Frozen Shoulder
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Archived Q&A and Reviews
Just diagnosed with frozen shoulder
May 2015
I have been recently diagnosed with ''Frozen Shoulder'' after dealing with this problem for six months now. I see a Kaiser Physical Therapist once per week and an Injury Rehab Specialist once per week. The therapy only seems to be keeping me where I am at, not improving. Kaiser is recommending I get an intra-articular cortisone shot in order to be stretched further without the intense pain. I do not like the idea of just putting a bandaid on the problem by masking the pain. After doing research online, I have seen different theories but no one really knows what causes this. I am told that leaving it alone, it will get better on its own between 1-3 years. My daily activities are impossible. I can't raise my arm to get dressed, or turn on a light, or worst hug my children. I am not willing to do nothing for the length of time to improve on its own. From someone who has dealt with this, please tell me what really works to improve this condition. Does anything actually make it better? Are there any alternative methods besides drugs and surgery as Kaiser wants to do? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!
Oh boy - do not pass go and get that cortisone shot. For me it was not a ''band aid'' - it completely resolved the problem and I've never had a recurrence. I carried a laptop and lots of paper in a messenger bag on my right shoulder through airports worldwide for 10 years and it resulted in calcific tendonitis in my right shoulder. I know the pain you're feeling - for me it was WORSE than childbirth! I had this problem in 2013, but it was a slowly evolving pain and range of motion issue that built up for many years prior to that. I went to see a shoulder specialist, he took x-rays, and saw the problem. The pain came from the calcium deposits breaking down and shedding from my tendons - OUCH! After the cortisone shot, it took about a week and 1/2 of continuously improving range of motion and decreasing pain. I was worried about it ''coming back'' after the cortisone wore off, but I have not had any issues since. I am not a fan of drugs either, but it's worth a try. By all means, do it - it could change your life! Happily Moving My Arms!!
I am a carpenter and had intermittent shoulder pain. At Kaiser, see Wayne Diamond for physical therapy and do the exercises! But what was great .. Julie Orman who has an office in Oakland. She does Network Chiropractic work. It's kind of new agey, but she is the most responsible for "fixing" my shoulder. I continue the shoulder exercises and pay attention to how i move. Big O
I have had frozen shoulder off and on from 1985 through 2005. It does take a long time to heal and if you had the surgery, it would take maybe 6 months to heal from that.
During the last episode I saw Physical Therapist Allen Horowitz (see this link): http://www.berkeleypt.com/staff/ who at the time gave workshops to Kaiser staff and would hopefully be available to you. If not you could try contacting him for the name of a PT at Kaiser whom he would recommend. I have not had frozen should since seeing him in 2005. The Kaiser PT's I saw didn't seem to understand the difference between helpfully pushing my shoulder to move farther, and just causing pain; they just didn't seem to understand this condition. Don't see a therapist who's bigger than you unless you can tell they ''get it''!
What worked for me was physical therapy (the therapist pushing my shoulder beyond the limits I found comfortable), and specific exercises for the shoulder-blade area that strengthened the muscles that things from getting pinched. This mostly consist of grasping a Theraband, which is anchored at around chest or tummy level, and pivoting the arm *outward* almost like a door, with your shoulder as the hinge. This is done both with one straight arm (the affected one) pointing out at shoulder level, with both arms straight at shoulder level, and (one arm) with the upper arm pointed down and pivoting outward at the elbow instead of the shoulder. You start with the stretchiest Theraband and work up.
Also I'd recommend the antioxidants turmeric and ginger, and cayenne pepper for the pain. They help the body recover from this sort of inflammation.
Allen said I could get the surgery, but didn't push it, and I'm glad he didn't. I had one cortisone shot which did literally nothing. But that was before I started PT with Allen Horowitz who seemed to know exactly how far to push things.
Dealing with daily tasks is tough. You have to become very aware of what makes it worse by overstressing your shoulder, and what is a ''good challenge'' to your shoulder. Get others to help you with stuff, do daily range-of-motion exercises at home (your PT should have already prescribed some), ice it when acute and use hot compress frequently at other times. Good luck with your shoulder
I had a similar situation - my doc wanted to put me under again and ''rip'' the frozen shoulder.
