One of the strangest things about my frozen shoulder is that way that it seems difficult to work out where the pain is.
One minute it seems to be in my shoulder, the next its cold and around my elbow and then there's just the weirdest kind of feeling in my hand. This hand pain is very strange sometimes. I just can't really put into words what it feels like. One minute it's cold, the next hot. One minute crampy feeling and then just dull.
I think this must be what they call referred pain in the arm - a pain where the brain gets mixed up about where the pain is coming from. That's appropriate for me - my brain gets mixed up about all kinds of things all the time so there's no reason pain should be an exception :-)
I've discovered that if I rest my arm I can keep the pain levels low. If I feel tired then the pain seems to spread down to the elbow and any sudden movement brings me up short with a horrible cold pain all the way down to my hand. This last pain is enough to bring tears to my eyes at times - it really does stop me in my tracks. I hate it.
Each day I wake up and hope for some improvement. Some days I think I've found it and then it's back to the start again an hour later. It's hard to keep my spirits up but I'm coping ... for the moment.
K
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Ah yes, the dreaded "referred" pain... I had it too when I was rehabilitating my shoulder back in '98. The best tip I can recall for referred pain was interferential electrical stimulation with suction. Sounds strange, but it worked wonders. I had four electrodes that were actually attached to suction cups which were placed on my shoulder. a separate suction machine would alternate suction as if giving a massage to the shoulder while simultaneously providing deep comfortable current. This usually lasted for about 6 hours after the treatment was done.
ReplyDeleteThe second best treatment was having a partner (or therapist) shake (really almost a vibratory shake) my arm for about 5 minutes. This works wonders in a pinch when the machine wasn't available.
I am experiencing the frozen shoulder symptoms you described.
ReplyDeleteDoes it ever go away? Has anyone gotten over this?
What can be done to get rid of this?
thanks.
I had a frozen shoulder for almost a Year. Cannot explain the intense and contact pain. The arm was locked by my side .Could not get a cup of tea to my mouth, give my son a hug ,wash my hair with my right arm and washing under my arm was nightmare and a daily challenge. Steroid injection did not work but operation amazing. No pain afterwards ,unbelievable ,fantastic able to do normal things again.
DeleteI have had the same symptoms as you write about. It started in my bi-ceps 6 months ago and I still have sleepless nights, pain all day long and no pain relief medications even help. I am even put on Morphine for night, but they don't help any more than Tylenol so I don't take them. It gets me down often these days and am told it will get better. I don't believe it though. How long did you have yours before having any relief?
ReplyDeleteThanks
If you are still experiencing these symptoms go to your doctor and mention that you think you have frozen shoulder. Talk to them about Hydrodilation. It completely fixed my problem. It is a needle that injects a large amount of saline fluid and cortisone into your shoulder capsule. The pressure will help release your shoulder and lubricate the area between the bones in your shoulder socket. The cortisone will take care of the inflammation. I was told not to move my shoulder for a few days so that the treatment can do it job. It isnt too uncomfortable but it is strange hearing the water slosh around in your shoulder. After a week i began physiotherapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles and support the area. here is a random link to explain hydrodilation: http://www.cameronmedical.com/shoulder-hydrodilatation-hydrodilation.htm
ReplyDeletehope this helps you!
OMG, At least reading all this i know I'm not alone,
ReplyDeleteI'm 50 have been diabetic for three years,
I slipped in the bath in late Jan 2010 it hurt like hell but I'm not one for going to the docs, the pain did subside, then in Feb i went on a first aid course and found i couldn't do the heart massage on the manikin as it was so painful to press down, and the bit where you have a partner and practice putting each other into a recovery position was impossible .... still didn't go to the docs as i had my daughter coming over to visit from aboard ,, i did go to the doc in April where they diagnosed frozen shoulder as i couldn't lift my left arm above waist level, and i was having trouble pulling up my pants, to wear a bra was out of the question, .....
they gave me pain killers that were no help what so ever, believe me i've had so many different pain killers in different combinations, had a cortisone injection into the shoulder none have helped i'm sure my doctor thought i was a junky after some morphine,
i was sent for physio but on the second session he said he couldn't help as the arm was so stiff so he sent me back to my doc, i was then sent to have x rays, ad an appointment was made to see the orthopaedic surgeon, the waiting time for this was 4 months (scream!!!!) Ive just seen him last week, and i am booked for surgery but guess what????? the waiting list for this is 3 months (an even bigger scream) but i might get in quicker if someone else cancels, before i left the hospital they gave me another shot of cortisone, its not worked but i am in more pain now than before, instead of having that constant background pain like something eating on my bone and that terrible spasm when you realise you've moved your arm a bit too far (so bad i can only liken it to having labour pains in your arm) i now have to add to it this new agony of my arm feeling too heavy to lift, i have to lift it with my right hand, its awful pain, i can now understand why people take their own life ive thought about it on many a lonely night when im sitting here on my computer trying to keep my mind off the pain while the rest of the house are in dreamland.
