hi, my names Amanda and like all of you I have been in so much pain since last September. I have had 2 lots of injections into the shoulder, which has not worked. I'm tired through lack of sleep and probably driving everyone mad around me. My doctor has arranged for physiotherapy which I'm dreading because of the pain. I'm seriously considering going private and having surgery. Has anyone heard good things about this option please
Hi Amanda.....welcome, I'm Kerri, im in Australia but we all chat to each other 😊
I have been in terrible pain since end of November, originally thought it was Frozen a Shoulder, but after having 2 injections and no relief I visited an Orthopaedic specialist who did an ultra sound and found a full thickness tear in the rotator Cuff. Same symptoms as Frozen Shoulder I believe but it won't fix itself, so I have surgery next Friday and in a sling for 6 weeks. I honestly DO NOT know how you can manage physio......I think I would literally vomit with pain......it would be excruciating 😩
This is a great forum as we all suffer the same pain and inability to do the simplest of things, so we all understand what each other is going through.....and what we are going through IS NOT nice at all 😥
Hi Kerri, good luck with the surgery I hope it works well for you. You are right I think this condition is terrible as it affects every waking hour and sleeping hour. In the last month there have been 2 occasions where I thought I was going to pass out, my vision blurred and I was all sweaty. This was caused by someone pulling my arm backwards and the wind taking my car door. I wish the doctors knew more about this condition
Oh my goodness....I feel for you, someone pulling your arm.....I think I WOULD pass out. I grabbed the car door the other week and reefed it shut in the rain, without thinking, I sat and cried for 10 mins, the pain was terrible. i agree about the doctors, it took me many doc visits, 2 X-rays 2 steroid injections and 3 ultra sounds and a truck load of pain killers to finally come up with a diagnosis.......grrrr
Hi Amanda. My name is Melanie. I've had all this since September too. As I've said before it is the most painful thing. I collapsed in a heap a while back from just putting my coat on. It's crazy. I've shut the car door and cried !!!!
I keep saying doctors not knowing/understanding enough. It's becoming more and more stressful which makes everything worse. Yes I feel like I'm driving everyone insane!
I've not had any treatment yet, except loads of pain killers , but there's lots of fantastic people on here who have, and I know will be only happy to advise you.
Morning. Have you had a great day?? Did you totally enjoy breakfast?!! I love French toast...... Maple syrup though!
How was shopping, do you get tired more easily because of the pain Kerri?? Xx
I have decided not to have surgery or aqua puncture. Someone has posted about Hydrodilation which sounds like a very good option. They went to the Nuffield in Leeds.
My problem with the N.H.S. at the moment is that they have not actually had a look inside with an ultrasound to see exactly what is going on with my shoulder, they are just sayinjg it is frozen. I had a fall and they did not even diagnose a hairline crack for 4 weeks. Then my shoulder froze, they originally said it COULD be a rotator cuff tear. I don't think they are really bothered, i feel as if I am just a number. i have M.E. as well and the two conditions are impsooible to live with.
I am thinking of going privately for a second opinion on my shoulder.
The best of luck with yours.
I've had a busy day....had our Nutella French toast....it came with maple syrup, blueberries and strawberries.....we shared it, it was yummo!!!! Then we went easter egg shopping for the littlies and then had visitors this afternoon for afternoon tea.
I get very fatigued with the pain.....I think everything is so much harder and difficult it's just exhausting. I find it exhausting having a shower.....getting painfully undressed, washed, dried and re dressed and I'm knackered.....have to sit and rest for a while. I think pain is exhausting especially 24/7 pain
Hi Alison.....I have a full thickness tear in my rotator cuff.....Supraspinatus tendon. And yes it is also frozen because of the tesr hopefully.
