frozen shoulder

[eggyg]

I have just been diagonosed with a frozen shoulder. The doc gave me an information leaflet re this and it says that diabetics are more likely to get this. No one is quite sure but it is probs something to do with glucose sticking to nerve endings. Well anyways, it is really painful, have got exercises to do and NSAIDs to take but I now feel it is starting in my other shoulder. I am stuggling to sleep as it is so painful and my arm feels numb and I get pins and needles, so now am worrrying about neuropothy. Does anyone else suffer or has suffererd from this or anyone know anymore about it. Elaine

 

[Monica]

Sorry you're suffering Elaine
My friend is suffering from a frozen shoulder too. She's on very strong painkillers and goes to physio. Have you been offered physio?

Sorry, but I don't know any more about it.

 

[eggyg]

Physio is the next step, I have to go back to docs in a months time to see how pills and exercise goes. The exercises kill me! I don't know whether they are doing me any good or making it worse. I know as much as I don't want to I have to keep it moving. Fastening my bra (sorry boys) is hard work! I will keep plodding on though.

 

[margie]

In some parts of the country they have pain clinics - which teach you how to manage pain. If you continue to struggle it may be worth finding out if there is anything in your area.

 

[AJLang]

Hi Eggyg Sorry to hear that you've got a frozen shoulder. I had a frozen right shoulder which landed me in A&E one night because the spasms of pain were absolutely awful. They gave me loads of painkillers, including injections. The pain continued but I managed to prevent further really, really bad flare ups by having ibuprofen once a day. I got that shoulder sorted out in November 2009 when I had a manipulation under anaesthetic followed by doing lots of physio exercises. However the left shoulder became painful in January this year and I've just got use to it. It's too painful to stretch it with the physio exercises and it hurts if I lay on it at night........but I've got used to it now and just take ibuprofen once a day to stop the pain flaring too much. I have developed an interesting technique for putting on my bra and even for putting a towel round me because I can't do that normally.....strange how you get used to things

 

[Flutterby]

Hi there, I too have a frozen shoulder and have had it nearly 2 years I think. But it is a little easier than it used to be. I've had no treatment at all but have done a few exercises. I was told that it will get better on it's own but it takes time and depends on how painful it gets whether you decide to go for the manipulation under anaesthetic like AJ mentions. I do my bra up at the front and twizzle it round! Oh heck - now everyone knows!!

 

[Catwoman76]

I have just been diagonosed with a frozen shoulder. The doc gave me an information leaflet re this and it says that diabetics are more likely to get this. No one is quite sure but it is probs something to do with glucose sticking to nerve endings. Well anyways, it is really painful, have got exercises to do and NSAIDs to take but I now feel it is starting in my other shoulder. I am stuggling to sleep as it is so painful and my arm feels numb and I get pins and needles, so now am worrrying about neuropothy. Does anyone else suffer or has suffererd from this or anyone know anymore about it. Elaine

Hi eggyg I am on my 2nd frozen shoulder. It's the right one this time and it is really bad. It is very painful as well. When I pulled my 2 pronged fork out of the Jacket potato, my arm jerked off to the right and all I can say is , it was agony People have had Cortisone injections and I have had physio in the past for the left arm and that worked well.
I just don't want to have yet another hospital appointment for something else so I am trying to do my own exercises, but they don't appear to working that well I hope you get some respite from it soon and it heals well. Best wishes Sheena

 

[eggyg]

Was it ever mentioned that diabetes was a 'cause' of your frozen shoulder? I believe we are 5 times more likely to develop it than a non-diabetic. Weird. I know what you mean about getting used to things, I didn't realise how much I 'protected' my frozen shoulder until I was getting dressed this morning and there was a knock on the door, I quickly slipped on my t shirt and nearly collapsed with the pain. I did it without thinking, it's throbbed for the rest of the day. I am presently taking 2 anti inflammetries a day but must admit I am worried about the effect on my stomach. Long story short. Gall stones>pancreatitis>tumour>distalpancrectomy/splenectomy>diabetes. Pancreatitis can be a side effect (rare admittedly) of NSAIDs so do worry about that happening. So far so good, although only been talking them since Saturday! Tried to hold off for as long as I could but the pain got the better of me. Be interested in bra putting on procedere, does it involve hunky men? Elaine

 

[Flutterby]

Yes I was told that it is more common in people with diabetes and also more common in women! Didn't stand a chance really. Mine used to be as painful as yours sounds with the slightest unthought out movement literally making me shout and cry but it hasn't done that for a long time so there is hope! I don't think the anti inflammatories will hurt as long as you are not on them long term. I took some for 3 months and had no problems, how long have you been taking them?

 

[Flutterby]

Be interested in bra putting on procedere, does it involve hunky men? Elaine

yeah come on AJ spill the beans!!

 

[eggyg]

Yes I was told that it is more common in people with diabetes and also more common in women! Didn't stand a chance really. Mine used to be as painful as yours sounds with the slightest unthought out movement literally making me shout and cry but it hasn't done that for a long time so there is hope! I don't think the anti inflammatories will hurt as long as you are not on them long term. I took some for 3 months and had no problems, how long have you been taking them?

I know, I had no chance; Female, check. Age between 40 and 60, check. Diabetic, check. Non dominant shoulder check. Been taking tablets for 5 days. So early days. I will take comfort from your reply and hope I can put my bra on without pain very soon! 🙂

 

[Catwoman76]

yeah come on AJ spill the beans!!