I am a 46 year old woman and have had frozen shoulder for almost 4 months. It was finally diagnosed last week. The pain has been excruciating and relentless. I haven't slept in months and my poor husband is sleeping in the spare room as I am so restless at night. I am depressed and miserable. I have been in physio for 2 months and take pain pills 6 times a day. I had a cortisone shot 2 1/2 weeks ago to no avail and am seeing a surgeon next week. I am really frustrated that it took so long to diagnose. At first my family doctor thought it was a torn rotator cuff and told me to take it easy. Now I am so stiff and seized up that I can hardly stand the pain. I hope to get some encouraging news from the doctor soon.
ReplyDeleteI am 52 years old and I started getting pains in my right arm and shoulder about 4 months ago and it has gradually got more and more painfull, my GP has not diagnosed me yet but reading all of these comments leaves me in no doubt, my GP sent me for a X-ray last week and they said it will be a couple of weeks before they send him a report, I am finding it dreadfully uncomfortable now so I am visiting him tomorrow as I feel I will do anything to alleviate this awful pain which is affecting my work now. I am finding it painful just dialing numbers on my phone and using a mouse at work both things being a constant in my job. I agree with the comment above about the pain in the arm being likened to child birth pain, the other day I absentmindedly threw a tissue to a work colleague with my right hand, The pain from the jerk in my arm left me whimpering and I do not consider myself having a low pain threshhold. I am wondering if I should ask my GP to refer me to a specialist I will gladly pay for the first consultation as I have heard this is the way to get seen early as you can wait a number of weeks for an NHS first appointment. I have been trying to avoid pain killers during the day and just taking Co-Codamol at night (I cannot take Brufen)but today I was forced to take a dose whilst at work. I am finding it difficult now to comb the back of my hair or even scratch my other arm. I do have movement low down in that I can carry a bag but I cannot do anything above chest height.
ReplyDeleteLisa Says hell,
ReplyDeleteI am 44 yrs old. I don't remember when the range of motion left, but I beleive it was in july. I have tried everything to relieve the pain. I have gone to PT for almost 3months, sometimes it helps other times is causes intense pain. I have had deep tissue massage, sometime the pain and brusing is bad, but I do believe that is has help loosen up the muscle somewhat. I have found my best relief from the chiropatic adjustments. all though I have pain in my upper detloid most of the time and the referred pain is agonizing! I am not sure how long this will last, but i know that i want it gone like now! I have never been told what phase that I am in Freezing, Frozen, Thawing. I have been in deep depression at times due to this. I have found that 1 muscle relaxer at bedtime does help me sleep better. if anyone has overcome this dreadful condition please let me know!
thanks bunches. good luck to all
I learned that it is usually a secondary illness after an injury or surgey. I have had it in 2 shoulders, the first time after toe surgery. I used RHUS TOX the homeopathic treatment for pain and it wasn't bad (a couple months). The second case was much worse , RHUS TOX nor pain meds could touch it and still leave me functioning so had to tough it out..
ReplyDeleteI recieved a bag of CIPRO at hospital for an illness. I recall the dr saying "I don't see any signs of bacteria or infection but am going to give this to you just in case." grrrr That began a 2 year period way worse that the fever I had in the first place. Now I am atypical celiac, cannot eat meat, milk or eggs grown on factory farms wi antibiotics and MSG in normal foods can make me feel like my heart is going to stop for a couple of days at a time.
Then I had what seemed like shingles in my right shoulder followed by THIS! Insult on injury! What I have read says 12 months to 2 years for a frozen shoulder to get back to normal. for me it was almost 2 years(21 mos). Working out always made it worse until the last month when I could feel some improvement and I started the hand crawl up the wall exercise. Could not risk driving after the pain got so bad. I tried to rush it after a 18 months, got a steroid shot and considered the rotator cuff surgery but that is just a desperate move that won't speed it up... The shot also gave me neck pains where I had none before...grrrr Maybe it spread it to the neck?
They wanted me to do physical therapy. One hour of working it out left me wanting to heave(the pain was soooo bad) and it took days to feel relief. cost $500 to initiate the treatments and $20 three times a week for 6 months.
Funny thing is it went away in a few weeks, completely w/o the crazy therapy. It went away on it's own the way the Doctors online who believe it is a virus said it would. They also said once you have had this you have immunity in that joint! I sure hope that is true...
