Frozen Shoulder really bad

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Honeylight

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Has anyone had this? I had a steroid injection four days ago & initially it was ok but now it is hurting so much & I cannot move it at all. I went to an out of hours GP who said it didn't seem infected, bleeding (I take warfarin) or a torn tendon. Can you get a cortisone flare up later?
Any ideas? Advice?
Why do these things occur at the weekend?
 
Sorry to hear you are in pain with this :( my mum had frozen shoulder and was in agony for months, eventually a series of physio appointments helped.
Hope you get better soon :)
 
Oh no you have my sympathy they are awful :-(

What is the cause of it? Is it an injury or has it just set in - they are different types. I have one post trauma (injury from falling off the horse and being dragged by the arm by the reins).

I had two steroid injections in it, both caused slight improvements but this was always short lived and despite physio it always reverted back to the way it was. Painkillers are my only solution. Cocodamol I find is best.

I had physio after physio after physio which ended up causing so much pain it made me physically sick. I was referred for a capsular release operation but was told my shoulder would never return to normal even after surgery so havent bothered with it.

I am used to it now, did it in 2007, yes its annoying especially the movement limitations etc but the pain is not as bad as it used to be and sometimes I dont know its there.

Obviously if yours isnt injury related I cant be much help, my mum had one that just came about from nowhere and physio sorted her right out, that is the best type to have, not as likely to be permanent.

Cant help much than advise painkillers for now good luck with it xx
 
I have had this in both shoulders. Neither were from trauma but I had hooks develop on the end of the bones from calcium build up. Had months of physio and got worse as hooks were actually tearing tendons! Operations to remove hooks and repair rotator cuff were very successful but took about 6 months each time to recover properly. With this kind of frozen shoulder I would always recommend a simple X-ray the physio I had before x rays did so much damage- three screws in one shoulder and two in the second but all came good and no probs riding.
Please go get appointment with orthopedic consultant and have x rays done
 
Hi Honeylight. Yes I had a problem with this. It started out of the blue and I could not pinpoint anything in particular that triggered it. I went to my GP who said " um, shoulders, I've never really understood how they work" I was offered a steroid operation which I refused. I put up with it for quite some time( think the initial very sore part was almost a year) and it gradually improved. Once I had some movement back in it I started to do some exercises which although really uncomfortable did help in getting the joint active again. I struggled with sleeping because I tend to put both my arms above my head so I'd often wake up with my arm stranded and unable to move it and in a lot if pain. I eventually got a very soft matress and made sure my pillows supported my neck properly.. This also helped as I was not putting pressure on the joint at night. Over about three years I got about 90% function back. I had some acupuncture earlier in the year and it helps with pain and getting some mobility back also. I left mine longer than I should have and it might not have taken so long if I'd had decent medical treatment.
Unfortunately I recently broke my collarbone on the same side so that didn't help:eek: The x rays they took showed that there was some calcification where the muscle attaches but otherwise the joint was good. Be positive and hope you find more knowledgeable medical advice than I got. :)
 
As you're on warfarin I'd call the people who deal with your INR. The deep injection could have caused a bleed. Not to worry you but you should be careful and get it checked properly.
 
acupuncture and exercise works well on frozen shoulders. but an xray/mri first should give you a better diagnosis! i would go back to GP and ask/insist on a referral, good luck.
 
Honeylight, I am a Physio and frequently come across patients reporting a marked increase in pain initially with steroid injections into the shoulder.

In my experience it takes almost 2 weeks to begin to know if the injection has been effective.
Unfortunately it seems patients are not usually warned that this can happen.
The delayed onset of increased pain ties in with this and would not suggest a bleed due to your Warfarin.

Keep us posted. I hope you start to feel the benefit soon!
 
melbiswas said:
Honeylight, I am a Physio and frequently come across patients reporting a marked increase in pain initially with steroid injections into the shoulder.

In my experience it takes almost 2 weeks to begin to know if the injection has been effective.
Unfortunately it seems patients are not usually warned that this can happen.
The delayed onset of increased pain ties in with this and would not suggest a bleed due to your Warfarin.

Keep us posted. I hope you start to feel the benefit soon!
Click to expand...
Totally agree with this post as steroid injections into joints can be painful.
 
Find a good Physio who also uses Accupuncture.

I had a frozen shoulder after I had broken it and it was agony! Went to a Physio who used to use Accupuncture for 20 mins before working on it and the differance was amazing and my mobility came back really quickly x
 
melbiswas said:
Honeylight, I am a Physio and frequently come across patients reporting a marked increase in pain initially with steroid injections into the shoulder.

In my experience it takes almost 2 weeks to begin to know if the injection has been effective.
Unfortunately it seems patients are not usually warned that this can happen.
The delayed onset of increased pain ties in with this and would not suggest a bleed due to your Warfarin.

Keep us posted. I hope you start to feel the benefit soon!
Click to expand...

I had a terrible night spending most of it crying with pain. I am taking co-codomal & using frozen peas. The doctor said to contact the physio dep in the morning. I have never has such pain & I have had 2 heart surgeries & brain surgery. It is very frightening. In your experience Melbiswas will it improve, & how soon?
 
