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Post by queenbeeof3 on Oct 20, 2020 18:56:21 GMT
I have a frozen shoulder. If you have had this how long did it last? Does physical therapy help? So far I am scheduling an MRI and the doctor says I need PT. I also got a prescription for Naproxen. I would be interested in other women’s experiences. Thanks.
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peabay
Prolific Pea
 
Posts: 9,975
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Oct 20, 2020 18:58:22 GMT
I work in a day spa and we have a lot of people come in for massages with frozen shoulder.
It sounds awfully painful - I'm sorry you have to deal with it.
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Post by femalebusiness on Oct 20, 2020 19:08:30 GMT
I had one. I did some exercises that helped a little. Then I fell coming up my front steps. I fell on that arm and jammed my frozen shoulder hard. I was absolutely black from my elbow to my shoulder but it fixed my shoulder it is fine now. Not suggesting you should fall.
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Post by kkooch on Oct 20, 2020 19:12:17 GMT
I've had it a couple of times. Naproxen helps but didn't make it go away. What saved me was a cortisone shot.
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Post by stormsts on Oct 20, 2020 19:12:34 GMT
I had one. PT did help me. I went for 3 months. Don't know how I would have functioned without PT. It lasted for about a year. Wish I had started PT sooner...
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Post by Zee on Oct 20, 2020 19:14:17 GMT
Yes, i have had each shoulder have this problem at different times. Once on the left out of the blue, and once on the right after mastectomy.
I was prescribed PT but I was too cheap to pay a $50 copay twice a week for 6 weeks. Instead, I began doing exercises on my own. I was eventually able to get full ROM back. It hurts! But you have to keep at it. I think it took me 2-3 months to get full range of motion back. If you don't think you can make yourself work past the pain, then definitely go for PT.
I used weights, stretching, yoga, and Pilates. It was really the 21 Day Fix and the Hammer & Chisel Beach Body programs but you can youtube exercises to help.
I've been doing exercises for the past couple years and haven't had it return.
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Post by arrow on Oct 20, 2020 19:26:02 GMT
I had one a few years ago but couldn’t afford physiotherapy or acupuncture. I used it as much as I could without being painful, at one point I couldn’t even lift my arm enough to shave my armpit 🤢. It took about two years from initial onset to full recovery but I’ve got 100% movement back.
I’ve seen good results in others who were using acupuncture to treat frozen shoulder. Have you looked into that?
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Post by nellej on Oct 20, 2020 19:31:16 GMT
I have a frozen shoulder. If you have had this how long did it last? Does physical therapy help? So far I am scheduling an MRI and the doctor says I need PT. I also got a prescription for Naproxen. I would be interested in other women’s experiences. Thanks. It took about 18 months to 2 years to get better. I didn't bother with physical therapy once I found out it would get better on its own.
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Post by kkrenn on Oct 20, 2020 19:36:11 GMT
My BFF has one now and she does daily stretches, tries not to do movement that aggravates it and goes to a deep tissue massage every week. She needs to do PT but won't due to the cost.
Since she started the daily stretches I've noticed she has felt better but I really wish she'd go to PT. She also uses CBD oil on it every night before bed.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this, watching her go through it has shown me how painful it can be. I hope you feel better soon!
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Post by idahopea on Oct 20, 2020 19:57:26 GMT
Yes! PT really helps! Get a prescription for a muscle relaxant to take at night to help you relax enough to sleep. I slept sitting up at first. The muscle relaxant will make you really tired so plan accordingly. Hope you feel better soon!
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naby64
Drama Llama

Posts: 7,177
Member is Online
Jun 25, 2014 21:44:13 GMT
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Post by naby64 on Oct 20, 2020 19:59:41 GMT
I have one and it is ongoing as I type. I have had it for about almost a year. It was worse early on. Trying to get undressed and slip off a nightshirt or t-shirt was miserable. I found these exercises and ran them past my rheumatologist. He said those would work. So I have been doing those. It is much better now. I do have some soreness if I sleep too much on that side and that shoulder lets me know about it. I also have some weakness is using that arm to help bolster me up from the floor. Harvard health stretching
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Post by papersilly on Oct 20, 2020 20:30:28 GMT
for me, it started off with two of the most excruciating weeks of shoulder pain. i tried everything--prescription advil, ice, heat, CBD/THC, pain patches. none gave me relief. i've been through a few surgeries and this should pain just about topped them all.
after exactly two weeks, the pain started to subside to a dull ache. my range of motion was bad. i've been doing stretching exercises to help loosen the muscle. the shoulder hurts and is most frozen in the morning because i probably didn't move much while i slept and it stiffened.
i think i am still in the frozen stage and am moving towards the thawing stage.
