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Frozen Shoulder

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J

jusme

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Well it has returned for the third time in my left shoulder and I wonder if anyone has any up to date information on treatment? I am at the moment undergoing treatment with for severe wear and tear in my neck due to fits I used to have with the insulin I was on but that has not caused the problem with my shoulder that has only occurred since Xmas.

Any info would be appreciated. My BGs are going up and up today even after taking correction doses

jusme
 
You have my sympathy xx
 
I had a frozen shoulder & blamed it on falling off my skateboard when young. Dr sorted with steroid injection. I have heard it does not work all the time but did for me. Good luck
 
Hi jusme. I had frozen shoulder a few years ago and can honestly say it was the most awful ongoing pain so you really have my sympathy too.
I tried several treatments and the only one that helped was a procedure called hydro dilatation. A water solution was flushed through at high pressure and it was straightforward and done as an outpatient in radiology. Then I paid for some remedial deep tissue massages which helped get movement back.
I've been told from start to finish frozen shoulder can take 18 months of which the first 9 are freezing and the 2nd thawing. Must say that was about right for me.
I do hope you get some help to ease the pain.
 
Linda - I was told by my GP that 18 months was for non-diabetics. He reckoned it was nearer 3 years for diabetics though !
 
Mine was about a year with treatment from my Chiropractor and sports massage therapist.
 
At the time I hadn't been diagnosed diabetic so maybe I wasn't Trophy though think I must have been on the way as was only about 4 years ago. It's odd cos they asked me several times but never suggested testing. And I never thought to ask!
 
Aw, poor you, Jusme. A friend of mine (non-diabetic) just had an operation to fix her frozen shoulder, after the injections didn't work (sorry, I don't have more details!). She's very pleased with the results - she can now raise her arm again. Good luck getting it sorted.
 
Thank you for all the information and sympathy, I think I will go for the steroid injection first if it is offered because I have had it before and it worked with the help of exercise afterwards. What a miserable way to start the new year.

jusme
 
Hi jusme

I've had surgery on both shoulders twice now as they both froze at the same time. The first surgery was Manipulation under anaesthetic - MUA- where your shoulders are stretched to certain positions under general anaesthetic to break down all the scar tissue and adhesions. This worked for about a year then they both froze again, I then had capsular release where a camera and probe are put into the shoulder joint and all the adhesions are broken down and removed, then the joints are cleaned out with saline under GA.

The capsular release surgery helped a lot and I have better movement, I still can't reach around my back and I have to put my coat on an odd way with the most stuck arm first but the agony of having frozen shoulders has been relieved. I'll never make an overarm bowler but the second lot of surgery was very worth while.

I hope you find some relief because it is an agonising hurt. I'd agree with TW about the length of time to see an improvement, mine was about 3 years+. Good luck jusme 🙂
 
Mine actually turned out to be injury related - which I always said it was and knew exactly when I'd done it - playing doubles 'too enthusiastically' - and I always had a better service than game! LOL

(I subsequently packed it up since I no longer had a dead eye service and could never win the point when I did anyway, when it wasn't! LOL)
 
My first one took about 18 months to finally go away but the second one in the other shoulder took 2 years!

We bought a ball to play with while on holiday in Greece -- only threw it for a short while then shoulder started to ache so gave up - left it in the room afterwards. Never throwing a ball again I can tell you!!!
 
I am just back from the hospital I have had a hellish 3 nights with my shoulder and have spent most of the last two nights in front of my computer, reading or wandering around anyway to cut a long story short I dialled 111 very early this morning and was told someone would phone me, they did a couple of hours later with an appointment to see a 111 nurse a 10.30am at the local hospital, she said I needed an X ray and sent me to the 'walk in centre' I was after a long wait seen by a male nurse questioned thoroughly and then examined, he asked a colleague to come and give his opinion decided it may be Bursitis, put a sling on me because my hand was swelling rapidly, gave me some pain killers sent me home with the advice to see my GP tomorrow. I now just hope that I can get an appointment to see my GP.

