Frozen Shoulder...It can get better

Hello, All ~
My physical therapist released me two weeks ago because I wasn't making any progress.  She sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who put two more cortisone shots in my shoulder.  (That makes four that I've had since February.  The other two were from my PCP.)

My shoulder now feels much more stable and not like it's falling out of the socket, and the pain isn't nearly as bad.  It's still ache-y, and it burns, but thankfully it's not that sharp stabbing pain.

Gentle hugs to everyone.

cookie - Yes - WTH? Why were never told about frozen shoulder - the pain is absolutely unbelievable - especially at night - far worse than my post-surgery lx pain! Ironically, I guess it happened to me for a reason - If I had not had severe shoulder and arm pain for months, my Onc. would not have order x ray, bone scan and CT scan. The scans showed nothing for my shoulder and arm pain, but did show lung mets! Darn - what next? 

I went to my BS yesterday - all is well with breasts. She stated that she would be really surprised if I have lung mets....well, she must be very surprised as my med onc called me last night to give me scan results.... I'm going to have a bx this week. Just cannot bring myself to change my info to state "Stage IV Mets", until after the bx report. Hugs to all.

is it possible that frozen shoulder will appear after 4 years from the surgury ?

I have had the beginnings of it on both sides, although I only lost the sentinel node on the left. Crippling pain and impaired movement, no fun at all. So far I have found that if I make sure to stretch and exercise it as soon as it acts up, it gets better. I also found that after 3 months in the gym 3-4 times a week, doing just really light weight work on the upper body, my shoulders are in way better shape (they look completely straight at this point) and I have not had a twinge in ages. 

So it seems as if proactive exercise can help, at least sometimes. 

Cookie- I just reread your starting post - I agree -why the heck didn't anyone warn us! Even now, none of my med profs will state why my shoulder is frozen. My BS told me that it just happens sometimes and noone knows why. I often feel that med profs are so afraid of lawsuits if the procdedure they did lead to the pain. Rads will not admit it could be the rad treatment. BS will not admit it could be the surgery. Not that it really matters. I just like straight answers.

Thank you Crystalphm,

the side of the operation starts after Mas. but since 6 months i have the other side pain as well

I wish its only Frozen shoulder and not somthing else

you know what its very strange that i do not experience pain during morning when i do daily activity but when i go to bed the pain starts when i sleep on the opposit side while if i sleep on the frozen shoulder i do not have pain, its just like the pain starts when i dont use my arm or rest for long time.

My frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) started a year after my umx. I had upper arm pain, which I thought might be LE and I could not reach back with my left arm to fasten my bra. The physical therapist said that scar tissue had built up in my armpit and she is working now to break it up. She said she sees it often after breast cancer surgery, but no one mentions it to patients. She manipulates the shoulder and I do exercises which is already giving me some relief.

I had a mastectomy on the cancerous side in 2006, and prophylactic mastectomy on the other side in 2007.  It wasn't until about 6 months after the reconstruction (DIEP) in 2008 that I developed frozen shoulder.  Mine never caused pain; I just lost about 50% of my range of motion in my left shoulder (non-cancerous side).  I went to PT and I now work with a trainer at the gym two days a week.  It is SLOWLY getting better.

Frozen shoulder is most common in women who are post-menopausal: same group that is most likely to get BC. So although there can be a connection, it's also possible to get it regardless of whether or not you have had BC/surgery/rads.

My right shoulder started freezing up before I was diagnosed with BC; in fact, I was already in PT when I began BC treatment. They had to modify my position in the radiation bed because I couldn't get my arm above my head. A year after the frozen shoulder was healed, I started to get pain in that shoulder again, and was told I have minor rotator cuff tears. Not sure how they got there, as I never lift anything heavy! I know my limits, and I don't pick up anything heavier than a cup of coffee.

While in PT for the rotator cuff, the left shoulder started freezing up. So now I'm in PT for that. Add to that the PT I've had for lymphedema, costochondritis, and pelvic floor dysfunction, and I'm getting frequent flyer miles at the PT clinic.

I found that the cortisone shot *did* help for the pain, and enabled me to do the PT exercises. My range of motion increased immediately with PT. I'm pretty faithful about doing the exercises every day, twice a day if I can. I can sleep on both sides now, and I'm not afraid that the pain will make me see stars because I looked over my shoulder while putting a dish in the cabinet or some other minor motion.

The rotator cuff is tougher...PT hasn't helped much with that. I do those exercises daily, too, but have been told that the only real solution is surgery. Feh.

CFDR, you sleep on both sides? I meant to ask my doc about that, but forgot. After my surgery, I was told I could not sleep on the side where I had nodes taken, forever (or that is how I understood it).

Hello guys:

My issue is not necessarily frozen shoulder, at least I don't think so.  I can move my shoulder my problem is a dull annoying pain in the middle of my right shoulder blade.  My cancer was in the right breast.  I haven't had reconstruction because the TE had to be removed due to infection.  Then I had radiation which left me severely burned and scarred so I don't know if the pain is steming from any of those problems.  I am however, extremely concerned.

I had frozen shoulder and arm, I had 3 nodes removed and I was sent to physical therapy and it was painful for a few and then it actually got better, I couldnt use my arm at first But PT really did the trick, I started by walking my arm up and down the wall, thank God it was back to normal in no time with pT. msphil(idc, stage 2, 3 nodes, L mast, chemo and rads and 5 yrs on Tamoxifen and by the grace of GODI am now 19 yrs this year Survivor.

I too developed frozen shoulder during PT after left mx/reconstruction. The setback was debilitating, getting worse and finally my PT refered me to an orthopedist.  That is what turned it all around for me.  I received a  corticosteroid injection in my left shoulder joint.  That did it, finally free from pain, my PT was able to perform stretching exercises using specific techniques to move the joint in all directions.  I now have full range of left arm movement although, I don't push it nor press weights at the gym.  Odd that my PS did not think the surgery was responsible and yet the Orthopedist and PT both said it was due to mx surgery trauma.