Since having frozen shoulder, I have also suffered with neck pain and neck stiffness. It's not the same dreadful, unbearable pain that you get in your shoulders and arm, just a dull, persistent ache. Does anyone else have this? I have been told that I have a slight amount of arthritis in my neck, but that this is 'normal' for someone of my age (53). I never had this pain before I had frozen shoulder - there is probably a connection but I'm not sure if it's the frozen shoulder causing the neck pain or if the neck problem may be the cause of my frozen shoulder!
Hi Jill, neck pain with frozen shoulder is quite common. Research has shown that patients with frozen shoulder have more active upper traps (that's yer main neck muscle), it tightens up in response to the frozen shoulder.
You can help by massaging/kneading the muscles at the junction between your neck and shoulder and by stretching your neck - so, if your frozen shoulder is on the right, try tilting your left ear down to your left shoulder, then use your left hand, grasped over the top of your head, to apply a little more downward pressure - hold for 30secs and relax, repeat 5-6 times - you can do it whilst watching TV.
A little more advanced, you could google 'trigger points upper traps' you'll have a tight little bundle (it'll feel like a pea under your skin) which you can apply pressure to to help relieve the pain - it's kinda like self-acupuncture.
Hope that helps!!
Thank you so much for your advice - that is really helpful. I do hope the neck pain disappears when (hopefully) eventually the frozen shoulder goes!
Hi thank you also for this information , I'm having neck problems after the surgery for frozen shoulder , Ive been suffering pain now for two years , I was thankful to find this information as I was beginning to think something else was starting to happen , I was told that I had slight athritus
Hi Jillgrace,
I have similar problems that started with a bit of arthritis in my neck many years ago. Then the nerve root became impinged a bit and that's what can give you a frozen shoulder.
The 50's are a very common time for this to worsen. Due to lifetime of work and use.
If you can pinpoint an area where the pain seems to be at it's worse and it's about 3"(approximately) from the middle of the base of your neck on the shoulder line, slightly to the back rather than the front, you probably have arthritis in C4/5 or 6.
You can be reffered to the hospital for an injection/epidural for this. It sounds as if you at least need an up to date x ray or scan. This will pinpoint the problem for you.
The bad news it is unlikely to go away completely. It will flare up and down depending on what you are doing.
Working on the computer is one of the worst things, all slightly bent neck actions can make it worse.
If you feel any pain/tingling in your arm please go and get it checked out, this is definitely nerve impingment.
Hi
I haven't been involved in this discussion but thought I would post this tip here from another discussion:
And here's a tip that might help. Try taking an afternoon nap on a sofa. Make it comfortable for your neck when you rest it on the arm of the sofa by using some soft pillows. Lie sideways with the offending shoulder on the sofa (not on the pillow because that raises it), and tuck your arm tightly into ribs. Cover well to keep yourself warm, and see how you feel when you wake half an hour or hour later. Might need a couple of days to get an effect because thats how long it can take the neck to adjust. Used to work for me, to the point where sometimes I would get up in the night and do it. Less bed and more sofa definitely kept the pain from becoming intolerable. Also, if you can take a nap in an upright position, in an armchair for instance, with your head rested upright against some pillows, it can work as well. These positional adjustments can help to break the cyclical nature of the symptoms, whereas doing the same routines like always sleeping in the same bed in the same positions just encourages the cyclical spasm. At first it will seem irritating or awkward to have to change your usual cosy routines, but it really can help to improve things, and if the result turns out to be less pain....its a winner.
Gerry
With my first FS on my non-dominant side, the pain was in the shoulder (constant aching) and the spasms would run the length of the outside of my arm all the way to the wrist. I'm now at the tail end of the thawing stage with that side, having recovered 95% of my range of motions. With this one, (dominant side) I'm in the freezing stage, and I don't have the constant aching pain, only the spasms, when I move my arm past the current range of motion. With this FS, instead of the spasm running down the arm, it goes up, across my trapezius muscle into my neck, and slightly down the inside of the arm from the armpit to towards the elbow. When the spasm hits the neck, it feels like something is stabbing me in the neck.
