I was diagnosed a couple months ago. Got a steroid shot which didn't help. Doing I intensive physical therapy but is it normal to be brought to the point of tears and feeling like I'm going to pass out? It's like I'm being stabbed with a knife in my shoulder over and over. Should I find a better physical therapist or is this normal?
OH yes the FS is very excruciating I tried therapy was to much. I asked for pain meds to complete therapy.
i origionally had Xiaflex injections and a few days later the doctor manipulate the shoulder and frees it up. Xiaflex is a protien that targets the collagen tissue in the shoulder responsible for restricting the ROM.
that was 8 months ago and have full ROM .I hope that your in the US Xiaflex is approved for FS soon to be approved in other countries.
Hi Amy I've had surgery for mine but prior to that my Dr, Physio and now surgeon said never ever reach any pain level as the shoulder is already inflamed and built up with scar tissue and you don't want to keep aggravating it anymore
Xiaflex will break down the scar tissue. If it's available to you it will be soon. Sorry to hear that your still suffering its no fun.
See online for for more details.
I am in my eighth month of FS. I was advised by my doctor that the new way of thinking is not to do any PT during the inflamation/pain stage but just to manage the pain. I am now out of the inflamation stage and in the frozen stage. I am relatively pain free and have recently started therapy and my ROM is improving.
Hope this helps.
My physio says that causing pain only makes it more inflamed defeating the purpose
Only work within your ROM without pain, to the edge before pain
I would be seeking another physio
Hope you find relief soon
Hi Amy
You will find a range of opinions on here. I am no expert, but it sounds like you are still in the initial, freezing, stage of FS. PT will be very painful during this stage. Personally, I think PT is of little use during this stage; just do very gentle exercises and keep using it for 'everyday' tasks if you can, to try to keep any ROM you have. When the FS has reached the 'frozen' stage, you can increase the PT, as it will be less painful, but I don't see any point in being in agony. If your therapist won't agree to this, find a different one. Have you seen a doctor to discuss options such as manipulation under anasthethic or capsular release?
Sorry to say this but it is all vey normal. Oct2012 was the start of my right shoulder. The pain down the arm to the finger tips, the shoulder was torture. I had steroids and physiot to start with, then moved on to surgery. Three ops on shoulder and manipulation. Finally thawed Oct 2015, but lost my job as I was unable to type. Now my left shoulder is at the point where I cannot move it behind my back, cannot lay on it either. The pain is excruciating. I was given a C5 sleeve injection(steroid) two weeks ago, guided in the op theatre. Things have got worse and I now feel I am on another long road for recovery. Apparently this is normal that once one shoulder freezes the other one does within two years. Somehow you have to get through it like all of us, but it is no walk in the park. There is no quick fix. Some recover better than others. Do what is right for you and your shoulder.
Have a look at this thread and others on here:
Yes, opinions may vary but I strongly disagree with the idea of "no pain no gain" and thnk it may do more harm than good - as do many experts. I am 95% recovered without resorting to painful physiotherapy. Your body needs to heal and I strongly belive that stretching inlamed tissue to the point of pain may make this process longer. Read up and decide for yourself - but this is far from the only way though this awful condition. Good luck!
I went to pt for my fs and even though at times individual excercises hurt to the point where I need a break after a quick drink and a stretch I was good. Also I always left pt feeling good and slightly more streached out. FYI I am a wimp and even though my stretching excercises were sometimes uncomfortable they were never painful. In full disclosure after my mua they did tell me to take my meds before going to pt and I always did. Sounds like your pt is pushing you too hard and you should either talk to them or switch.
I had the same reaction. I almost passed out the last time I was having therapy, so I never went back. It only took time before it healed on it's own. With the second ffrozen shoulder, I never went to therapy and healed just as well without all the pain of therapy. I have a frozen hip now and the doctor recommended an osteopath. Will be having my first appointment next week.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. How long did the inflammation stage last?
