I got a shot in my shoulder (probably cortizone), a few immediate exercises (probably just for show) and a week later it was gone. I guess I was lucky. But before that I couldn't raise my arm for more than a year, couldn't swim and had a hard time getting into a coat and out of it.

I took me 3 doctors until I found the right one. I believe most doctors can cure about 10 diseases. If you don't have one of those it's the wrong doc.

Wolfgang

Randy_H:

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The time to get treatment for frozen shoulder is ASAR. As Soon As you Realize you have it. It only get's worse and harder to treat. Lying on the bench having Hilga work me over, I would have gladly told her where the Weapons of Mass Destruction were to get her to stop. Unfortunately Saddam didn't tell me. Since it's not considered actual "torture" they should be using this instead of water boarding

Be sure to not skimp on your home workouts. Now my should is fine.

Randy_H; I'm not sure I agree here. I had bilateral frozen shoulder a few years back. You will appreciate that with limited movement in both shoulders at the same time and the pain that goes with it, I is was on the hunt for anything that fix the problem. I saw a number of specialists and had fluid pumped into one shoulder like they were pumping up a football - I wouldn't do that a second time.

In the end I gave up and left it alone and one day it just went away.

I now have the view that the best option is just leave frozen shoulder alone and let it run its course.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Frozen shoulder

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms typically begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within one or two years.

PubMed

"Pain is treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and steroid injections. Steroid injections plus physical therapy can improve your motion.

It can take a few weeks to see progress. It may take as long as 6 - 9 months for complete recovery. Physical therapy is intense and needs to be done every day.

Left untreated, the condition often gets better by itself within 2 years with little loss of motion."

Edited 03/15/13 03:33

Bilateral frozen shoulder makes it extremely difficult to lots of simple everyday tasks but you can choose to push through the pain. I was able to assist recovery of my right shoulder by continuing to play tennis. 5-6 anti-inflammatory tablets (Nurofen) before going on court assisted. The pain of hitting certain shots was unbelievable but it passes quickly and I was lead to believe that the pain was the adhesion breaking which is a good thing.

The fluid injections in the left shoulder may have helped but I will never know for sure.

The problem is that a lot of the treatment for frozen shoulder can cause the lasting problems. Cortisone injections reduce muscle strength and forced manipulation or surgery can leave lasting damage. Left alone frozen shoulder takes longer to resolve but it dose resolve. I don't agree with the proposition that left alone "it can permanently damage range of motion for life". I think this damage is more likely to be caused by radical treatment.