Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

About 3 weeks ago I went down with a frozen shoulder. Thanks to the cortezone injection everything is moving ok although it's still sore.

I start physio on Thursday so hopefully that will get me back on the right tracks but has anyone else suffered from this as the NHS website says the recovery time can be 18 months to 2 years and longer in some cases

My wife had frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I can confirm that the recovery time can be as long as you state. Frozen shoulder can be painful and severely limit mobility.

My only advice: Follow the advice of your PT and do your exercises religiously and stay active.

Best wishes and hope you have a speedy recovery.

Joe

Thanks very much for the best wishes.

I'm not too bad at the moment - I did have only a few inches of movement when it went but I'm pretty normal now, although I do wonder if the frozen bit will re-occur.

I haven't been in the water since it happened and I'm not sure whether to risk it - I'll ask the Physio on Thursday.

I'm also wondering whether I ought to go and see my osteopath incase he can help too.

With your free healthcare, I'd see everyone.

Mike Fernandez wrote:With your free healthcare, I'd see everyone.

LOL

sadly, the osteopath is something I have to pay for privately

Knee-boarder I had the same thing happen to me
the shot will wear off it is like a band aid
go to your PT no ortho doc needed
you will be out of the water for a while I missed all last winter

hope this helps
peace my kneelo bros

Thanks for the heads up about the injection. Someone at work said a similar thing having had 4 injections in a year.

Well, here's hoping the physio works well and the injection lasts long!

Sorry to hear about your frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder is the layman's term for adhesive capsulitis. Ofter times what is called frozen shoulder may be just a case of bad bursitis or tendonitis. True frozen shoulder involves the joint capsule which becomes inflamed and very painful. This is the first stage. This stage can last weeks and is very painful. Soon the shoulder begins to lose motion. This is the freezing or second stage. The shoulder can be so painful and stiff that you can't get your wallet out of your back pocket with your sore shoulder. Forget about swiping your butt with that hand for a while. This freezing stage can last months.
If you got the cortisone injection and have full motion, you may not have true adhesive capsulitis. Be thankful if that is the case. Like you read, in true frozen shoulder the whole healing process can take months to over a year. You may still be able to paddle once it enters the third or "thawing" stage. Not as sore but lost of full motion/stiff. Especially rotation motions and lifting arm to side and up (abduction). If you get your arm twisted the wrong way in a wipeout, you may see stars in the day time or feel a need to scream. The PT can help teach you stretching exercises. Go slow, low to moderate force and be regular, unless you like pain.
True frozen shoulder does not require surgery, but some orthopods will recommend manipulation under anesthesia if your motion is not coming along with PT. It is not life threatening or permanent. Just takes a while.
Good luck.

thanks again for the extra info, it's all useful to know.

i've had each shoulder frozen, both took about a year to get close to full motion back

So how do otherwise healthy kneeboarders with no shoulder issues avoid developing "frozen shoulder", since it sounds like no fun whatsoever and can put you out of the water for a considerable amount of time?

Have yet to experience 'frozen shoulder' . Sounds painful

Closest I've come to it is my wife gives me the cold shoulder every now and again

Kia Kaha

Try to find a physiotherapist who is competant in Trigger Point Therapy
You can do it yourself. The physio can show you, or you can buy The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies.
>In the mid-90's, a physio in Christchurch treated me & showed me how to do trigger point therapy for crippling RSI. It works for all sorts of myofascial pain.
>Davies, the author, came to trigger point therepy for his own frozen shoulder. I got my book 2nd hand from Amazon several months ago, so it's available.

Hey Scott. if you healthy, happy and keep it safe and balanced, I wouldn't worry about getting frozen shoulder. Primary adhesive capsulits is idiopathic (they don't really know the cause for sure) but people with diabetes, auto immune type arthritis, strokes, breast cancer, open heart surgery can have a higher likelihood. I also believe that prolonged severe stress can also make you more prone to frozen shoulder from your metabolism being screwed over by the stress hormones always in your system.
Secondary adhesive capsulitis can come from long term immobilization after trauma or surgery. Like a fracture right in the shoulder joint, or massive RC repair surgery followed by immobilization.
Once you have adhesive capsulitis the pain can lead to a mess of trigger points forming in the muscles of your shoulder girdle, neck, upper back. For that trigger point therapy mentioned by kneelogrl would help a lot.

So keep kneeboarding to be happy, healthy and low stress.

That's comforting and great advice, Day. Glad you got back to my question, as I was afraid it might go ignored. You sound like you're actually in the medical profession pretty deep--is that your career?