My PT therapist and I disagreed and did this: take a heavy dose pain killer before your PT session, then work thru the PT session as hard as you can - stretching and moving it as much as you can. I also started swimming again. I used also a tennis ball to massage the shoulder area (painful but very effective). Last not least find a PT who does ART - http://www.activerelease.com/. it did wonders for me.
Not sure if Kaiser offers that. If not (and if you can afford some out of network treatment), then check out SOL PT on College Ave in Rockridge: http://solpt.com/ - ask for Nina - she is the best! Don't give up!
I had the same problem of a frozen shoulder as you a few years back. Same advice, not from Kaiser, but from a trusted PT. I tried acupuncture, physical therapy, massage, etc to no avail. Finally I got the cortisone shot. It worked pretty much right away. Interestingly enough, a few months later, I had a rash under my arm from the shot. After that went away, no other side effects. I dreaded the cortisone injection too, but it worked, my shoulder has been functioning perfectly since. Though now I do Yoga 3X weekly and exercise everyday. Good luck! R
I experienced this in my right shoulder a couple years ago and now have it in my left. I found that physical therapy and yoga/stretching/massage/ibuprofen/heat helped but it did just take time for it to improve -- about a year. This time I knew right away what it was and started immediate treatment, so I haven't lost the range of motion that I did with the other shoulder. Seems to be most common in women -- I've run into a couple other women with the same problem at the PT. Like you I really didn't want to go with the cortisone shot, so I didn't do that and it did heal...eventually....sorry, that may not be very encouraging! patin
Hi Frozen Shoulder I also had frozen shoulder about 5-6 years ago. I spent around $3,000 on physical therapy, 2 cortisone shots, x-ray, ultrasound, MRI and repeated visits to the orthopedic doctor. Nothing made it feel any better and then 18 months later it went away on its own. I wish I had saved the money and just waited for it to resolve. I agree that it's hard to not be able to do all of those things that you mentioned but it will go away on its own. Just be patient. Unfrozen
Have you heard of the Canadian exercise program called Essentrics? It was created by a retired ballet dancer and she trains high performance athletes such as those in the Olympics and NFL. She has dozens upon dozens of exercise routines targeted to solely resolving frozen shoulder. Could be worth a shot. It cured my shoulder pain from a bike accident. http://www.essentrics.com/page/productdetails/ESSENTRICS_TV_online_streaming/ESSENTRICS_TV.htm
Wishing you relief!
Essentrics Fan
Recovery from Frozen Shoulder?
Aug 2013
My husband has been suffering from frozen shoulder now for about 9 months, and although he has had some improvement in mobility he still suffers from pain especially at night. He had a steroid injection about 2 months ago, which may or may not have helped. His doctor said that if there is no significant improvement after 12 month he would ''manipulate'' the shoulder--which requires anesthesia. We would prefer not to do this, and the doctor did mention that in Europe they just wait it out without doing any ''manipulation''. Does anyone in the BPN have experience with recovering from frozen shoulder, what have you done, and what has helped alleviate the pain? Thank you so much for your advice! concerned
I actually posted about this on, I think, the Recommendations list just a couple of days ago. I had frozen shoulder several times from 1985 to 2005. It always took a year or so to clear up. What finally made it go away for good was the work of a physical therapist manipulating it fairly gently, plus exercises that strengthened the small muscles in the back: get a Theraband(TM), wrap it around a doorknob or other anchor, pull back with both arms at shoulder level from pointing straight ahead to pointing out to either side. Take it easy on this one, start with lowest possible tension (and yellow Theraband) and work up gradually. He offered the anesthetized manipulation but said it takes just about as long on its own.