jusme
 
Sorry to hear this jusme. I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder in Sept 11, had physio, steroid injection and nothing worked, it got worse and worse as I'm sure you know it's excruciating. Eventually after about 6 months I was sent for an MRI and it was discovered I had bursitis. The physio had made it worse. I then had another steroid injection in a different area and the relief was almost instant. Four and a half years on, I still can't raise my arm very high and still do the one handed bra unclasping! Recently been to an osteopath because of hip bursitis and happened to mention my on going shoulder, he was shocked I still have problems after 4 years. He manipulated it and I now have a tiny bit more movement. I'm afraid I left it too long and my muscles in that arm are totally wasted. My advice would be keep nagging Drs etc and get it sorted. I can't carry my handbag in that arm for even 5 minutes, it's just so weak. Good luck and sorry for such a long post. Elaine
 
Hi. For genuine frozen shoulder (adhesive encapsulitis) where the capsule clamps down I believe either an operation or time are still the only real solutions. Steroid injections wouldn't be expected to work for this condition but may for the various other different conditions which may appear similar and GPs can't easily determine which is the cause.
 
I saw a GP yesterday morning and was examined and I was told I needed to have a X ray and also blood tests and make an appointment to get the results next Monday, also that the painkillers given me at the hospital were better for me as anti inflammatory didn't suit diabetics.

I went for the blood tests this morning and the nurse said it looks like it may be gout because my hand was swollen again and the blood tests that were being requested.

What a nightmare this is turning into .....

Just been to read the symptoms of Gout an I haven't got any of them except an extremely pain shoulder thank goodness for that.

jusme
 
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I've suffered this for about 2 years in both shoulders, it started in my right shoulder whenever I extended my arm and then moved into my left shoulder. The left shoulder went on to become by far the most painful. I went to my doctor who sent me for x-rays and a blood test and then referred me to a physiotherapist but this was of little use. What worked for me was swimming and in particular front crawl. At first it was painful but after several weeks I built up to about 1000m a night and the pain is almost completely gone.

At one stage last year I was in considerable discomfort and I feel sorry for anybody who suffers this. What was particularly difficult was getting comfortable in bed and on several occasions I've given up trying to sleep and have sat up for most of the night.
 
Thanks Mark for your input and I am glad that by swimming you recovered so well but just thought I should mention that I have pain in my shoulder and arm down to my wrist 24/7 with out any relief even though I take pain killers also I do not swim and have never tried since an accident in swimming classes when I was at school and that was many years ago.

jusme
 
Hi
I hope everyone is feeling better. I started developing arm pain in early 2015, and didn't know what it was (GP sent me for heart tests and I even had a CAT scan at Papworth for suspected angina - it wasn't). By July I was getting the extreme shooting pain down my arm when moving in the wrong directions and having that horrible jerk pain especially when opening packaging.
After an Xray I was referred for Physio, and told it was shoulder impingement. Physio didn't improve it, so I was referred for a steroid injection. The injection made it instantly worse, and at my 5 week follow up they diagnosed frozen shoulder. Referred for hydrodilatation. The anaesthetic they injected in didn't work for 2 hours and then worked beautifully for 24 hours. Unfortunately the anaesthetic was ineffective when they tried to pump in the saline and I made them stop - it was excruciating. So I was then referred for capsular release and MUA.
The nerve block they put in before the op didn't give me the necessary pain relief when I came round from the general. And I am beginning to think that I react unusually to deep local anaesthetics (redheads are apparently tricky with pain relief). With weekly physio I have gained some forward movement and a bit of sideways movement. However I have had no improvement in moving my hand behind my back, and doing my exercises is very painful. I don't tend to get the jerk pain anymore, but have a constant ache of some degree or other all the time.
My notes say I was very stiff at surgery and had a very thick capsule. I know the op cuts the adhesions, and the MUA breaks the capsule, unfortunately it doesn't deal with the underlying inflammation.
I tried swimming but am not a front crawler and breast stroke involves the movements I cannot do.
This is my first "complication" after 33 years of Type 1. It could be worse. Hopefully it's the last.
I wish everyone luck with this condition. I'm not entirely convinced it goes on its own.
 
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