Hi, I had a frozen shoulder in my right arm, it got to the point I couldn't raise my arm more than six inches and I had to keep it to the front of my body, anything else caused terrible pain. The pain was uinbelievable, I'd give birth over and over rather than go through it again. After 18 months of agony I finally found out about Hydrodilatation on the web (my Dr had never heard of it) thankfully I had private med care then and got to see the guy really quickly. Using ultrasound they injected saline into the shoulder caosule to stretch the tissue and free up the sholder. The pain relief was incredible, within days I could sleep at night and was comfortable. The first procedure was painful due to the inflammation in my shoulder, the slight pressure it took to go through the skin felt like my shoulder wasbeing pushed downwards into the couch(the guy who did it, Dr David Connell, was so gentle. The repeat procedure after six weeks was painless and again after a few days the pain had lessened to a minor irritation and my movement started to return. I was able to exercise quite robustly and I eventually regained full movement. Unfortunately I have now got the same happening in my left shoulder, which I'm told is not unusual, but I'm really scared at how bad this might get. I've left it with just gentle exercise to start in the hope I was wrong, but I'm not. I no longer have private med care and can't face waiting four months for an appointment with more for treatment so I will try to find someone who does it at a reasonable cost. I fully understand those of you who have intimated that life is unbearable with this condition. It does resolve itself, eventually, but if you can't stand it demand Hydrodilatation from your GP. Not many of them know about it and not many hospitals do it. I don't know why it is a quick and simple procedure that brings such relief. In Australia it is their first course of action. Best of luck to all who have it.
ReplyDeleteI developed "frozen shoulder" the early part of 2010. It is now mid-December and I am pretty much pain free during the day. My question is what causes arm pain when I am sleeping during the night? Sometimes it occurs under the bicep, while at other times it is in the elbow (joint) region. This makes it very hard to sleep...I awaken in the middle of the night and have to massage the affected areas. I have had a stint in physical therapy, along with the exercises that were extremely painful, and I can't take an anti-inflammatory as it bothers the lining of my stomach. Does anyone have any advice?
ReplyDeleteI have been going to physical therapy for three months for a frozen shoulder. Although it has gotten better and I am able to lift my arm higher than when I started and movement has gotten better when I sleep at night the pain feels like it is throbbing and goes all the way down to my wrist. I have tried an ice pack but does not always work.
ReplyDeleteMy physical therapist suggested now that I see a orthopedic doctor for an MRI or additional treatment. I heard there is a treatment where they put you to sleep and fix your shoulder by cracking through the stiffness and then you are fine. Has anyone heard of this and does it work?
Does anyone know someone who does hydrodilitation in the US? I had it done in the UK and it was a miracle. Forget shoulder cracking and all that - I got saline put into my shoulder joint - didn't hurt at all - and it cleared right up. Now a friend in the New York area has a frozen shoulder and I'm trying to find someone for her.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
ReplyDeleteToday things have changed. Medical companies, drug mfrrs, and hospitals are avaricious and hurt humans to the core without sympathy of any kind. I think you might have realised. Great Pains can be mostly overcome in NatureCure methods easily. But not all.I am interested in removing pain ofpeople thru my knowledge of naturopathy.
d parameswaran
www.sunflowerdance.com
I had heart surgery in Oct. 2010, followed by a thoracic compression fracture, diagnosed 6 weeks later. With all of the "hurt" from these conditions, I did not move my shoulders and upper body much. (No one urged me to at least do shoulder rotations or told me what could happen with long term lack of movement.)In Jan. 2011, my left shoulder began to stiffen up. Thinking it was simply muscles tightening, I tried to do some light shoulder exercise. My primary referred me to P.T., also thinking it was muscular. The therapist didn't know what to make of me and her recommended exercises targeted my back, which didn't help at all. In fact, my back hurt more. Things became more difficult and painful with the increasing movement restriction. Back to my primary, who referred me for an MRI and to a shoulder specialist. In two seconds, the orthopedist diagnosed frozen shoulder and referred me for more P.T. My insurance completely covers only 5 P.T. sessions, and I was feeling some relief after 5; so we agreed that I would continue the exercises on my own. At that time, I was feeling very much like my right shoulder was in the early stages of becoming frozen. It was! Two weeks later, I returned for P.T. on the right side. I'm about to conclude the five "covered" sessions and may pay for 1-2 more on my own. I can do the exercises independently, but I cannot benefit from the massage without a therapist. And, massage does seem to help some. The right frozen shoulder is much more achy than the left ever was -- deep aches down into my forearm and sometimes fingers. It's interesting that, at times, my left shoulder seems to mimick symptoms going on in the right shoulder - symptoms that weren't there originally. Ice generally helps. In fact, sometimes I use the the ice pack on my shoulder/arm when I go to bed at night to help make sleep more do-able. Occasionally, the shoulder has even felt a little better in the morning. Other times, I use a second pillow as a cushion on which to rest the affected arm (like a body pillow) to help keep it in a neutral position. It helps me with sleep. I have not chosen to use injections due to the number of people who state that it didn't help them. My insurance co-pay is high and I don't want to pay for treatment that may not help. I'll make it through this with the hope that my shoulders heal up sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteI have already given treatment for 7 people successfully. For frozen shoulder I will show 30% result on the spot in 5 minutes of treatment and for total cure it may take one month. No drugs and no side effects.
