If you've had frozen shoulder...

I had it once in each shoulder. The first time, I didn’t know what it was and delayed going to the doctor. When I couldn’t put my coat on any longer, I went it. I did PT and that helped it loosen up quite a bit, but it took about 6 months to really resolve.

The second time wasn’t as bad. I did my PT home exercises and it was better after a few months. The two that I remember is to bend down over a ledge and letting it hang, then swiveling it around. The other was wall crawls with my hand up the wall as high as I could, then holding it for a stretch.

If the co-pays for your insurance are high, go at least once to get the exercises specific to your issue. But I really think that the manipulations from the PT were extremely helpful. I went twice a week, but Tricare covered them fully.

I have a friend that had it. It took her 2 years of PT for it to get better. I still don’t think it’s 100%, but much, much better.

A correctly placed corticosteroid injection given by an orthopedic nurse. I was having a hard time doing the exercises prescribed to me by PT until I got the injection. I would say by about 4 months I was pretty close to having my full range of motion back.

The cortisone shot didn’t work then I went to PT for 10 sessions, the day of my last appointment I woke up mostly unfrozen.
It was 6-7 years ago I am still ok .

I had it only once and a steroid shot gave instant relief.

My shoulder was frozen for a full year, and during the freeze state, physical therapy was marginally helpful. Heat helped feel better. After a year, and after 2 cortisone shots and oral meds, I was able to get some good results with physical therapy. I also did some work with an alternative practitioner in Ballard who focused on manipulating fascia, and honestly, the most improvement I experienced came from work with her. It was quite painful, and entirely passive on my part-- she was the one doing the hard work of manipulating the joint and doing deep tissue massage. This was probably 10+ years ago so they may have moved or not even be there anymore, but it was called Center for Structural Medicine, and while they didn't take insurance, I could use my HAS funds.

Best wishes, frozen shoulder is a misery, but you can expect to get significant improvement.

I’m in the boat of “PT wasn’t helping and a cortisone shot at an orthopedic office helped almost immediately”. The ortho told me I had (have?) an impingement and the inflammation is what was causing the pain.

According to menopause specialist, like Dr Mary Claire Haver, it can be caused by low estrogen, which is why it is common among menopausal females.

www.facebook.com/reel/379544471452768/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

I often get severe shoulder pain but I have Rheumatoid Arthritis as well so the cause is difficult to pinpoint. When it happens to me I take prednisone as rx by my dr.

My dr has just started me on estradiol, progesterone and testosterone. I have no estrogen at all & see testosterone. I am hoping it will help my shoulder pain as well.


Just something to think about.

I forgot to mention, I had X-rays and ultrasounds on my shoulders. They told me that X-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs etc don't pick up frozen shoulder, but they do rule out (or in) other issues. On one of my shoulders I also had bursitis and a small meniscal tear. They were confident that I also had frozen shoulder due to the particular lack of range of motion that I was experiencing.

I had frozen shoulder after my mastectomy. My oncologist gave me some exercises to help it. In hindsight, I should have discussed it with my regular doctor. It did eventually get better but it was 8 months to a year before it did. I hope you get some relief because it was some of the worst pain I have ever had. It was horrible.

Sure sounds like it to me - what you describe were pretty much my symptoms. My left arm was pretty much useless. I had to use my right arm to help lift it if needed!

I am just now getting my range of motion back after a full year of very reduced movement and tons of pain. Did I say a lot of pain?

I had never heard of this before I was diagnosed with it. And I was shocked when the dr told me I initially had to just wait for it to thaw before I could do PT. Fortunately, it was my left side, but things like grabbing the seat belt and plugging it in were very difficult.

And I literally had to ask my sister, or daughters or others to help me out of blouses or dresses.

Sleeping was a nightmare, it felt like there was no painless position.