I have NO range, cannot reach behind or out to the side, I have trouble lifting my arm just high enough to squeeze the deodorant bottle in and it just aches 24/7 the pain worsens with sudden movements or bumps, can't lay on either shoulder and have to sleep on my back all night. The doctors were treating mine as a frozen shoulder until I demanded an ultra sound which is when they found the tear. The specialist has said a full thickness tear WILL NOT heal itself and has to have surgery. I can't wait to have my surgery next Friday and start the road to recovery 😀
Hi Amanda,
You poor thing, I know exactly how you feel, there is no pain like it, it literally makes you want to faint or be sick! I pulled my arm backwards trying to get out of the train and was doubled up in agony for 5 mins waiting the pain to subside.
I had the arthroscopy capsular release surgery on 13th Feb and so far so good. Horrible pain has gone, but still have pain if I move it too far. Could drive after 10 or so days (slowly) it was a bit tricky going round corners! Movement was much better, but shoulder still felt heavy. Have to do lots of exercises every few hours to keep it moving, but pain is not like FS pain, more like operation pain.
Saw surgeon this week and was told I need aggressive physio to make sure it doesn't come back. I have had one session, which was hell - I wanted to throttle the physio, but it has helped free the shoulder a bit more.
If you do go the surgery route, it is not a quick fix, but at least you start to go in the right direction. I had FS for 6 months and looked like a tramp for most of the time, put on half a stone comfort eating, hair like straw, skin all spotty - not a pretty sight, now I can put my hair in a ponytail, able to sleep better and am starting to feel like a human being again. FS is a long process, whether you wait it out or go the surgery route. I wouldn't go the physio route without having had the adhesions broken, physio alone can't, as far as I know, cure frozen shoulder, it is more likely to aggravate it. Gp's are badly informed on frozen shoulder, so I would make sure you see an orthopaedic shoulder specialist for a more informed option choice. My gp offered physio, surgeon said no point, shoulder was frozen all the way round and was as bad as it gets, surgery was only option.
Take care and I hope you feel better soon, if you need any advise I am happy to help. xx
Hi Amanda, hope you're not too bad today.
I was diagnosed with FS in September and after lots of tears on my part my GP eventually gave me a cortisone injection (which didn work) and referred me for physio. As soon as the physio saw me she wouldn't come near me, becaus I was still in the freezing stage, she understood the agony I would be in. She gave me a few, very gentle exercises to do at home. But she told me to pester the GP for a referral to hospital, so I did, I rang almost every day and eventually i was given a referral. 6 weeks ago I had hydrodilation at our local private hospital on the NHS and, although i am in much less pain now it didn't work fully for me so am sheduled for capsular release surgery on the31st.
This is is such a horrendus disease which no one understands unless they've had it, you mustn't give up, keep pestering and fighting until they do something for you and keep talking to us, it helps so much to know you're not alone, I cried with happiness when I discovered this site!
Good luck!
Hi Amanda, yes we are all in the same boat, FS is so debilitating people do not understand how painful it is unless you have experienced it yourself.
Everyone on here can give you good sound advise aswell as support.
I had surgery almost 6 weeks ago. Manipulation under anaesthetic, arthroscopy where the surgeon used keyhole to look inside my shoulder. He chipped some of the bone off to give me more space and got rid of all the adhesions (scare tissue). I expected to be pain free & have full movements back - after the nerve block wore off I was in pain - please continue to take the painkillers don't try & do without.................. They give you excersise's to do straight away which I did little and often - still didn't see any improvement 
Went to physio several times almost crying with pain and frustration. Had my 4 week post op check with consultant who said my shoulder was still very tight & that he would do a further manipulation (said quick 10 min job no invasive surgery) so I'm waiting to see him again 2nd April............ It is such a slow drawn out condition. My pain has eased now slightly but I'm still not sleeping very well - I'm glad I had the surgery though & will have the manipulation if he feels I still need it - anything to help a faster recovery!!! I still can't tie my hair up or drive!!!!!
This site has helped keep me sane!