ReplyDeleteplease visit my website www.ria-naturopath.com
Hi, it is so good to read of otherswho have experience with this awful ongoing pain especially when you feel that no one else has any idea the pain you are in, I tripped and fell hard in april, 6 months ago, ignored the pain at first as it was in my arm muscle so figured I had pulled a muscle, it didnt go away and got worse so had an ultra sound done at which time they discoved a torn tendon, so off I went to physio and a chiropractor without any relief, its gotten worse so the Dr ordered an MRI which I finally had in sept, results 2 torn tendons and frozen shoulder, so physio started ultrasound, not working, pain pills, codeine do nothing, pain so severe at night, finally saw an othopedic specialist who is going to do that hydrodilation which sounds more painful to me but i really want to avoid surgery but I am so down with this constant pain, still in my bicep, burning, searing and pain in my shoulder,the other thing so frustrating is nobody seems to think there is any thing wrong, including my husband and he cant understandt why Iam taking these pain pills, I really wish I had broken my arm in the fall, cast and be better by now, this sucks big time! its very difficult to do most things, forget a bra, pulling up jeans next to impossible, folding sheets making beds, I could go on and on, thanks for listening.
ReplyDeleteJust read your post...hope you're feeling better now. I'm just starting this, but it happened after shoulder surgery. You're so right about getting dressed, and it's so true...I look normal and healthy, so people don't really get it when there's no physical sign of WHY I should be in pain...TERRIBLE pain!
DeleteI, too, hope you are feeling better. I have had shoulder pain for over 18 months now, and confirmed frozen shoulder for almost a year now. My husband is in the military and deployed far from home, and my son is away at university, so I have had to go it alone. It is my right shoulder and I am right handed. I have had to find new and "creative" ways to do even the simplest tasks and chores. You are right - people who have never had frozen shoulder don't "get it". It is comforting to find others who who know and understand. Even my doctors shrug it off. :( Have you had any luck or healing progress?
DeleteI also experienced this frozen shoulder pain. A friend of mine recommended Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists. There they performed an MRI and everything I needed was right there. I was lucky that no surgery was required.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know a hospital/consultant in the UK who does hydrodilatation on the NHS for a frozen shoulder?. I cant get it in my area and i believe we can now choose which hospital we have treatment. These posts are so helpful .Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog! The arm pain you described is exactly what I'm experiencing! Just above the elbow and sometimes all the way down to my hand. And sudden movement? OUCH! Brings me to tears. I'm 49 years old and was just diagnosed. Thank you for confirming that I'm not crazy
ReplyDeleteGoing on two years of this frozen shoulder, the pain is so intense i cannot stand it. all i have had is pt and one shot that did not touch it. i dont know what to do now, no one wants to help you get better sleeping is awful, putting on clothes and a bra is so painful i can die, cannot wash my hair with that arm or much of anything eles. the doctors have to know this is something bad that alot of people get! and should be willing to help you somehow. pt and injections do not help at all. whats next i dont know. i try to keep it moving but it hurts so bad to do so. help anyone?
ReplyDeleteI had shoulder pain & neck pain for about a year, then finally saw a shoulder specialist. He did an MRI and saw a calcium deposit. I had surgery this May and during surgery they also found a huge bone spur on the rotator cuff & a lot of bursitis. They removed all 3 things. I was doing well and started doing one client a day at my salon...painful, but managed...next week 2 clients a day. After that the pain became incredible and could hardly move my arm. Dr said the shoulder was becoming frozen, had a cortisone shot (which did help a lot for a bit) and now have been off work for 3 weeks, started back to PT 2 times a week. So hard to dress, shower, the worst is not being able to blow dry my hair...but thats just me :) I've gotten so depressed, which I think is the pain...never experienced such TERRIBLE pain. Can hardly stand it at times. From what I hear, I'm just in the very beginning stages of frozen shoulder...guess it's adhesions? Feels like my shoulder blade is attached to my shoulder joint and I look very "odd" putting it mildly trying to pull up pants, or pull a blouse down at the bottom. My wrist & elbow have started hurting just from them over compensating for lack of shoulder movement.
ReplyDelete