Thanks Richard. I'm getting a lot of feedback along these lines. I've had many injuries from sports -- torn ACL, torn meninscus -- so I'm pretty used to what the pain of PT feels like. This type of pain is on a different order and seems to not be doing any good. I'm going to try a different approach based on the majority of feedback I'm getting. Thanks for your time.
How long did it take to heal on its own? Thanks for your time, and good luck with your hip.
The inflamation stage lasted around 6 months. This is actually my second frozen shoulders the first was 5 years ago. That time I did PT from the start, had lots of massages and had 3 cortisone shots, this time I have decided to let it run its course and the progression has been exactly the same. It took 18 months to recover last time and the way it is going I think it will be about the same this time.
24 months. Same for both
Hi Amy729:
You are completely correct to be distinguishing between the normal pain you've had in the past, and the kind of ineffective & senseless pain you've experienced with this particular PT. There is no professional literature to support this approach to FS (anyone?) It is not helpful, and I believe will only prolong the healing process. I stopped this sort of aggressive therapy after reading lots of posts on this forum (that was last Nov.) It was only after stopping that I started to heal. Like others have said, I continued to use my arm as 'normally' as possible, even though it was quite stuck. I didn't go to another PT until I was thawing; a much healthier experience with far more FS expertise & professionalism, supported by literature.
Like yours, my first steroid shot was not effective either, I was told later, because the tissue was too thickened by then & it wasn't by guided assist. Subsequent shots were much better, guided & during thawing.
Sounds like you are in the most painful part of FS, while your shoulder is freezing. I'm so sorry - it's lots of pain and sleepless nights You are on the right track to be searching for information. Be kind to your shoulder - use lots of heat, pillows, pain management, and the advice from this forum that fits you best.
Liane
Everyone says they are having PT and it hurts. The question is what treatment are you having. The trouble is that most patients diagnosed with FS dont have it but are treated for it. If you do have it the best time to have treatment is when the thawing stage is well under way. You can go the heroic way and have manips or surgery. It is my experience that a very tight capsule makes the joint like a hinge whereas a normal glenohumeral joint roll and glides and spins so it is not like any other joint. The treatment for joint capsule tightness in the shoulder I have found out the hard way is to have the gliding and rolling restored first. This I have had done and it entails having the head of the humerus rythmically glided backwards and forwards and out and down. If your elbow leaves the side of your chest then your therapist is not doing it properly. As things progress then the elbow can be moved away a few inches and the same movements done. The therapist can move the joint within the pain range. Make sure you get a PT who knows what to do. Nowadays get your partner to go with you and video tape on your phone the proceedure and they can do it at home, a few minutes a few times a day, and save money!
I'm surprised to read that so many have gotten steroid injections. Both doctors I saw advised against them. I was around 50 at the time and was told I was too young. There are quite a few possible negative side effects, I assume at any age,
Complications of cortisone shots can include:
Joint infection
Nerve damage
Thinning of skin and soft tissue around the injection site
Temporary flare of pain and inflammation in the joint
Tendon weakening or rupture
Thinning of nearby bone (osteoporosis)
Whitening or lightening of the skin around the injection site
Death of nearby bone (osteonecrosis)
Temporary increase in blood sugar
I was minded to take things entirely naturally but the twinges in my good shoulder had me terrified that I'd end up with 2 frozen shoulders, which wasn't an inviting prospect. The physio that I'd seen had recommended hydrodilatation (with saline and cosrtisone) - which had worked wonders for his own mother! I decided this was the least invasive of treatments, though I was still very aprehensive, as no procedure is without some risk. What it did for me was to stop the pain and the ROM came back gradually after. Above all, I was able to sleep again - my mental and physical heath had been shattered through months of pain and lack of sleep. A good night's sleep helps our body get over all sorts of problems. I know this procedure doesn't seem to work for everyone but it was a milestone in my recovery.