Frozen shoulder

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi. It’s another ‘frozen shoulder’ post but a first by me.
I know this is an issue shared by so many, but I think everyones experience is different, so here’s mine.

Please note it’s quite long.

I started suffering with a slight bit of pain in my shoulder in August 2023. It wasn’t often and I’d only usually get it if I stretched sometimes.

Fast forward to December. I sneezed and jolted my right arm and the pain was excruciating.
I carried on working for a few days, but it got so bad I couldn’t do it anymore.

I thought I’d just need a week off for and I’d be fine. HOW WRONG WAS I?

It has gotten worse and worse.
I went to my GP and was given co-codamol. 8/500.
I took these for about a week and had no pain relief.
I went back to the GP and explained it was getting worse. They changed my dosage to 15/500
Again this offered little to no pain relief (I was on 6-8 a day)

I saw a physio and he diagnosed me with frozen shoulder (I kinda guessed that) and suggested a cortosone injection, which I have had.
The pain that night (after the cortosone injection) was so bad I honestly wanted to die.

I’ve had a slight relief in pain but I still can’t work or sleep properly and the pain is there all day and night it never goes away.

I’ve tried heat and cold but it doesn’t offer and real relief.
As I’m constantly in pain and I can’t sleep I’m always in a bad mood.

It’s now coming into the 3rd month and I have the worry about work.

I’ve got an appointment with a physio on 12th Feb but I need pain relief.

I’m in the UK so at the mercy of the NHS.
I’m thinking of going back to my GP and ‘begging’ them to give me strong painkillers.

Has anyone else in the UK had problems with their GP being reluctant to prescribe anything stronger than co-codamol.

Oh my movement is maybe 50% right now.

Thank you to anyone that has read all of this. I know it might no read very well and I’m sure my comprehension is terrible. Blame that on not sleeping and being unable to focus.

2

oh boy your really going thru a tough time. i hear ya about your whole experience. once frozen shoulder starts its a life long issue and gradually gets worse. i manage mine in both shoulders .
lifestyle changes to accommodate different scenarios is all i can do. it gets old not to mention the constant unforgiving pain.just to toss a pillow can cause or getting in and out of a vehicle every day movements turn into excruciating pain. doctors are forbidden to give certain pain meds because they are so addictive..unless patients with serious life threatening illness. it’s common in the US too. surgery just makes it worse so it has become something i have learned to accept my daily limitations and hope it will calm down with rest in time.

3

Hi Ricky, sorry to hear you are in such pain.FS is woeful so I understand where you are coming from.It will get better but unfortunately it takes a long time. I found uddermint great for a bit of pain relief, it is meant for cows udders but humans can use it too. It alters between cooling and warming heat and gives me relief. There are others here who had other things that worked for them, I’m sure they will reply here to let you know. I did a lot of physio and exercising.I also had steroid injections and hydrodilation. I was willing to try anything when it’s at the constant pain stage- you will get through this but unfortunately it is a long road.

4

I meant to also say for me taking paracetamol or ibuprofen did nothing for the pain, I may as well have been taking smarties.when I got a prescription for stronger pain medication, I ended up having an allergic reaction so unfortunately meds were no good for me.Hope you have better luck.

5

hi Ricky
.
Taken over 1,300,000 milligrams over the 5 years, got up to 30/500 zapain. it cant do us any good. this is a grin and bare it problem.
.
there really is not a cure and its so time tied. not weeks not months but years. feel for ya mate.
.
google hydrodilatation. for me it worked for a while. some people it did not ( aimed at piper ). hi my fellow warrior.
.
i paid all private as i had no confidence in the NHS time line. i was a carpenter so needed me shoulders. ho boy did i struggle.
.
find a good orthopaedic consultant to help. i used sport injury massage . brutal painful squeaked like a piglet. strapped up with rock tape. ice packs. ice machine. still struggled.
.
try an injection guided hydrodilatation to burst the scars.
.
its really the only thing on offer. or like me i had the capsule cut 360° and released.
.
colin

hi barb, cracked it at last no ache no pain. full movement. a long journey.. lots of scars lol. glad to see ya still keeping well.