Hope this has helped 
Hi Amanda
i too have FS since december, I had steroid injection 4 weeks ago and have another one next week. I'm seeing physio this week but only because the are only ones who can start process for hydrodilitation, which I'm worried about,,,,did it hurt? Do they put you to sleep?
my doc and the specialist are now talking to each other instead of through me. At the moment I'm in so much pain, my wrist is also sprained a little as I've been putting my hand in strange positions to enable me to pull trousers etc or get dressed. I can't wear dresses for work as I can't pull up tights so live in two airs of trousers, grr. I also am on sw but not losing as I can't do exercise, it's really depressing. I'm hoping the larger dose 10ml of injection next week will help, if not the hydrodilitation will be done soon after. Hope you have a calm day with no sudden movements.
Serreta, what did hydrodilitation consist of? X
Hi Debbie,
have to say, I was terrified of having hydrodilation but the radiologist was great. They give you a little local anaesthetic then insert a needle, attached to a tube, into the shoulder under your collar bone. He then injected 4 or 5 syringe fuls of fluid, the first one being iodine so your joint shows up on x Ray then cortisone, saline and more pain killer through the tube. It was painful and my shoulder felt very heavy, as if something was sitting on it during the procedure and the ache lasted a few days but nothing as bad as FS pain. soon I noticed that constant ache was getting less and less and about a week later I slept though the night! Amazing!
I've had 8, very intensive physio sessions since, which have been painful but not excruciating. Sadly my R.O.M hasn't improved enough so I'm going for surgery but I'm really glad I had the hydro as it has really taken the edge off the pain.
Hydro is about 80% successful so fingers crossed it works for you!
Good luck!
It sounds like I had the same op as yourself and so totally agree with everything you have said Cheryl................ And I know how you wanted to throttle the physio lol I'm doing exactly as they told me - little and often but I'm struggling to see any improvement sigh........... To top it off my original app to see surgeon has been re booked for the 2nd April instead of next week - like I said to Mel- shoot me now lol.
Everyone must push to see a shoulder orthopaedic surgeon one who know's what he is talking about!
I had ultra sound but because of my lack of movement the sonographer couldn't see everything she wanted to she thought I had a possible tear but when the consultant did keyhole it was just masses of adhesions! He has said I may need further manipulation... I'm almost 6 weeks post op........ Anyway we will see.
To everyone that replied, thank you so much, I don't feel like I'm going through this on my own anymore. The pain as you all know is hell. I think I will be opting for surgery as I really don't think I can cope waiting for it to go on its own. Everything I have read indicates it can take years!
Hi Linda,
How do you find doing the exercises I am never sure if I am doing ok or not. I still cant do the external rotation (one where you keep the elbow at your waist and push arm out to side) doc said it should be at 90 degrees by now but I can only get to 45, also cannot reach behind my back higher than my waist. Can lift arms over my head now and out to the side with the pulley and lying down can do those on my own. It is such a weird illness, sometimes I feel like im getting somewhere and then it feels really stiff and doesnt want to move. Surgeon wants to see me in three weeks and said if I dont have full movement he will give me an injection to lessen the pain so that I can continue with more aggressive physio.....what joy!
Like you, I guess, if this doesnt work fully, I may need a bit of manipulation. I don't want to go that route, but anything is better than the misery of FS.
Hope everything works out at your appt. and lets hope we will be free of this thing sooner rather than later.
Hi Cheryl. I understand the looking like a tramp. Everything from hair, showering, dressing even using the kettle is a painful task. I too have put on weight. So not only are you in pain you hate what you see in the mirror. Add all this up and include sleepless nights and you begin to wonder what it's all about xx
Cheryl I feel the same - I do the excercises as shown by my physio but don't seem to be getting anywhere!!! Like you I can't do the external rotation and I can't lift my arms over my head The only good thing is that my pain has eased somewhat
I didn't want surgery but I'm glad I took that route in the end - my surgeon is a loverly gentle man who so understands FS - I know a great many don't .......
Please keep letting us know how you are getting on - its so good to get support
Hi. Reading all that is exactly how I am. I feel rotten in myself. Not showering etc. definitely put on weight. I have wondered that sentiment exactly.
We all have each other on here now. Thank god. It's incredible. I love it. I've been so upset all day, as for some reason couldn't access it on here since early this morning. Just able to now.
I hope your day hasn't been too painful x