Hello,

Anyone out there have or had a 'Frozen shoulder'? Please post your experience.

Is there any form of exercise I can do to help prevent this?
How long did you have it?
Did you have warning signs?
if you had warning signs what were they?
How long did the warning signs last before you moved into the intense pain and no movement of shoulder?
Did you have FS more than one time?
What did you do when you had it?
How did you move past it?

My shoulder/arm often aches. Today I have a new ache in the back of the shoulder blade. I can still raise my arm above my head. I can move my arm up and down. I can rotate the arm with little to no pain.

Thank you

Edited 10/16/13 18:28

I haven't been able to tell if frozen shoulder or rotator cuff injury. I have had symptoms corresponding to active Dupuytren's but each time was the result of a fall. The problem lasted about 8-10 months each time (3 times). The symptoms were difficult raising arm, putting on shirts/coats, sleeping on the affected side, not being able to throw a ball etc. I never did go to therapy but did exercise and patiently waited. Each time it has cleared up eventually.

Jolene,

I honestly cannot remember the specific exercises. Some involved specialized equipment only available at the therapist's office. Some (later) involved some "equipment" I was able to purchase from the therapist/elsewhere (e.g. stretching bands of some sort. Some involved no equipment or materials. It's also possible that different PT's will use/prescribe different exercises depending on their preferences as well as patient specifics.

BTW, corroborating Callie's experience, the literature (and my original orthopedist) agreed that frozen shoulder self-resolves on its own 99% of the time. However, the average recovery unaided was represented as two years whereas I wanted to do what I could to speed up the process. And it worked. I went from noticeable pain/disruption to "manageable" pain/disruption (i.e. relatively minor) within the first 6 -8 weeks of treatment, followed by 100% recovery gradually over the ensuing months.

Hi Fred,
How long ago did you have FS?

I also have DC and have had bilateral frozen shoulder. Very painful and almost impossible to thread a belt trough my trousers for a few months. The broom stick makes sense to me. Most medical intervention seems to involve risks of injury or permanent weakening of the shoulder.

Given that frozen shoulder self resolves over time best not to risk secondary issues in my view.