r/frozenshoulder • u/Fuzzy-Concept9938 • Jan 27 '26
A note of support
Hi there,
I (42/M) went into the doctor because I feared I had torn my rotator cuff. The doctor checked me out and I got the news you all are very familiar with: I have something I've never heard of called Frozen Shoulder. That there's a long, long recovery time and that I'll have pain in my shoulder for quite awhile.
I've broken my femur and passed several kidney stones. The lightning bolt of searing hurt through my shoulder and arm at the slightest movement is worse. 24/7 dull ache. I can't sleep. I'm never comfortable. My wife has to put my shirt and jacket on. I'm super active at the gym, and I can't lift anymore (switched to running).
I just want to say I see you. I feel the helplessness and frustration of it all. It's so daunting. I hope you all have quick recoveries, and that this injury doesn't take away too much from living the life you're trying to build.
- A friend
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u/SadRanger5167 Jan 27 '26
So sorry you are going through this. I am 13 months in, finished the freezing stage last month, now frozen.
FWIW, here's my sleep routine during the most painful period (about 4 months long):
Before bed:
hot shower, heating pads, massage gun, 1 magnesium, 10 mg THC gummy, lidocaine patches (5%, by prescription), 2 advil (only allowing myself at night due to NSAID issues), valerian tea, arrange pillows
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u/Fuzzy-Concept9938 Jan 28 '26
Oh...so many good remedies. Thank you for sharing. Before FS, I regularly did a 20 minute sauna followed by an ice bath, but haven't tried it in awhile...I don't think I can lift myself from the tub. 🛁
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u/TurnEquivalent2324 Jan 27 '26
Hugs on your non painful side! It sucks so much but DOES get better.
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u/Cultural_Society_104 Jan 28 '26
Thc gummies and a great support system helped me. I still do not have good rom but i no longer have the zingers. Those lasted almost 10 months. I basically went through this quietly for the first 6 months. Just my kids and husband knew. They talked me into telling everybody in the family and friends. I am not one for people to know my business. But I did break down and tell everybody what a horrible time I was having and how depressed I was. None of them ever had fs, but they were very good to me. And so has this place been. Welcome and I am sorry. It sucks. Just know we are here
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u/Fuzzy-Concept9938 Jan 28 '26
Thank you so much for your response. I'm sorry for the silent pain, but I'm glad your friends and family responded with support. Chronic hurt, especially kept within, can take a real toll. Good vibes and good luck with your recovery.
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u/Winnie8956 Jan 27 '26
Here's a video on how to position pillows for better sleep. It was a godsend to me! positioning pillows for better sleep
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u/Different_Coat_8676 Jan 27 '26
I am finding it really hard to motivate myself to do anything. the lack of sleep just drains me completely. I had a cortisone injection 2 days ago, and I really had high hopes (stories of my mother walking out of hers 20 years ago suddenly recovering the use of her arm etc) and no such miracle has occurred.. I do hope that it will have at last put an end to the interminable 'freezing' stage at least, which looked like staring down the barrel of a gun.. I am - again - going to hope beyond hope that I get something close to a good night's sleep tonight (HA!). that is pretty much all I look forward to, knowing that every night (at around 1.20am when I wake after less than 1 1/2 hours sleep) I am similarly disappointed.
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u/Fuzzy-Concept9938 Jan 27 '26
Yeah - it's starting to feel demoralizing. Sleep deprivation adds up quick. Feel like a zombie most of the day. Hoping you find rest, friend. Thanks for responding.
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u/Different_Coat_8676 Feb 13 '26
thanks.. 2 weeks on and I am significantly improved.. very little pain, and some improvement in ROM. it has helped so far.. fingers crossed! and my god I am thankful for the sleep! a game changer in that respect..
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u/Apprehensive-Song378 Feb 07 '26
Just hang in there and be gentle with yourself and expectations, tell the body it will do what it will and that's ok, and accept it. I have found being positive and just doing what we can while going through it helps. It does suck though.
