Frozen Shoulder...It can get better

They gave me a pre-shot of novacaine or something to deaden the area first, so other than the short sting of the pre-shot, nope it didn't hurt.

My dr sprayed some cold stuff on my shoulder just prior to giving me the shot. I think it confuses the nerve endings. My shot did not hurt too much and it gave me lots of relief so I could get some sleep and do PT. I did have 3 shots over about 3 months before I got full range back. Good luck!

After surgery to repair a small rotator cuff tear, I developed frozen shoulder - twice!  Weeks of physical therapy did not help so under anesthesia I had a shoulder manipuation. Within 23 hrs the shoulder froze again!More physical therapy and another manipulation. Doctor said frozen shoulder often develops in thin women after an injury and from lack of movement. A glue like substance develops and glues the bone together.  All this was prior to breast cancer. Now after any type of surgery, as soon as I wake up I start moving shoulder so that it won't freeze.

In October 2012 I completed radiation treatment following surgery & Chemo.  Lots of nodes removed.

By January I could not move my arm and my shoulder hurt like heck.  After blood test and CT scans showed nothing It was suggested by my GP I consider a breast reduction to balance me out & relieve the pull on the shoulder.

After much snooping around I finally (Wed Jun 05) had an appoint with a RMT-(registered massage therapist) specializing in "Scar Thereapy".  Let me say this was an hour of pain.  It was no fun.  But today June 12 I can once again drive my car and reach out with my arm.  The RMT says in three visits my frozen shoulder and other complains should be history. 

Her explanation was that the scar tissue adhears itself to the skin & muscle. With her work she releases the scar from the skin and in breaking the scarred tissue up solves the pain ful problem or something like that

Please forgive me if I posted this before. I too had a frozen shoulder and say a physical therapist who had a degree in lymphedema as well as was an avid golfer...and he got my shoulder to be pain free...it hurt to the extreme during therapy, in fact, never for a moment did I believe it was going to work, but here I am, 2 years later, and pretty pain free. I would say the only thing i can't do is use an atm machine from a car. Can't get my arm at that angle, but that is minor..

Hello all, I'm sorry you have had to deal with so much. I had core biopsy in May of 2013. DX was IDC and DCIS. Lumpectomy will be In July followed by rad and hormone blockers. I have had on off pain on top of shoulder on same side as biopsy. Tumor is close to under arm area. Could there be a connection? Thanks for opportunity to post. Cheeka

My MUA in June helped for a bit, but after a few weeks it regressed and stopped responding to physical therapy. It actually dislocated once at PT (not while being actively stretched).  I'm scheduled for arthroscopic decompresion with adhesion release on 8/22. Has anyone had this? It is my lymph node side, so he will be using a knife rather than heat to cut the adhesions.

I had it and he also cleaned out some spurs and I felt much better within 24 hours! What relief! I failed PT too and was forced into having the duel procedure. Good luck!!!!!

My good side was once my bad side... Until I had surgery on it too! What worried me when my second shoulder froze, was that my formerly bad shoulder would be harmed by my bad shoulder. Before my second shoulder's surgery, my now good shoulder began aching. I was in a real pickle. Despite my first shoulder surgery's recovery being very protracted, my second shoulder's surgery recovery was a mere week or two... I wish you well!

steelersluver ~ For me, the first 2 to 3 days were really rough painwise, but after that it started to get a little better each day.  I think I started physical therapy about two weeks post-op, but I'm not sure about that.  It was very slow going, and there was a lot of passive exercise which was cool; it's not hard at all to just lie still and let the therapist do the work, lol!  

My doctor told me I could expect improvement for up to a year, and that has been true.  I'm nearly nine months out, and while I still have some pain/tightness and still have to do excercises, it is NOTHING like it used to be.  It's truly a different world.  The fact that I can use my right arm at all has made it all worthwhile, and it's getting better all the time.

I never thought I'd be happy to put away dishes in overhead cabinets, iron my husband's shirts, etc, but it's also small things like turning a doorknob without having my breath taken away by pain.  Seriously, my arm would feel like it was being just RIPPED out the socket, but now I open doors with the best of them.  Woot, woot, go me! 

I wish you well, and please feel free to PM me anytime.

Artemis

crystalphm ~ I'm so sorry you're having this pain again.  I hope the Celebrex helps soon and that the PT isn't too difficult.  

I worry about LE a lot, too. 

(((hugs)))

I had a frozen shoulder before my cancer.  Today I saw my RO for the first time and she says she can't do radiation until I can put my arm over my head.  I have 2-3 weeks to get it moving (like I haven't been trying for over a year - who would want to live with it like this?).  If I can't have radiation, they will have to take the rest of the breast.  Really scarry and a little unfair to put that kind of pressure on me.

Thanks for the encouragement. Got my cortisone shot today and start physio wednesday. I'm really determined to make this work.

An update for anyone who continues to have problems post shoulder surgery. I had an MUA in the summer for frozen should symptoms.  After no success with PT, I had ACDF in September, where they removed bone spurs, repaired a tear, severed adhesions, and took away some bone.  I started having substantial numbness of my arm during physical therapy afterward.  Ultimately, my oncologist ordered an MRI, which found I had multiple bulging discs in my neck and a herniated one at C5/6 which needed prompt surgery.  I'm almost 2 months out from surgery and just starting PT again.  The pain is much better, and finally there seems to be hope of getting these shoulders moving again! Just something to consider if you also have numbness...mention it to your doc!

shorty...sounds like you have cording, aka, axillary web syndrome....massaging helps ease the cording...I had it following my lumpectomy...