So my advice is get an awesome physical therapist, strengthen those muscles, find something like Ibuprofen that works for the pain, and be patient. Good luck! Nils
I was told the same thing after a shoulder surgery. I need to mention that my doc was awful (very happy drug-dispensing guy and keen on getting money from my worker's comp) - so I had no trust in him. But I had a great physical therapist (Nina at SOL on College Ave) and switched to a great new doc (Dr. Nicholas Colyvas in SF - he has various offices) - both agreed that no procedure with full anesthesia is necessary. We opted for taking painkillers prior to my physical therapy session to allow me to stretch and move more and Nina did ART (Active Release Techniques). It did the trick! good luck! stefanie
I had a frozen shoulder treated successfully last year with about 3 months of physical therapy at Berkeley Physical Therapy in downtown Berkeley. I also had to do exercises in between PT sessions. J
I developed frozen shoulder almost 3 years ago, and am still 'recovering' (I have most but not all range of motion back, and no more pain). The painful stage was excrutiating. What helped me was: icing the shoulder (and better if I was doing something engrossing at the same time, like reading a page-turner novel); massage therapy (while the therapist had his hands on my body I could finally relax, and after about a year he started to increase my range of motion); time. The steroid shot helped a little. After about 2 years I've also been helped by chiropractors. Physical therapy never helped at all (I tried near the beginning). I've heard horror stories about manipulation under anesthesia, so never went that route. I had just about zero range of motion to start -- a particularly bad case. able to function again
I also suffered from frozen shoulder, so I sympathize with your husband. This can be a really long and painful experience. I also had a cortisone injection which didn't help at all. The two things that provided relief were going regularly to a massage therapist and Chinese cupping. I got the recommendation for the massage therapist here on BPN and she was wonderful in helping me keep the shoulder and associated muscles from freezing any further. Her name is Noreen Greenblatt and I highly recommend her (510-725-2735). I always felt wonderful after a session with her. My shoulder pain was finally resolved, though, after I tried a traditional Chinese medicine technique called cupping. I work in China, so I was at the massage club that I belong to in Beijing and explained to them about my shoulder pain. They recommended cupping. I was at the point of being willing to try anything because of the constant pain. I had no immediate relief that evening from the cupping, but then miraculously during the next afternoon the pain just subsided and never returned. If you are able to find a Chinese acupuncturist who can do this for you, I found that the ones here in the US often use plastic cups with less suction than the glass cups used in China, so ask about that. Good luck! Lynn
I've been suffering with a frozen shoulder for about a year now and am at last much better. Originally, thought it was a yoga injury and then I ''babied'' it for a few months and when it didn't get better I saw the orthopedist, as well as reading some web info. He referred me to physical therapy which was helpful -- especially a couple sessions with someone that helped me through the initial pain and really focus on stretching. I was afraid at first that movement would make it worse and how could pain be a good thing, but in fact it does seem one has to get through some pain in order to work on this condition. In addition I went back to yoga stretching and now I can sleep on it and rarely have pain. I think I'm now in a process of rebulding some strength. I also was helped by ibuprofen and feel like it's true that it partly seemed to just get better on its own. The orthopedist said to me that the shots were only helpful if they got you through the physical therapy and moving again without so much pain. If the shots make you feel better enough to not do the exercises, it won't help in the long run....hope you feel better soon! patine
I had frozen shoulder a few years ago - it's awful, I empathize with you! For me, there was no magic cure, just time. I did follow the PT exercises religiously and used ice a lot. I got one of those ice packs that are meant for shoulders. I would strap it on and wear it at work and home! It did eventually get better.
My Chiropractor Abby Irwin diagnosed my frozen shoulder. She helped work on it, I also did physical therapy and a lot of stretching. It took about 12 month to resolve.
I didn't know there might be a dietary connection but I'm not surprised.
I have found great relief from doing the Classical Stretch program, on KQED plus at 7:30 am and on KRCB at 9am. I don’t have a diagnosed frozen shoulder but at age 63 I could no longer put put my arms ( either one) around to my back to unclasp my bra!
