Frozen shoulder recovery

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33gail33
33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
edited November 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
I searched a few threads and noted a few people around here have experienced frozen shoulder. I was wondering if anyone had regained full range of motion back after. I am almost 4 years out from the original onset and still have a bit of a "shrug" in that shoulder when lifting overhead. I was told to aim for 90% and at the time I was going through it was so brutal I figured I would be ok with that. Anyone with experience know if it is too late now to gain back full mobility?

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  • fatmacauliffe
    fatmacauliffe Posts: 1 Member
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    I had a frozen shoulder about ten years ago and got back up to about 90 percent mobility. In the last few months I’ve been doing some yoga exercises for the shoulders, cow face is one and I use a strap to help. It is very slowly loosening that last bit but is quick to stiffen up again ( possibly because I’m in my late forties). I don’t think it’s ever too late to improve it but it will take time as you can’t force it, and of course if it’s painful you need to stop. Good luck
  • trdrsix0s
    trdrsix0s Posts: 11 Member
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    Might want to try Dr kirsch method of dead hanging from pull up bar. I found it great for impinge shoulder but his book talks a out healing frozen shoulder with same protocol
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I'm trying this right now. I've had frozen shoulder for 2 yrs--consistently doing range of motion exercises 4x a week. It's almost gone, just a few twinges with certain movements. Another thread on MFP talked about benefits of dead hanging for shoulder problems, so decided to try. It's too early to say if it works.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    Most frozen shoulders recover within a year and do regain all mobility. Up until this time last year I was a registered massage therapist(regulations are different in every country so check yours) and worked with many rotator cuff and frozen shoulder clients. I never worked on them alone. I always refderred them to a Physio therapist. Many times the exercises we assigned the client were the same, but physiotherapists have far more education that I did and usually a few more tricks up their sleve than the hands on manual therapy I did. If you are still struggling with range of motion go get assessed! Find a good physiotherapist and do the exercise they assign you until they tell you you can stop. Though I have seen frozen shoulder reoccur enough times I would say you never stop. Make a habit of those rehab exercises being a part of life for 10-20 min at least twice a week.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    youngmomtaz wrote: »
    Most frozen shoulders recover within a year and do regain all mobility. Up until this time last year I was a registered massage therapist(regulations are different in every country so check yours) and worked with many rotator cuff and frozen shoulder clients. I never worked on them alone. I always refderred them to a Physio therapist. Many times the exercises we assigned the client were the same, but physiotherapists have far more education that I did and usually a few more tricks up their sleve than the hands on manual therapy I did. If you are still struggling with range of motion go get assessed! Find a good physiotherapist and do the exercise they assign you until they tell you you can stop. Though I have seen frozen shoulder reoccur enough times I would say you never stop. Make a habit of those rehab exercises being a part of life for 10-20 min at least twice a week.

    I would ask if age enters into recovery. I'm 63, very active (gym+swimming) with OA. My recovery was slow, and I just thought it was my age.
  • jbj2393
    jbj2393 Posts: 2 Member
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    I had frozen shoulder and recovered fully. I used swimming to regain full range of motion. I did have to 'power' through some discomfort but it all came back. It took about a year though.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    The VA sent me to Stanford specialist to correct mine. My "frozen shoulder" - adhesive capsulitis, was a result of a fracture of the anchor point for the rotator cuff tendons. I was pretty immobile for a long period of time during healing and it caused adhesions (think tiny rubber bands of tissue growth) in the joint. Their solution was a bit brutal and inelegant, but effective. I was given an anesthetic in the shoulder and cortisone. Then a burly nurse manually manipulated the shoulder into it's full range and broke those adhesions. I was in pretty bad pain the next day but by the end of the week mobility had been restored.
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    edited November 2018
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    Thanks for all the replies. I only just saw them now for some reason.
    To be clear I dont have any pain in that shoulder anymore, and my mobility is back that I can certainly reach completely above my head and such and if I wasnt looking in the mirror I would *think* I had 100% mobility. But I still don't think it is actually fully rotating inside the socket - and there is some *shrugging* of the scapula.
    I think when people say most frozen shoulder recover fully within a two years where I am now would be considered a full recovery by most?
    I wasn't sure that a doctor or physio would even be concerned about that because as I was going through it I was told by various practitioners that 80%-90% mobility was acceptable after frozen shoulder. But if so many here got back to 100% I am for sure going to get assessed by my physio.
    Its kind of funny - I have never experienced anything as brutally painful and debilitating as frozen shoulder and at the time if you had told me that I would be pain free and 90% mobility I would have gladly taken it. But now 2 years out the pain is a memory and I want full mobility damn it! 😁
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    edited November 2018
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    jseams1234 wrote: »
    The VA sent me to Stanford specialist to correct mine. My "frozen shoulder" - adhesive capsulitis, was a result of a fracture of the anchor point for the rotator cuff tendons. I was pretty immobile for a long period of time during healing and it caused adhesions (think tiny rubber bands of tissue growth) in the joint. Their solution was a bit brutal and inelegant, but effective. I was given an anesthetic in the shoulder and cortisone. Then a burly nurse manually manipulated the shoulder into it's full range and broke those adhesions. I was in pretty bad pain the next day but by the end of the week mobility had been restored.

    That's amazing. I kind if wish they had done that with me. I went through massage therapy twice a week for several months where she massaged and stretched it out as much as I could stand. It was brutal. Then it would be a bit better the next day, then it would start to tighten up again, then I would have anxiety because my next appt was coming up, and it would start all over again.
    I have had 2 herniated disks and delivered three 10 lb babies but frozen shoulder near did me in. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
  • gdionelli
    gdionelli Posts: 7 Member
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    I had it, in first one shoulder and then the other. I am 100% back in both shoulders. My physical therapists did a lot of manual therapy/mobilization - which was much more helpful for me than the exercises. The manipulation under anaesthesia is sometimes successful, but often rebounds. One of my PTs said he'd seen a number of peopl worse off after it. I did have hydrodilatation (also known as distention arthrography) followed immediately by mobilization. I don't know if it's possible at this time to improve further, but I know I paid a lot out of pocket at the time to go longer with physical therapy than my insurance would pay for. (I'm a professional violinist, and it was crucial for me.) Seven months is actually not very long for adhesive capsulitis! I operated under the assumption that 99-100% was attainable, and as it turned out, for me it was. I was in PT more than a year each time. Fortunately, although it was not easy, I was able to pay for it. Good luck!
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
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    gdionelli wrote: »
    I had it, in first one shoulder and then the other. I am 100% back in both shoulders. My physical therapists did a lot of manual therapy/mobilization - which was much more helpful for me than the exercises. The manipulation under anaesthesia is sometimes successful, but often rebounds. One of my PTs said he'd seen a number of peopl worse off after it. I did have hydrodilatation (also known as distention arthrography) followed immediately by mobilization. I don't know if it's possible at this time to improve further, but I know I paid a lot out of pocket at the time to go longer with physical therapy than my insurance would pay for. (I'm a professional violinist, and it was crucial for me.) Seven months is actually not very long for adhesive capsulitis! I operated under the assumption that 99-100% was attainable, and as it turned out, for me it was. I was in PT more than a year each time. Fortunately, although it was not easy, I was able to pay for it. Good luck!

    Did it go immediately from one shoulder to the other? As my right shoulder was beginning to loosen up it started in my left. At that time I took no chances and ended up getting 3 cortisone shots and early physio in that shoulder. It never did freeze up like the first one and I wonder if it is because I got treated in time.
    The weird thing is that while the shoulder that froze is now pain free I still do get pain and twinges in the other one.

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