Thanks for the information. I am praying it is not in my or hubby's future. But I seem to be in the get everything category. Like my never ending shingles pain. Boy I wish someone would come up with a miracle cure for this lasting after effects pain.

You're welcome, raven. I've never had shingles, but several family members have, and they seem to be very painful. At least with a frozen shoulder the pain eventually subsides.

I hope you are doing much better now mamag!

I understand the one limb helping the other... I had surgery on my left lower leg in early Aug and often use my right leg to move my left one while in bed - still.

and I've gone thru the checking writing problem. my right hand often shakes and jerks and I drop things... and a number of times at the bank my pen flew out of my hand aimed at the teller. he finally told me he'd put my name in and I could just put an X or my initials by it. much safer for him.

now one of my 4 trigger fingers is acting up and very swollen, so again I'm limited in use of my right hand. for a week I couldn't even hold a pen to sign/send a BD card to my gson. so he got it a week late - and it looked like a kid's writing when they're first learning. I struggle to even read something I've written.

my left arm is weak from a fall about 7 yrs ago... man, I hope I never get this frozen shoulder thing - I'm almost out of limbs! but I'm gonna save what you wrote in case I get that feeling in a shoulder area so I can look it up and see if it applies and get to my doctor for it..

Would physical therapy help? Talk to your doctor.

desertsteph, thank you! My second frozen shoulder was a few years ago, and I've regained almost 100% range of motion. Let's face it, though, at 61 my range of motion is not what it used to be. ;)

jemdandy, my doctor gave me the choice, both times, to have PT at a facility, or to use a self-directed plan. I chose the self-directed PT regimen because I could follow it at home. It took a couple of months of diligent exercising to regain my normal range of motion.

If I've been working (painting, lifting boxes, yard work), I notice some popping in my shoulders when I stretch my arms, but other than that, I think I've recovered.

Thanks for the information. That sounds really painful and I'm glad you are regaining full use. I did something to my back, I think it was assisting with a lift of a patient at work, but I can't be sure. It's a weird pain, just on the right lower side. Today it's starting to affect my hip. Sigh, the fun of growing old(er)

Oh, yeah, the back is another issue--at my age, I've decided to be more careful in the future. sleeperblues, I hope your back pain is quickly resolved.

Frozen shoulders are more often seen in patients who are diabetic or have hiper/hopo thyroid problems. Blood sugar & thyroid levels should be checked with any new Frozen Shoulder DX.

I had this and didn't even know. My pilates instructor worked me through this and now I make sure to work it out and keep it in motion.

I had it for over a year, no fun at all!

I'd like to remind everyone that serious pain in the shoulder can be caused by a few different problems. I'm being treated for a shoulder impingement, extremely painful and debilitating but requiring different treatment than for a frozen shoulder.

Expert evaluation of the problem is necessary so that we get the correct physio for our individual situation.

That's true. I didn't mean to insinuate that it was caused ONLY from thyroid problems, but it's just something interesting I read. People with thyroid problems get all sorts of weird problems. But definitely, there can be other causes. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that exercises for range of motion are a definite help. Use it, or lose it.

dee, I agree....my physiotherapy, designed specifically for impingement, has been dramatically helpful. It wouldn't work for other shoulder problems.

I had 2 frozen shoulders about 6 months apart, one in each shoulder. I was barely in my 40s and even though my mother had had one and thyroid issues run in my family, I didn't make the connection with the first one. I was young and fit and thought the achy pain was because my shoulder exercises needed more oomph, so I amped up workouts. The pain got a lot worse. I read somewhere that a frozen shoulder is like a scab over a wound and too intense exercise is like peeling off the scab and delaying the healing process. I wish I would have saved that article because it helpful at the time.

My first frozen shoulder was formally diagnosed during the most intensely painful phase and I was given prescription pain medicine. I took it as directed and found no relief so stopped. I eventually found what worked for me and it healed in about 12 months. When the next shoulder started showing signs, I knew what to do and it lasted about 8 months.

It's a depressing period of time. To those going through it, I wish you the best as it's a very misunderstood condition. It also completely changes your day-to-day living. Even simple things like reaching for my seatbelt and putting on a bra were altered. Today my favorite stretch is lying on my back with arms at 10 and 2 o'clock, flat on the floor, because there was a time my arms couldn't do that.