The gentle exercises were developed and presented by Miranda Esmond White. This 22 minute program is quick and easy and she doesn’t go into her anti-aging stuff like during the pbs fund drives. My flexibility has improved greatly and my arms and shoulders in much less pain. If you try it give it a couple of weeks of doing the exercises 4-5 times a week. I highly recommend it. Good luck.
I am sorry you are suffering from frozen shoulder: I also had it a couple of years ago after a shoulder injury. Your doctor has probably already told you that it will go away on its own after two years, and that is what happened to me. One day, I could just lift my arm all the way up and had no pain. I also tried to treat it aggressively, at first, with chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, exercises, etc., but after a while I realized that some of those things were actually increasing my pain. I then focused on relieving pain (CBD cream, heating pad) and waiting it out. I wish I had done that from the beginning. Good luck.
When I had Frozen Shoulder I tried physical therapy, but it did not help at all. I got a cortisone shot and all was better. A year later I got another cortisone shot and the problem went away again and stayed away for good.
Hi, I had a very painful shoulder that was always worse when lying down. I went to various therapists as well, but that only helped the pain for a short time and did not fix the underlying cause. I would suggest you get an MRI done on your shoulder. My MRI showed that I had a calcification in my shoulder. If you find that you have a calcification as well, it can be removed with guided ultrasound and lavage. After this procedure, it took maybe a month for my shoulder to heal fully. I then saw a PT who helped me retrain the way my shoulder worked since I had been compensating incorrectly for a long time. No more pain now and I hope the same for you. Good luck!
I had frozen shoulder a couple of years ago following an elbow dislocation. It was miserable, especially because my shoulder complicated my elbow rehab and vice versa. Physical therapy helped, but honestly it didn't help right away. The first few months of PT just felt masochistic: the exercises were very painful and I just wasn't making much progress. Then once the pain started to diminish I was able to really get to work on my range of motion. I had 3-4 months of acute pain & limitation of activities, another couple months of reduced pain, and then some lingering stiffness and adhesions for about another 8 months. I did range of motion exercises the whole time. I had one cortisone shot at the beginning that didn't help at all, then a second shot a year later that was extremely helpful. I had been starting to get symptoms of tendinitis; the cortisone got rid of that inflammation so that I could work through the last few adhesions. I considered manipulation under anesthesia, but decided against it because 1) a friend who had manipulation didn't end up with great range of motion 2) I would still have been doing PT for months and 3) my anesthesiologist neighbor said that the shoulder can make a sound like ripping velcro.
Good luck getting through this -- the pain and hassle can really wear you down at first, but it does get easier.
Thoughts about my own frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis, which plagued me for about 9 months or so several years ago:
Frozen shoulder is not a rare condition; the key in healing it appears to be patience--that, and going to someone who specializes in shoulders. A well-known and well-respected Berkeley orthopedist--not a shoulder specialist--thought I should do physical therapy through the pain. (Yeah, right, when my left shoulder's range of motion was so limited that I almost screamed with pain when I exceeded it. Mind you, his practice had its own P.T. department.) A physical therapist I really liked (Craig at LA Foot on College Avenue in Berkeley) gently worked on me a few sessions, then said he couldn't help, and recommended I see Kirk Jensen, "an excellent shoulder man."
Kirk looked me over and said not to worry and to just do a set of exercises every day at home for several months, because a frozen shoulder usually heals on its own. He gave me a sheet of stick-figure drawings; I did the exercises 5-10 minutes, morning and night, and my shoulder did feel much better after three months. The finger walk is especially effective: https://www.sports-health.com/treatment/shoulder-injury-treatment/froze…
Dr. Kirk Jensen, offices in Lafayette and Oakland; I imagine frozen shoulder could be checked out pretty well during a telehealth appointment.: https://health.usnews.com/doctors/kirk-jensen-553033
My sister was told the same sort of things that I read in the other comments: it will take time, you need to be patient, etc. Neither injections nor chiropractic helped, and they were painful. Then she saw someone who does osteopathic manipulation. After the first painless session, her range of motion was much improved and after a few more sessions she was almost completely over it. Unfortunately she doesn't live near here, so I can't give you a name. Good luck.