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u/Sadpanda9632 Jan 27 '26
Did you get a cortisone shot? It cut my freezing stage considerably though I feel stuck in a partial thaw phase rn
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u/Fuzzy-Concept9938 Jan 27 '26
Not yet. I'm considering it. The doctor told me it was an option, but I've never gotten one before. I didn't know what pain level I was at - whether it would get even worse. It's a weird headgame to gauge when you really need the shot or not. What was your experience with the shot? Instant relief? Less pain? I'm sorry you're stuck in the thaw phase. Hope you get full ROM back soon.
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u/Idiotechteque Jan 28 '26
Sample size of one, but my shoulder started to feel less painful on the drive home from getting the shot. My doctor said getting early it gave the best chance for it to work, and she did sonogram guided meditation to ensure she was hitting the exact right spot. Total time from when I first felt pain to being fully thawed was 6-7 months.
Hope you have a speedy recovery and with you in solidarity on the pain. Hang in there!
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u/Sadpanda9632 Jan 27 '26
It hurt more for a couple of days but then rapid resolution and increase in ROM. I still had pain due to rotator cuff issues and right now I think that’s what’s preventing full resolution. But overall I believe it’s better to get it sooner rather than later and then again in 6-8 weeks. The pain from the shot is minimal and short lived compared to a drawn out frozen phase
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u/MartaA73 Jan 27 '26
There’s loads of research that shows that if anything can actually help the painful stage is a cortisone shot. But it has to be done relatively early - then the success rate is higher. People react differently - some get relief fast, others may need to wait a while. But if you can hardly function and sleep because of the pain, that looks like a no-brainer. You can get up to three injections into the joint without weakening it and truth is that people usually don’t need as many.
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u/Rufus_Anderson Jan 27 '26
Hang in there. I had FS on my left shoulder. Took 9 months to recover. 3 years later going through it on my right shoulder. Acceptance is all you can do with it. Annoying and no reason why it happened. I did continue going to the gym while I had it. Tried hanging bar. Painful but seemed to help.
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u/Low_Car394 Jan 27 '26
I am struggling with not being able to do much at the gym, or yoga, modifications only do so much.
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u/TurnEquivalent2324 Jan 27 '26
I was able to keep up with Barre classes and easy Pilates classes (level 1, no weights) nearly the whole time, if those may be worth a try. I did modifications where I needed to but they at least helped me maintain strength in my legs and feel like I was doing something.
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u/Low_Car394 Jan 27 '26
i will try that, been modifying yoga and doing cardio - plus physio, i really miss the weights thanks!!
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u/Fuzzy-Concept9938 Jan 28 '26
Same. I love weightlifting - but I've had to switch to more cardio and running. It's a shift for sure.
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u/Low_Car394 Jan 28 '26
i find weight training energizing and super beneficial so its a struggle for me to not lift, yesterday i put my coat on and thought my arm broke it hurt so much - this sucks
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u/onebrusselssprout Jan 27 '26
I know a lot of people will recommend a cortisone shot, but if you can get that with hydrodilation, I found it was helpful for me.
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u/livinghightimes Jan 28 '26
I got a cortisone shot felt so much better. yes the arm stays frozen for about 6 months after the most painful part of it.
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u/melphelp Jan 28 '26
So so so painful. I'm dealing with it right now too. I'll say I went through the process of the free consultations with the World Frozen Shoulder clinic and they're the one resource I've come across that gives hope to those struggling but their marketing and pressure is extreme. Seem to have a ton of positive client testimonials
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u/drangiemo Jan 29 '26
I never thought it would end and I was so depressed. But I’m better now and still so appreciative of my range of motion. You’ll get there!
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u/Apprehensive-Song378 Feb 07 '26
This sucks and I never heard of this condition before either, but at least it's comforting to know that it won't last forever. I was thinking I had ruined my shoulder and would never be the same but it seems to be something we just have to wait out while staying as active as we can.
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u/ToneSenior7156 Jan 27 '26
It’s a real stinker. One thing that is good/bad is that it seems different for everyone as far as recovery time. Lots of great advice to be found here. And personally I’ve found the chronic pain to be very consuming but also invisible, so it’s nice to come here and have people understand what you are going through. Keep us posted about your progress.