Anybody have a "frozen" shoulder?

brokenknee · Feb 24, 2012

I have been dealing with a frozen shoulder since before Christmas. I have been going through therapy without much, if any improvement. I went to the doc today to discus my options, I have decided to have surgery next Friday.

I was told this is a twenty minute procedure preformed under general anesthesia as an outpatient. Was also told should be able to return to work the following Wednesday. Will have therapy daily for two weeks and then be reassessed.

Has anyone had something similar done and how was your results. This is not a torn rotator cup like first thought, it is a frozen shoulder. I am not big on having surgeries but I have work to do (cut/split and stack at least ten cords of wood) just to name one and the bad shoulder makes this a very painful task.

Bird · Feb 24, 2012

Yep, that's what the doctor said the common name for my shoulder problems would be. He said he could do the surgery, but it might not help. Any surgery leaves some scar tissue. So I've gone with the cortisone injections and physical therapy so far without the surgery. i'm guessing yours may be worse than mine or your doctor wouldn't be recommending the surgery. And I'm not having a lot of trouble with mine now. The two exercises that have helped the most, and that I still do is the rope and pulley overhead and reaching high to hold the top edge of a board and let my weight down to stretch the arm and shoulder.

creekbend · Feb 24, 2012

Wishing you the best of luck in regards to the surgery and recovery.

lman · Feb 24, 2012

I had frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. I was doing physical therapy that wasn't working fast enough. The Dr. said the shoulder needed to be stretched out so I hung from one of my barn rafters and something popped. It hurt like a witch for a couple hours and then I had 100% movement. Haven't had any problems with it since then.

RSKY · Feb 24, 2012

Been there, had that. I thought the therapist was gonna tear my arm off. My left shoulder froze up and the therapy, plus constantly swinging a very heavy weight, freed it up.

Right shoulder started giving trouble and it turned out I had a bone spur inside the joint. Had to have it removed surgically. After all was done the doctor and the nurses told me that was the single most painful surgery you can have. I believe them. Three months later everything was okay and not a twinge since.

Just make sure you have a competent surgeon. Mine looked like he was about fifteen, was one of the nicest people I have ever met, and his nurses thought he could walk on air.

rsewill · Feb 25, 2012

Yes but walking three miles a day (well, five days a week) keeps it pain free.

zzvyb6 · Feb 25, 2012

I have had it on both sides. I still play hockey 2 -4 times per week in an Over 60 league arund here, so shoulder injuries are common.

A 'frozen' shoulder is caused by an injury (fall or collision usually) in which there is internal bleeding within the shouder "joint". You don't really have a joint there, its just a locations where a bunch of bones come together (a confluence of bones?). If not treated properly (ice and motion), the bleeding causes scar tissue to form and locks up the 'joint' pretty tight. It can save you a lot of money in the short run because it's almost impossible to get your wallet out of your pants if its on the problem side.

The first time it happened to me, I was leading a green horse out of the barn and it suddenly spooked when it saw a new birdhouse I put up. It yanked me (tied to a lead rope) 2 feet off the ground. I thought I was shot. It hurt so bad. But in about an hour, it felt wonderful and I could spend money freely again.

The second time, a doctor convinced me I needed either to be knocked out and stretched violently or micro-surgeried to remove the scar tissue. We went with the surgery and it was fine until I got injured again. Now I just live with it. No slap shots allowed in my hockey league, anyways...

brokenknee · Feb 25, 2012

The pain has gotten to the point were it is very difficult to even put my shirt on or off. It's always hurt to get my wallet out, but that's a different story.

This isn't a torn rotator cup so the doc says recovery should only be two to three weeks. He is going to poke a couple holes in the shoulder, scrap out the inflammation and inject a cortisone shot. Then manually "work" my shoulder. He said the whole thing should only take about twenty minutes.

He claims this surgery has a very good success rate. Hopefully he is correct.

Bird · Feb 25, 2012

The pain has gotten to the point were it is very difficult to even put my shirt on or off. It's always hurt to get my wallet out, but that's a different story.

Yep, that sure sounds familiar. And in addition to that, doesn't the shoulder ache like a toothache at night? Can't sleep long on either side?

I hung from one of my barn rafters

And that's basically the exercise I still do nearly every day in my shop; hang for a count of 5 with one arm, then the other arm, and repeat 5 times.

patrick_g · Feb 25, 2012

I was diagnosed as having a frozen shoulder.

I was using a 14 lb sledge hammer (one handed) to drive T-posts. Worked OK but a few days later I couldn't reach my right rear pocket with my right hand. Right arm motion was limited and painful if I exceeded restricted limits of motion.

I went to doctor who had me extend my arm straight out to side palm up to push against his hand and then palm down against his hand. He proclaimed I had no rotator cuff problem and that I was getting older. I asked if aging 20-30 years in a couple days was normal. I was told sometimes old fella stuff comes and goes. Unsatisfied I went down the hall to a lady sports doctor who did the same palm up palm down test.

I jumped the gun with her and said, well, its not a rotator cuff problem. To which she said, thats right, you have a frozen shoulder. She whipped out her prescription pad and wrote a prescription for 4 physical therapy sessions, 2 per week for two weeks and noted for them to issue me some rubber bands and a pulley with a recoil starter rope.

They ultrasound my armpit and surrounding area and then put me prone on a low table. The nice young lady therapist then plants her feet on my side and grabs my extended arm and puts it where she wants it irrespective of resistance and with no regard to my copious tear flow due to pain. I then am shown various exercises with rubber bands and how to put an arm bar on my right arm and then pull the rope with pulley attached to top of a door. Pull the rope and it raises the other arm painfully up high in an arm bar position like in wrestling.

I do exercises at home with the stuff they gave me and go back for three more reps of the treatment. After two weeks (4 treatments) and home exercises I have way better pain free range of motion with that arm than with the uninjured one. 110% success!!!

Gee, before I had one I never heard of a frozen shoulder but I see from all the responses I'm in good company. I can only wish for each of you the success I had with my exercises and therapy. They nearly twisted my arm off in therapy but the results... Hey, better than before, better than other arm, how good could it get!

Pat