I'm trying myofascial release and seems to be helping with muscle spasms in my neck and shoulder blade.
I had the same thing. Same symptoms on my first FS and regained motion. Now my other one was frozen, got cortizone injection, started getting better but the then the neck pain. Did you get better? I think the trapezius is compensating for the still somewhat frozen shoulder.
Hi Jill;
I also have alot of neck and shoulder discomfort since recovering from frozen shoulder (worst case) on the left side and in comparison light case on the right side. I have stretched my neck muscles constantly and done many other stretching exercises with my arms, back, shoulder and wrists. I also went to a massage therapist who does the trigger point release therapy... and unfortunately the more I do and go the worse it gets. If I use my arms to lift anything heavy I get shoulder pain and stiffness on the top end of my range of motion that feels like I'm getting it again. I don't know what to do... I don't want it back.
Update. When my back was examined they discovered that my scapula was lower on my painfuls side and further away from my spine than the left scapula. When I raised my arms thumbs up to the ceiling and then down, my scapila swung out further than the left side. I was taped up and over which immediately relieved a lot of the pain. Try to find a doctor who will actually examine you for this dysfunction. When I started doing all my stretches in pt laying down I got a lot of my range of motion back. Your head weighs about 10 pounds and if you are standing up you are more impinged. Good luck!
i too have neck pain , and sometimes its quite bad other times just a dull ache . i bought a wheat sack , and you heat it in the microwave for 1 minute then put it on the neck or shoulder , it lasts long enought to take away some pain and discomfort .
Rescue stretch is the way to go sit in a chair and use your affected arm to grap under the chair with your hand lean to the side and pull tight with arm and turn your head do both sides I learned this in pt I can send a pick if you send your email address
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Yes it's so miserable my neck feels like a wire cable maybe ask for physical therapy exercises for your neck .i do some but still feel like I have a wooden neck .
You poor thing. Yes, I have the neck pain too, it's so bad, they thought I had a disc rupture in addition to the frozen shoulder. Physical Therepy and hot baths help maintain the level of pain, not relieve it, just as long as it doesn't get any worse. Hope you feel better JillGrace. And everyone else here for that matter!
Thank you. This was very helpful. I hope.
I guess it's common to have no curve in the neck when you have FS. I have the same thing. My doctor said it's because of the pain and the way the body is compensating for the FS. The doctor said it should go away after, whenever the FS decides clear up. I bought an expensive traction pillow that I sleep on some nights. Have you been getting the nasty headaches too?
PS they thought I had a disc rupture too, just like Jen. Nope just the no curve in the neck.
I am not sure if you still have it, but yes that is exactly what goes on with me. I've also developed a bit of turtle neck, reaching forward with neck and over stretching by erector muscles. I had a subscap work tear injury, followed with mua for the frozen shoulder , over a year ago. This forum seems helpful. The PT seems to aggrivate, not help. Your thoughts?
Hello I am a practicing doctor of chiropractic and Iused to have the worst time helping patient's who suffered with frozen shoulder. In frozen shoulder cases scar tissues form around and through muscle tissue just like ivy growing through a lattice fence. The scar tissue also forms arounfd the nerves in the muscles so movement becomes very restricted and painful. Problem was this pain expressed itself when I would try to passively stretch the joints and muscles. About 8 years a go I became certified in Manipulation under anesthesia but I like to call it Physical Sedative Medicine whereas the patient is put under anesthesia and then I work the joint in all directions and actually loosen the scar tissue up allowing freedom of movement to return. The scar tissue no longer is irritating the nerves and the apin is gone. This sounds so dangerous but really it is not. Typically takes 2-3 sessions and each session is only 10 minutes long.