If you've read the other frozen shoulder pages on this website then you already know a great deal about frozen shoulder treatment. I'm sure that the knowledge you have gained is helping you to cope with your symptoms and I truly hope that you have found a doctor or therapist who has showed you how to find some pain relief.
But what if you haven't - or if you've gained only partial relief? Sometimes high quality support is hard to come by when you really need it most.
Are you afraid of what the future might hold?
Are you worried that there's just no end in sight? How would you cope with your life if this pain really did go on for another eighteen months? That's a whole year and a half of utter misery still to face ..... !
I've suffered from frozen shoulder too and I know exactly how grim it can be.
- Not sleeping properly at night and waking up grey with pain and exhausted:
I can sort that out for you with quick and simple tips
- Struggling to dress and undress without help:
My quick fix guide will get you functioning more smoothly
- Can't focus at work because of the pain and stiffness:
Been there, done that .... couldn't get the T shirt on ..... !
Believe me, I understand exactly the predicament you're in - and I promise to help you - so lets get started right now.
What follows are extracts of my best "top tips" on surviving your frozen shoulder until nature works her magic.
My award winning Shoulder Pain Survival Guide has all of these tips in much greater detail and a giant heap more besides. It's my pride and joy and I spent over six months creating it for you. I'm offering it for free download in the next few days - click the link below and check it out. I'm certain you'll love it.
But most important of all .... remember to stay positive - you will get through this and you will return to full normal function without pain or discomfort.
OK - read the rest of this page carefully - you might just find exactly the secret you need to unlock your own shoulder pain problem.
Here's my overview of living with a frozen shoulder: And don't forget - you can also make an appointment to come consult with me at my specialist shoulder clinic.
Physical Therapy for Frozen Shoulder
The aim of these treatments is to prevent any further
stiffness and regain range of motion. Both physiotherapists and osteopaths can provide this type of treatment - although each may do it slightly differently.
Keep your frozen shoulder warm
I know that it almost sounds too obvious but it
works! Use warm or hot compresses (or buy a heating pad) and use it over
your shoulder four or five times a day for fifteen minutes at a time.
It also works well applied in your armpit - the warmth travels up into
the shoulder.
Many of my frozen
shoulder patients have also found great relief - particularly at night -
by using a heated pad or thermal blanket. I think the Thermophore Automatic Moist Heat Pack
is a good example of this type of product and I wouldn't hesitate to
recommend it. There are other similar products available - theTherabeads
Moist Heat Collar
for example , and a range of other inexpensive options, some of which
you simply heat in the microwave before use.
My top tip of the moment however is to use an infrared heat lamp -
this provides wonderful penetrating heat and healing that will really
soothe your shoulder and make living and sleeping much easier.
Sleep with an extra pillow
No - not for your head, but under your shoulder
on the affected side. Loss of sleep at night makes it much harder to
cope with pain during the day and if you roll onto the painful shoulder
when asleep you will wake up in pain. Sleep on your back with the extra
pillow under your sore shoulder.
Try the
Good N Bed Adjustable Wedge or theMediflow Waterbase Pillow - which is
particularly good if you have both neck and frozen shoulder pain.
Massage helps a frozen shoulder
The pain of frozen shoulder comes from the joint but the surrounding muscles can become very tired and tense. Massage can produce good short term relief of pain. A family member, a friend or professional masseur could help with this. More than one of my previous patients have written to me about theHeat Wave Thermal Massager and swear by how effective it is for them.
Use dietary supplements for frozen shoulder
Natural products like glucosamine or fish oils
have been shown to ease joint pains and stiffness. Some herbal remedies
have pain relieving properties. This does not work for everyone but
might be worth a try for your frozen shoulder pain.
I have had particular success recently with products based on honey bee venom.
A new section on the range and effectiveness of these products will
soon be added to this website - so check back soon if you are
interested. The use of honey bee venom is based on the long-known fact
that bee keepers (who often get stung) very rarely develop arthritis or
problems with their joints and muscles.
Now - the braver amongst you (not including me I hasten to add)
might volunteer for traditional "bee sting therapy" where you are
subjected to repeated stings from a succession of bees held in tweezers!
Most of us would feel more comfortable simply applying the bee
sting venom in the form of a balm to be rubbed into the painful or stiff
area. In truth, I was a bit sceptical about all of this at first, but a
large number of my patients have had great benefit from its use and I
recommend you give it a try if you are interested. It's certainly a very
natural way to obtain pain relief.
If you would like more information about using Bee Venom Balm then click on the link. Well worth a look - if you do try it then please give me some feedback by email.
Buy or borrow a TENS machine
TENS - or trans cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a good and safe way to induce pain relief and some muscle relaxation. It works by stimulating the skin nerves and thus encourages the brain to pay less attention to the incoming pain signals from the joint. It doesn't seem to work for everyone but may be well worth a try.
Strap or support the arm from time to time
If your shoulder is in the frozen stage then
support from a simple strap can be of great value. Be careful of
strapping too much in the other phases of the condition. You may simply
encourage the shoulder to stay stiff for longer.
Consider short term medication to improve sleep
People are naturally concerned about becoming
dependent on sleeping medication - justifiably so. But for short term
use there is no risk of dependency or addiction. Consider asking your
doctor for a sedative medication if your frozen shoulder is stopping you
from sleeping well.
Remember - you can read much more about the above advice and explore things in much greater depth when you download my Frozen Shoulder Survival Guide.
Elsewhere on this site:
What is frozen shoulder? Who gets frozen shoulder pain? Diabetics and frozen shoulder pain Diagnosing frozen shoulder
Frozen Shoulder Investigations Frozen Shoulder Treatment Tips for living with shoulder pain and frozen shoulder
Treating frozen shoulder Frozen shoulder injection Frozen shoulder therapy Acupuncture for frozen shoulder
Frozen shoulder surgery Alternative treatments for frozen shoulder Frozen shoulder medication Recovery from frozen shoulder Rotator cuff exercises