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Post by Skellinton on Oct 20, 2020 20:33:16 GMT
I had one in conjunction with a tear and it hurt like ever loving hell. I couldn’t get tops on by myself unless they were button downs, dry my hair with that arm, or even think about sleeping on that side, I was prescribed the shot they do when you are consciously sedated and they shoot the cortisone into the actual area that was torn. It was only after that that I could do PT, before that my arm was pretty immobile, I don’t think mine would have ether on its own and since. I had no range of motion in that arm I wasn’t willing to wait it out. The a-hole orthopedist I saw was even shocked at how little he could move it although it didn’t prevent him from giving it that old college try and bringing me to tears after jerking it around and pushing it all over.
The worst part is once you have it you are prone to it acting up again, I still periodically have to do my exercises religiously if I feel sore at all.
If you can do at least one pt appointment I would. Most of the stuff they did at the office they gave me to do at home. The only thing was the pedal machine for your arms. They gave me the bands and print outs to do the other stuff at home.
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Post by honeyb on Oct 20, 2020 20:36:55 GMT
I had it in my right shoulder. Did 6 weeks (2 x per week) of physical therapy and made no progress with reaching back (think of the motion of hooking your bra). Went to a shoulder specialist and had a cortisone shot. Felt instant relief and regained some motion immediately. Probably took about 6 months and home exercises to regain full range of motion. 2 years later I feel at about 90%. I think it's as food as it gets at this point
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Oct 20, 2020 20:37:57 GMT
I had frozen shoulder in both shoulders simultaneously about 10 years ago. It took intensive physical therapy (2-3x week for 4 months) to get me about 90% over it. After that I started Pilates Reformer classes and worked with the trainer to target the shoulders. That took care of the rest of it for me. DH had in in one not long before I did, but he opted to do nothing and it eventually healed, although it was well over a year.
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Post by grammadee on Oct 20, 2020 20:51:21 GMT
I have one and it is ongoing as I type. I have had it for about almost a year. It was worse early on. Trying to get undressed and slip off a nightshirt or t-shirt was miserable. I found these exercises and ran them past my rheumatologist. He said those would work. So I have been doing those. It is much better now. I do have some soreness if I sleep too much on that side and that shoulder lets me know about it. I also have some weakness is using that arm to help bolster me up from the floor. Harvard health stretchingThese are very much like the exercises my PT gave to me. best advice was warm the joint before the stretches. Started with 3 reps of 5 of each three times per day. Worked up to 10 reps of 10 twice a day. Before moving to #4 and up, I was advised to use a cane or a broom handle, place my hands about 3 ft apart, then use my “good” arm to push my frozen one as far to the front and to the side that comfort would allow. With #3, I stood more at right angles to the wall, and stepped closer when I was able to walk my fingers higher until eventually I could walk my hand so my arm was completely vertical.
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 21, 2020 0:42:14 GMT
I had frozen shoulder in my left shoulder. It lasted 12 months. Apart from the exercise where you "crawl" your arm up the wall, I didn't do anything, and it just got better on it's own. (I couldn't afford to go to a physio regularly.) Then just as that got better, wouldn't you know it, I got it in my right shoulder! By that time my DD was in her final year of her Physiotherapy degree, and she put together an exercise plan for me. I believe it helped, and it got better considerably quicker than the first one - I think about 8 months.
My right shoulder was a LOT more painful and debilitating than my left arm. There were nights that I had to sleep in my clothes because I couldn't get undressed! And if I made any sudden movements with my arm, OMG the pain would nearly make me pass out.
I know several people who have had frozen shoulders (my mum, my dad, my boss, my BFF). All of our experiences were different.
My dad got a cortisone injection and said it was extremely painful but it worked. My BBF got a cortisone injection and said it wasn't painful but it didn't really work. My mum had it in both shoulders at once, poor thing - I don't know how she did anything.
Regarding the MRI - I was told that a frozen shoulder cannot be seen on MRIs, ultrasounds and x-rays. The only reason to have them is to rule out anything else like a meniscal tear or bursitis. I had an ultrasound and an x-ray. They then diagnosed frozen shoulder based on the limited movement I had, and the pain I was getting when they asked me to put my arm in certain positions while they were doing the ultrasound.
Good luck, I hope you recover quickly - it can be so debilitating!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2020 1:06:15 GMT
I had frozen shoulder for 3 months, had PT twice per week in NY....when I was home visiting my parents, went to see an oestopath in Scotland. He identified the issue was due to a nerve in my neck. 2 treatments with him (deep tissue massage, some manipulation and accupuncture) it was gone . ....wasn't my shoulder at all.
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Post by kristi on Oct 21, 2020 1:40:44 GMT
I fell in June and injured my ankle & shoulder. I started doing exercises at home and thought it would make it worse but have noticed significant improvement. I highly recommend therapy!
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Post by pattyraindrops on Oct 21, 2020 2:26:02 GMT
I work in a day spa and we have a lot of people come in for massages with frozen shoulder. It sounds awfully painful - I'm sorry you have to deal with it. Do they seem to work? I saw this video and figured it was worth a try so I have an appointment scheduled this week.
