The Incredible Frozen Shoulder
It started as a quick tinge of pain when I reached into the back seat of the car for my raquetball raquet. Then, in the heat of the game, on a high overhead shot I felt it again. That excruciating pain in my shoulder.
Then slowly, as the months wore on, so did that pain in my shoulder. Pretty soon it hurt everytime I swung the raquet. A sharp pain that would make me scream. It would hurt like hell for a few minutes then dissapear completely. I became wary of sudden movements for the pain they would cause. Any sudden movement would cause my arm to hurt like hell. Then, like a famous Sinatra song, along came the spasms in the night. I’d wake up with my arm in spasms. At this point I could only sleep on my back or my left side. I was no longer able to stand the pain of sleeping on my stomach.
I went to a physical therapist, who showed me exercises that only seem to make things worse. But I did these exercises religiously as a Bhuddist monk meditates. My shoulder just didn’t get any better. Then I went to accupuncture. Ten sessions later I was in the same shape that I started in, but my wallet was a lot lighter. I went to a chiropractor who pulled my arm and made me scream. I could move my arm over my head for about one week. But, I’ll admit it, I was afraid to go back. It was just too damn painful.
I went to a orthopedic surgeon who gave me a shot of Cortizone. He ordered an MRI and from the results concluded that I had a frozen shoulder.
A frozen shoulder can be caused by many things:
1. A tear in the shoulder muscles can create a frozen shoulder. It will usually require a mini roto-rooter to suture, and root out the scar tissue so that the shoulder can move again.
2. A bone spur can grow into the muscle and cause a frozen shoulder. It also requires heavy-duty surgery to shave the bone away and roto-root the scar tissue and adhesions.
3. Old age. This is a frozen shoulder is really a mystery ailment. It’s one of God’s ways of welcoming you to having made it to 50-something. Or maybe he’s trying to tell you to slow down. Some times no one knows what causes a frozen shoulder. It is just one of those incredible hurting mysteries that life throws at you when you become older. Maybe it’s my payment for all those great waves I caught while surfing. Or being able to paddle over that huge surprise set of waves that washed everyone else in. Maybe it’s Karma. In my case of frozen shoulder, they wanted to roto-root out the adhesions, then, while I was knocked out, they’d move my arm in all the positions that would normally make me scream in pain. Since I’d be knocked out, I’d only feel them later after I woke up.
Uhh, I got a second opinion. The next orthopedic surgeon explained that if I exercized my shoulder, I’d be fine. The frozen shoulder would thaw on its own in another 6 months or so.
Since then I found a great deep-massage Chinese therapist. He feels it can be fixed in two months.
Somehow, I want to believe him.
Please let me know if any of you millions of people out there have ever suffered a frozen shoulder, and what you’ve done to get over it.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
I’m at six months with my Frozen Shoulder and I’m madder than hell about it. Whilst sitting at the tollbooth in my red car, I can’t pay tolls with my left arm anymore, as I can’t lift it very far above my waist. The pain of this is worse than childbirth. It’s unbelievable.
I’ve tried many of the same things that you’ve have tried but right now, it’s “frozen” so I’m waiting for the pain to calm down before I spend any more money on treatment.
I have no idea how or why this happened. It’s so frustrating. I guess I should be grateful that I can sleep for a few hours at a time now. For three months, I paced through the house most nights, trying to “walk off” the pain.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 am
Hi Rose,
Thank you for responding. I’m sorry to hear about your pain, yet happy to hear that another person has experienced this torture.
A good physical therapist and a dose of pain pills can get you through this. But the bad part is, it takes nearly a year. Keeping the arm active is important, even though it hurts like hell, and your intuition is to keep it still and avoid the pain.
My arm has complete range of motion now. Just celebrated my 60th birthday and went surfing this morning. So these things too will pass. Please remember, in your worst pain, that it will get better. And that you will get better.
Warm heat helped as well as a small rope attached to a pulley to practice “range-of-motion” exercises.
You will get better!
—Bill
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:05 am
Everything you have, i have. and i went through the same path as you. I to have just reached that magic 50. and i got mine by swatting a mosquito .But you are lucky they have told you you have a frozen shoulder, my consultant insists that i haven’t. so off for a secound opinium.
It has now been 6 months. and nothing has changed,and what i hear is that nothing will . Because.knowbody has the answer, i here that a hot hydro spa teatment helps some people alot ,so it’s now off to find one of those. not easy if you have not a hot tub.. something to do with the water/heat and the pressure of the jets.
i’m in New Zealand, we have not many good doctors over here,they are all off to other countries becouse the money is better.
I wish all that get this horror the best of luck. But no matter how much it hurts try to do the exercise from the pysio.it will help.but only do a little at a time.
they say you will get better.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hi Stephen,
Well, I know it probably doesn’t make you feel much better, but you are probably half way through your painful frozen shoulder episode.
I’m not sure that we have too many great doctors here in the U.S., but even the Chinese doctors that I visited told me it would last a year.
I did go for some really painful Chinese muscle therapies. Unfortunately, they were forced range-of-motion exercises that hurt like hell. Later, the physical therapist was doing the same exercises, but I was paying a lot more for them.
Accupuncture had no effect at all. Neither did the hot suction cups. Time and exercise and pain are apparently the medicine for frozen shoulders.
So, the good news is you most likely only have 6 months to go.
—Bill
May 29th, 2008 at 3:55 am
hello
I also have had frozen shouder for 6 months. yes ,I have been to all different healers and western doctors ,xrays,mri etc…. .they all say time and exercize is the ticket. nobody seems to know the cause of this horrible aliment. Since I have been to the chiropractor in a town of 6000 ,there has been four other people aflicted as well. I was wondering if this could be caused by mold ,bacteria or virus. I live in a central oregon coastal town.We have alot of mold .please relpy if you have anything to share on this theory.if you live near the coast and have frozen shouder please reply. If we new the core problem ,we could heal ourselves.I am at a loss. I have tryed so many herbs and treatment to no avail. thanks
June 21st, 2008 at 1:52 am
The very last thing I should think would be worth the money is a chiropractor. You don’t want anybody yanking your shoulder, it may cause tears. Stay with PT, painkillers – get an MRI and go to an orthopaedic surgeon. Although it is tempting, IMHP you’re just wasting your time and money exploring the offerings of fringe therapists. Good luck to all – and remember: Getting older sucks but it does beat the alternative