Find a good chiropractor.

Some years ago my mother had a frozen shoulder and was in terrible pain from it. Injections and physiotherapy seemed to make it worse.
They were going to operate but I took her to a chiropractor and after one treatment she could swing her arm 360!
 
I had frozen shoulder a several years ago and saw a chiropractor who told me after a few sessions that it wasn't helping me and to see a Physio. I was on the NHS waiting list for a while and had already had the pain for about 9 months and had just developed it in my other shoulder. It is quite common in women in their 40's and can last up to 18 months. Once it has run its course is is rare to get it again. I didn't have any injections, just normal painkillers if really necessary, did a few exercises Physio recommended and it did eventually fade away and the second shoulder went quicker than the first. Never had a problem since. Sorry not much help to you and your pain with the injection but I hope you are feeling better.
 
Honeylight said:
Has anyone had this? I had a steroid injection four days ago & initially it was ok but now it is hurting so much & I cannot move it at all. I went to an out of hours GP who said it didn't seem infected, bleeding (I take warfarin) or a torn tendon. Can you get a cortisone flare up later?
Any ideas? Advice?
Why do these things occur at the weekend?
Click to expand...

The same thing happened to me. I had a distension arthrogram on a Thursday. On Saturday I went to work ( I work in theatre at a hospital) and during the day it started to become more & more painful. I had to leave early and by that time I couldn't even change gear in the car. Later that night I had rigours and vomiting etc. turned out I had a septic arthritis and ended up off work for 3 months as I couldn't move my arm at all, the most painful thing I've ever experienced.
If you get a temperature or rigours then go to A & E for antibiotics.
 
I have had a couple of really bad days made worse by vomiting from the codeine given me by GP.
Went back to the Physio yesterday & she said anxiety on top of a cortisone flare had been the cause & set up a vicious circle of pain, anxiety & more pain. I was getting panic attacks; I had a sub-dural haematoma at exactly the same date six years ago, which wasn't diagnosed for at least eight weeks. This caused me to panic more as I couldn't understand why the pain had begun so many days after the injection.
I have less pain now, can get dressed & have started to do some easy exercises.
Thanks for all the comments they really helped.
 
Had frozen shoulder, which once finally diagnosed, was monitored by consultant orthopedic surgeon. It lasted almost a year, and was treated with 3 cortisone injections during that time. Each injection caused cortisone flare up which began approx 48hrs after the injection and lasted up to 5 days, before I started to feel improvement.

I didn't require surgery, as my range of movement began to increase by itself after the '2nd stage' during which time the pain was managed by codeine based analgesics.

I did speak to two sports physios who I knew, who both told me that physio was unlikely to be effective. I was pretty desperate, because at its worst, I was unable to dress and undress myself, which was a bit of a problem when my OH was away on biz.:eek: Fortunately, I work from home.

Once the '3rd stage' began, I was feeling a steady, if slow, improvement in the pain and gradually my ability to move my shoulder improved.

You have my sympathy - its a horrid thing.

On the down side, it can take 9-18 months for the condition to disappear, but on the upside, it does go away.

Good luck!
 
Honeylight said:
I have had a couple of really bad days made worse by vomiting from the codeine given me by GP.
Went back to the Physio yesterday & she said anxiety on top of a cortisone flare had been the cause & set up a vicious circle of pain, anxiety & more pain. I was getting panic attacks; I had a sub-dural haematoma at exactly the same date six years ago, which wasn't diagnosed for at least eight weeks. This caused me to panic more as I couldn't understand why the pain had begun so many days after the injection.
I have less pain now, can get dressed & have started to do some easy exercises.
Thanks for all the comments they really helped.
Click to expand...

Really pleased to hear you ate feeling better :) the reason I'd refused the injections was that I'd heard they were really painful..it will bet better..honest:)
 
in third month of shoulder pain, both shoulders and now back but think it's mostly the left as that is where the restriction originates. I'm finally giving up with osteo and have booked to see an orthopaedic surgeon, been riding throughout but it's reached the point where I don't feel balanced when on a long hack/canter hack so am pressing pause on those unfortunately.
can't take anything more than paracetamol and trying to only take those when I wake in the night with pain. hoping my regular weekly arena lesson isn't making it worse, I travel for work and have to carry a case/rucksack weekly so that is tricky but I can't put my life on hold for months.

it hurts like hell when anyone bumps into me in London and dismounting / pushing off the horse with left arm leaves me reeling. but I'm not going to give up as I've been riding all year after 40 years out of the saddle and I've loved it until the pain started. thinking of anyone. here who is suffering and hoping we get a resolution asap.
 
Honeylight said:
I had a terrible night spending most of it crying with pain. I am taking co-codomal & using frozen peas. The doctor said to contact the physio dep in the morning. I have never has such pain & I have had 2 heart surgeries & brain surgery. It is very frightening. In your experience Melbiswas will it improve, & how soon?
Click to expand...
so sorry for your pain. you will find help and it will go away eventually.
 
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