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Post by wimom on Oct 21, 2020 2:58:49 GMT
Mine froze several years ago, went to see a doctor and had an MRI, which found a small tear in my rotator cuff. I had little pain and the tear did not warrant surgery. Doctor tried a cortisone shot, which she said can be curative, but it did nothing for me. PT did add several inches to my range of motion but was painful -- lots of pushing, pulling, stretching. I would actually be bruised afterward. I have never fully recovered my range of motion but have enough to function well in daily life. I still do some of the exercises and continue to follow the doctor's advice to avoid heavy lifting, especially over shoulder height, to help prevent recurrence. I would recommend at least one session with a PT to get exercises to do at home. I would think massage could help as much of what the physical therapist did to me could be described as very aggressive massage. Good luck to you!
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Post by birukitty on Oct 21, 2020 15:29:23 GMT
I had a torn rotator cuff on my right shoulder which I had repaired surgically and that turned into frozen shoulder. I did go through PT for 2 months and it helped enormously. I got 100% motion back in my right arm. If you can I highly recommend PT. It's frustrating, expensive (our copay was 30.00 a session 3X a week which really added up) but it's your body and your health. Yes, you can do it at home but there are some things you can't do at home. At the beginning of each session I would lie down on a (I don't know what you call them but it's like a single bed-something a massage person uses) and the first thing that was done was that heat was applied to the joint using a machine. After that the physical therapist would stretch my arm out while I was still lying there going through several motions.
Once that was completed (took about 15 to 20 minutes) we'd start on my exercises. I'd use a pulley system (you can buy these) attached to a door frame to stretch the muscles in my shoulder so that my arm would gradually be able to move higher and higher. Then we'd move to the floor exercises and start with long stretchable bands, bicycle wheels for my arms, and other equipment. Having the therapist there encouraging me, correcting my positions and other things was invaluable. Was it worth the cost? I think so.
Look, I could have spent that same money on stuff. Instead I invested it in myself. In my health. So that for the next X number of years that I live I will have full use of my shoulder and arm. For me that's more important.
BTW, my frozen shoulder lasted a year. That's very common. And the cortisone shots didn't do a thing for me.
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Post by holly on Oct 21, 2020 17:45:58 GMT
I had it a few years ago. I went to PT for a few months until she recommended seeing a surgeon as the PT wasn’t helping and it was quite frozen, I could barely move my arm. The surgeon recommended a manipulation so I opted for that. They put you under and manipulate your arm/shoulder to release it so it will move again. I still had to do about 2-3 months of PT afterwards but I was looking at at least a year or more if I didn’t do anything before it got better. PT hurt like a bitch but I didn’t want it to freeze again so I diligently did my exercises and it worked well. Every once in awhile it gets a little tight but so far so good. I don’t wish it on anyone. I wish I would have done the manipulation sooner.
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Post by tentoes on Oct 21, 2020 18:13:52 GMT
PT DID help a lot! I fell off a ladder-and my right arm tried to break my fall--instead, it jammed my shoulder. Thanks to PT though, I have full movement for my arm. Good luck!
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Post by scrappinheather on Oct 21, 2020 18:16:33 GMT
I’ve had it in both shoulders. It dies take 1-2 years to recover. I had surgery on one and let the other heal naturally. I would just wait and let it heal on it’s own and try cortisone. They do unfreeze over time. I did surgery with instense physical therapy in one and it was very painful and took a long time to recover. I just waited the other one out and it was painful and took about a year to recover. Sleeping was really hard. Some good muscle relaxers helped. It’s sucky but not much can be done for it.
Heather
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Post by baylorgrad on Oct 21, 2020 19:21:50 GMT
My left shoulder was frozen a couple of years ago. I opted to try PT, which I did for two months. I got close to full range of motion back, which was great! Now my right shoulder is acting up, but since I'm right handed, the range of motion isn't too bad. I can't afford PT at the moment.
Edited to add: I had cortisone shots in my left shoulder, and it didn't do a damn thing to relieve the pain or give me any range of motion.
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Post by ceepea on Oct 21, 2020 19:31:48 GMT
I had one. I tried pt first but it was way too painful because I let it go too long. I ended up getting a cortisone injection and then started pt again the week after. My shoulder is back to normal but it did take over 6 months for it to be fully recovered. This is so painful, I really feel for you!
p.s. The cortisone injection did not hurt at all. I was afraid because so many people told me not to let them do it but I was so thankful that I did. It really made a difference for me.
Good luck
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keithurbanlovinpea
Pearl Clutcher
Flowing with the go...
Posts: 4,313
Jun 29, 2014 3:29:30 GMT
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Post by keithurbanlovinpea on Oct 21, 2020 20:01:26 GMT
PT did not help me. After 4 month I went to an ortho and he gave me a steroid pack. Went away in less than a month. Still did PT to get ROM back
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