I, too, have had bilateral frozen shoulders, but at different times. I had PT to help with stretching & healing, but the most helpful was when they massaged deep in the underarm area. I worked diligently with the PT, did my home exercises & it eventually resolved. They also did electric stim and ultrasound as well as heat & ice during PT

I have read that they will resolve even w/o intervention, but it can take a year or so. My sympathies to you...so not fun!

Raggiemom, I fell a couple years ago against a door frame. I could move it, so didn't think it was broken or any damage had occurred. But, as the months went on, my arm became harder and harder to lift. Five months later, I could hardly move it. Of course, I thought moving it was bad and keeping it still was good. I learned that isn't so.

X-rays didn't show anything, so I went to PT. I also had some big relief (a few days later) with the deep underarm massage. It didn't feel good while she was doing it, but I quickly learned that the relief later was wonderful in places and asked her to do it again the next time I went back. Ice is best for inflamation, heat can make it worse. So I used ice a lot, but only for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

After about 3 months of PT I was not getting better, so my physical therapist thought an MRI was in order. It showed that not only did I have frozen shoulder (medical term is adhesive capsulitis), but a tear that was separated could be seen. If a tear is still attached it usually can heal itself. But if it is separated, the only way to correct it is by surgery.

So, almost a year afer my fall, I had surgery to repair the tear, to free up the frozen shoulder and to do what they could to help with some of the inflamation (I had a lot and the doctor told me it could take a year for my body to reabsorb it). The shoulder, I was told, is the hardest joint to get back to normal, and 7 months post op I am almost perfect. Inflamation still bothering me, and I can't reach perfectly, if you look closely, but I am so different from where I was. It takes work and patience, knowing it won't happen over night is a must, but it will happen.

If you don't have a tear, from what I understand, it can come back on it's own, with or without help (I would suggest help, it's easier knowing the proper way to move). If you do have a tear, you may need more help. Keep it moving the right way. Do a search on frozen shoulder, you will learn a lot.

I wish you well. Keep us posted.

raggiemom, did it ever get better? I went to see a chiropractor today and he said that's what I have. He said I needed a massage therapist to work it out and to do special exercises 3 times a day, ice before & after.
Any other suggestions?

I got book "Frozen Shoulder Workbook" by Claire Davise, and am doing trigger points massage,as shown in the book, it helps. Besides that I am really studying the muscles involved in FS with the help of internet. That allows me to perform better massage on myself. I also have PT for 2 months already. Altogether have FS for 6 months.
My scapula starts unfreesing, capsula needs more time.
After therapy I mostly can sleep whole 7 hours without waking, on the other days the night is hellish, broken into incriments of 2, 3 hour sleep with hours in between spent trying to eliminate pain. I am hopeful, that in a couple of months I'd be greatly inproved. I take Ibuprofin, St. Jphn's Wart, Echinacea sometimes, and lately Turmeric, Chemomile tea, Green tea. Also noticed thateating cheese helps, apparently it relaxes muscles.

Its a year now that I have had mine. Its getting better but its still there. I quit going to the Dr and taking anything for it. It never did any good. It just has to work its way out in time.
Get some 2 lb dumbells and work your arms with them, that seems to be helping me.

i had it. i looked up 'simple' excerises on youtube, and did them twice a day, gently. i have no sign of it now.

I had this in my right arm, and I'm left handed. It hurt so bad, every little movement of my arm was excruciating. My GP doctor said to try PT, and I did, and it hurt so much I was in tears immediately and quit going. I finally went to an orthopaedic doctor who injected my shoulder several different times in different places in that area. It eventually went away, but I think it took about a good year. It was unbelievable. I slept in a lounge chair, because if I slept in a bed, and moved the arm to roll over or whatever, it was excruciating pain me for. I was in tears so many times. What a weird syndrome. I had never heard of it before until I got it myself. I also had it start on my other arm years after that, and had it injected right away. So it never developed into a true frozen shoulder, thank goodness.

steelskies, I'm happy you found a solution. :) Arum

If you catch it early enough steroid injections can work but it has to be before the adhesions start forming. Steroid injections themselves cause problems themselves and I avoided them, found out later that when they did the manipulations to break the adhesions, they actually gave me 2- 3 in the shoulder area. Although I have full range of motion now, I still get that same achy feeling if I overdue anything that has my arms raised above my head for any length of time. Window washing is one thing that really bothers me as is hanging Christmas lights or decorations.