

    Thanks. I'm going to try the strap around the wrist.


    It almost seems that there’s really no rhyme or reason to any of the treatments are interventions to fix adhesive capsulitis. I am really wondering if the various interventions have anything to do with it at all, if we just got better because we got better.

    All I know is that I left it alone for the first 6 months and it didn't get any better. After I started working it, in the right way, I slowly started to get better. If I don't exercise it for a week, it gets worse again. So--what would you do? The exercises take me 10 min.
  • NunyaWest
    NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
    @snowflake954 I’d do the exercises.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I have had several friends with this problem and it really made me think: what can I do to avoid it? I swim regularly, doing several strokes (which I understand would be very difficult if you had this problem), and I wonder if it is preventative. Also, once regaining some motion, I wonder if some sort of water-based therapy would help, building up to being able to swim for maintenance.

    One friend with the condition has gone for several cortisone shots. He is pretty sedentary and will not do the exercises. The cortisone shots help, but I worry for him in the long term.

    All hypothetical, I'm afraid. @Troyjlambert I hope your shoulder improves with time and proper care!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Can you get physical therapy? It really helped me.
  • NunyaWest
    NunyaWest Posts: 87 Member
    @Jthanmyfitnesspal oh it has improved tremendously- still lacks the ROM though....All I can I’d dog paddle 😂

  • lessismoreohio
    lessismoreohio Posts: 910 Member
    I have a small rotator cuff tear in my shoulder. I opted for physical therapy instead of surgery. Physical therapy has helped with strength and ROM. Slowly getting stronger and the pain is largely gone. I'm being very careful not to re-injure or aggravate. Has really caused me to have to modify my fitness activities.
  • jojo0172
    jojo0172 Posts: 1 Member
    Physio did not work. 4 one hour massages and stopped carrying a purse fixed me right up :)
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