It's putting things on and taking them off that is a problem, not so much the bra because I can twist it around to the front, but taking a T shirt or jumper off I now have to bend right down and pull the back of the item over the back of my head( like a man would). A lady in the Stroke clinic had to help me on with my jacket a few months ago because I couldn't get the right seleve over my arm. I laughed it off, but it was embarassing. Sheena

 

[Flutterby]

I got stuck in an article of clothing once when trying it on! I was so hot and bothered, I finally managed to get it off without tearing it!! It was horrible. I'm still finding that hard, Sheena - winter will be a pain with jumpers, t shirts are more flexible I find!

 

[eggyg]

it's not enough that we have to take tablets, inject ourselves, watch what we eat and all the other things in between but we also have to think about what we wear. Imagine buying clothes and telling the shop assistant that it's no good because I am diabetic! You've got to laugh!

 

[AJLang]

Karen you shouldnt ask but........Well my hunky gorgeous man taught me the technique.....but I think it was because he was fed up with me shouting for help because I couldn't get the bra on. Worst bit was when he was at work one day, I was dressing to get ready for work and nearly couldn't get the bra on..........wouldn't bother me too much but years ago, in another job, I got told off for going to work without wearing a bra! I've never been one to conform Anyway I digress. Technique involves as much as you can putting bra together as if you were going to fasten it at the front........but my arm doesn't stretch that far so you kind of put it in position on the floor then step into it to then do it up. PLEASE do not imagine me trying to do this but it does work....but my illustration of how to do it isn't very good......going now because my mind imagines someone else reading this and getting the wrong idea .....

 

[Blythespirit]

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis Elaine, and I hope they manage to ease the pain for you. Can I just ask, is the pain in the shoulder joint itself? My reason for asking is that I've got a very painful arm myself at the moment, but the pain is in the muscle at the top of my arm, maybe even in the bone itself. I can move my arm foreward and up but it's agony to move it backwards. I hope that makes sense. I cant lie on my left arm at night and find that I'm making adjustments to my daily activities to 'protect' my left arm. So, yes, bra straps and anything that fastens at the back are difficult and I have to be careful pulling anything over my head. It doesn't hurt at all when I'm not moving it, unless I have just moved it, but feels sore by the end of the day. When I do jar it it's like a burning pain that lasts anything from a few seconds to a few minutes.

It's been a bit weak and achy for a couple of years but has got markedly worse in the last couple of weeks. Previously I've shrugged it off as old age, statins, anything really. It's starting to bother me now. I suppose I'd better get it checked out.

Anyway, I hope yours feels better soon. Take care. XXXXX

 

[Catwoman76]

it's not enough that we have to take tablets, inject ourselves, watch what we eat and all the other things in between but we also have to think about what we wear. Imagine buying clothes and telling the shop assistant that it's no good because I am diabetic! You've got to laugh!

Haha that's a good one Sheena

 

[eggyg]

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis Elaine, and I hope they manage to ease the pain for you. Can I just ask, is the pain in the shoulder joint itself? My reason for asking is that I've got a very painful arm myself at the moment, but the pain is in the muscle at the top of my arm, maybe even in the bone itself. I can move my arm foreward and up but it's agony to move it backwards. I hope that makes sense. I cant lie on my left arm at night and find that I'm making adjustments to my daily activities to 'protect' my left arm. So, yes, bra straps and anything that fastens at the back are difficult and I have to be careful pulling anything over my head. It doesn't hurt at all when I'm not moving it, unless I have just moved it, but feels sore by the end of the day. When I do jar it it's like a burning pain that lasts anything from a few seconds to a few minutes.

It's been a bit weak and achy for a couple of years but has got markedly worse in the last couple of weeks. Previously I've shrugged it off as old age, statins, anything really. It's starting to bother me now. I suppose I'd better get it checked out.

Anyway, I hope yours feels better soon. Take care. XXXXX

It isn't actually my shoulder it is my underarm from my shoulder to my elbow that is the most painful. It was a colleague who said it sounded like frozen shoulder, my shoulder only aches in bed when I lie on it, I suspect because I am not moving it. The other pain I get is in my clavicle (collar bone) it sometimes locks and that is really painful. I would defo get it looked at as it can last for years without treatment. When I think back I have suffered most of this year but like you thought it would go away, and these last few weeks have been really painful. I went to the docs under sufference as I always seem to be there and you sometimes think they will think you are a hypocondraic (not sure if that is spelt right). Elaine

 

[Blythespirit]

It isn't actually my shoulder it is my underarm from my shoulder to my elbow that is the most painful. It was a colleague who said it sounded like frozen shoulder, my shoulder only aches in bed when I lie on it, I suspect because I am not moving it. The other pain I get is in my clavicle (collar bone) it sometimes locks and that is really painful. I would defo get it looked at as it can last for years without treatment. When I think back I have suffered most of this year but like you thought it would go away, and these last few weeks have been really painful. I went to the docs under sufference as I always seem to be there and you sometimes think they will think you are a hypocondraic (not sure if that is spelt right). Elaine

Thanks for the reply Elaine. Sounds about right to me, although mine's more my outer arm and sometimes the side of my neck. I'd Googled frozen shoulder and it said it was the shoulder joint so I thought it couldn't be that then. I'm the same as you and hate going to the docs for anything other than my D checkups. Ah, well, looks like I'll have to make an appointment after all. Sigh! If I was a horse they'd shoot me!

 

[cazscot]

Hi Elaine, I am sorry to hear this, I was diagnosed just over a year ago in my left shoulder and now my right one is going the same way... I am on 100mg Diclophenac (slow release) at night, Amitiptyline for the nerve pain and any other painkillers I need during the day to manage it. I have had physio to build up the muscles again but that hasn't helped with the pain. I have also had a steroid injection which helped at first but soon wore off...