It sucks so much (and I agree it’s amazing in a bad way how painful it is), but it also just takes a year for many people’s frozen shoulder to go through the cycle of freezing and thawing. I would be hesitant to try surgery until it had been more than the typical year within which frozen should resolves even when untreated for most people. I would definitely get at least a second opinion before doing any optional orthopedic surgery. Also I was told being diabetic can mean it takes longer to heal, but it can also mean surgery has less favorable outcomes.
Also, I had minimal luck with PT involving exercises but have had a lot of progress with PT that involves someone doing manual work on my shoulder involving them basically torturing me 2x a week by cranking my arm into directions where it is very painful and holding for a min. It sucks but it has helped tremendously. I’ve regained a lot, but not all, of my mobility in most directions, and pain has gone down to entirely tolerable levels. I don’t think my shoulder will ever be the same as before, although in my case, I no longer have extreme hypermobility of that shoulder which may not be entirely a bad thing.
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@cardamom and @TravelingOn - how are everyones’ frozen shoulders? Mine is still with me, maybe modestly improved? Physical therapy back in Boston (as compared with summer PT in Maine) is TORTURE, but I am seeing small improvements in ROM. But, I literally cry at each session - the passive “stretching” is medieval torture (it’s embarrassing to cry, but everyone there gets me now - it seems to just be my release when it’s over? Ugh. But it’s at the end of the session and I just stay on the table and get 15 mins of ice and TENS.) Sleep continues to be challenging. I am continuing weekly massage, which is nice, and just added acupuncture to the fray - why not? I’ve only had one session and haven’t noticed improvement yet, but it was very relaxing. Fingers crossed for a leap in improvement soon. I’m ready to spend my time on something different.
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My heart is modestly breaking for you, because I can only understand how painful it is through my mom’s experience and my boyfriend’s - and everybody else here. I’m so sorry that you have to go through this everyone – losing the ability to shower, cook, surf, swim, whatever you enjoy doing, coupled with losing sleep is so awful. My mom continued with the physical therapy, but then decided to stop – she still in a ton of pain, I don’t see her making any changes about it in her lifetime.
Folks here though, they give me hope for EH, if his comes back strong again. I hope it won’t. I am glad you’re getting some range of motion through the more aggressive physical therapy. I’m sorry that it makes you cry.
That’s really the thing right, it really comes down to the fact that you don’t wanna have to focus on it All. The. Time. I am crossing my fingers for you that there will be a breakthrough in your pain levels soon.
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Awwww, thank you. I miss playing tennis. I miss going for a long walk. I miss doing yoga and simply stretching. I miss putting my hair in a pony tail. I miss cutting a slice of damn bread! I am fantasizing about all the things I will do once I’m not spending time on my shoulder! I will definitely appreciate the little (and big) things more. I’m pushing hard on getting there. Thank you again. xoxo
Mine is slowly improving with similar torture physical therapy—it’s been now over 2 years I think for me, and in some directions I’m close to “normal” mobility (which is still massively restricted for my normal, as someone with extreme hypermobility in shoulders at baseline). If I slack off on the PT though, it starts to quickly regress, so I’m clearly not yet at a point where it’s solidly better. For me, it’s less that interferes in daily activities (it doesn’t at this point much—I can do most basic things well enough and pain is less significant than most of my other chronic pain at this point, although I still avoid sleeping on that side) than it continues to wreak havoc on my hEDS/hypermobile body—having restrictions in one joint means all my others around it (especially ribs and then spine/neck) are constantly getting subluxed as a result. My PT who specializes in EDS says we basically won’t be very effective in treating the EDS until the shoulder resolves. He’s optimistic that it will, although he admitted he thought we’d be further along by now. Partly on me because I’ve been to PT less consistently in the last 2 months though, due to a lot of work travel etc.
Ugh @cardamom I am so sorry. Have you considered surgery for it? I really don’t want to go there, but I do have my follow up appt with shoulder specialist on Monday and I’m sure we will discuss.
I was told to avoid surgery if at all possible for several reasons: 1.) outcomes are uncertain and worse for diabetics (just as recovery in general from frozen shoulder may take longer for us), 2.) my other condition, hEDS, really makes me a poor surgery candidate generally, and 3.) it’s not that bad currently, and it’s continuing to improve. As long as it’s improving without surgery, I can’t imagine choosing surgery. If it was still as bad as it was at its worst (intense pain disrupting sleep nightly, minimal mobility), that would be different. I would strongly advise getting at least a second opinion if anyone tells you to get surgery for frozen shoulder either before a year has passed and/or if it is improving (even slowly) with PT.
Added to all that, I cannot seem to tolerate opiates of any kind, so there’s pretty much no way I’m ever doing a major surgery except as a last resort.
Also, remind me—have you done cortisone injections? I’ve had two, each was helpful in propelling recovery forward somewhat and very much in reducing pain for a while, especially the one that was ultrasound-guided (which is my strong rec if possible). Definitely worth the week of elevated blood sugars.