Type 1 and Frozen Shoulders

[Ladybirdy75]

Morning :-D. Whist I'm sitting here reading through all the different topics it's just occurred to me to ask if there are any other T1's out there with a frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)? BOTH of mine are frozen, which is an absolute bind. My right shoulder has been frozen for 4 years (!!!!!) is in the "frozen" phase (painful but not massively so but big restriction to range of motion) and my left shoulder is in the very painful "freezing" phase and has been for 1 year (again big restrictions on range of motion). I've been through physio, paid £££'s for chiropractor, had the steroid shots did nothing) a couple of times and have considered having surgery on them. For a T1, my chiropractor told me, it can take up to 7 years to "thaw" as opposed to up to 2 for the average person. It is more common in women over 40 with immune diseases, heart disease being a risk factor. I have both plus the other few things NHS choices tells you about it.

I'm a positive person and although i have T1 and heart disease it's these pesky frozen shoulders that cause me grief and bring me down. When will it ever end lol??

I've also had surgeries for trigger finger on 4 of my fingers and now have dupuytrens discs/contracture.

 

[noblehead]

I'll tag @himtoo as he was saying earlier today that he has a frozen shoulder.

 

[Bill166]

I have 2 frozen shoulders as well. From what I've read, this affects approx 20% of 40-something T1's, far more than the general population. I've been doing physio for 3 years and regained most of the movement, but it's still a struggle sometimes. Working on it.

 

[Flowerpot]

Hi @Ladybirdy75

You have my sympathy, frozen shoulder pain is agonising and really restricts doing normal things.I've had 2 frozen shoulders that have gone on for years, I had MUA -Manipulation under Anaesthetic- on them both some years back and it helped a little but they both froze again and it is such a nasty pain especially if you accidentally knock or jar them.

A few years ago I had capsular release on them both and the affected areas cleaned out under general anaesthetic and although it was agony having them both done together this operation helped considerably. They are now a lot less painful and I do have a better range of movement. I still have to put my jacket on in and odd way to get both arms in and I'll never be any good at throwing anything but the relief from the second operation was well worth it.

It is a very long drawn out process and although I was reluctant to have surgery it was the only thing that helped me improve. Good luck, I hope you can find a treatment that helps you.

 

[zjed]

I had frozen shoulders about 7 years ago. I eventually had the joints injected with some fluid to free them up. At the time I had no idea it was related to diabetes. It took a few months to clear after the injections but now I have full functionality and no pain.

 

[himtoo]

Hi @Ladybirdy75
blimey -- what a bind having both at once -- I have had mine freeze at different times over the years but never at the same time. Peeps that don't have it don't know just how painful it is. I too went for physio that did not help much.
I suppose though that each time I have had one it has never lasted more than 2 years.

I am currently going to see a physio for an issue thatis not a frozen shoulder but a broken one
I broke it in february and as I was lying on the ground after tripping in a broken grid in a supermarket car park I said to my wife
"this feels exactly like my frozen shoulder" -- did not know it was broken until about 3 hours later.

my physio is excellent to be fair and she mentioned a procedure that can be done on frozen shoulder whereby a mixture of steriod , saline water and local anaesthetic are injected . apparently results are quite good.
I can find out the doctors name if you want ( he is in manchester ) --I can ring my physio next wednesday.

have had the trigger finger release done on 5 fingers too

 

[Dodo]

I've had frozen shoulders for years although over time they do ease up. I was told by my physiotherapist that it is quite common in diabetics as 90% of his patients were. Also recently had op for trigger thumb.

 

[andybee]

I've only been diagnosed with type 1 for 2 1/2 years but have had various degrees of frozen shoulders for at least five years; I just put it down to middle age and doing a job that infrequently requires huge amounts of heavy lifting. I have had a trigger thumb for at least twenty years but it only happens when I get angry or frustrated. Didn't realise that there was any link with diabetes. Does anyone have any links they could post to research/stats to this link, would be very interested to see. thanks

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi I have two frozen shoulders, first one was the left about 11 years ago, had physio and a corisone injection for that one, then the right, a few years now. I have restricted movement in both, but luckily no great pain, but, just below my right shoulder I have pain, sometimes very painful and it has me jumping about, feels like someone is pushing in a sharp stick into the area, then releasing it
Take care RRB

 

[Daibell]

Hi. My wifew had 3 frozen shoulders (yes, one unfroze after 1-2 years then came back for another year. For adhesive encapsulitis steroid injections will be a waste of time as they have no effect on a shrunk capsule. Sadly there is no real treatment and surgery is a lottery. My wife's consultant prescribed amitriptyline for the pain and it worked well; co-codamol was a waste of time.

 

[Ladybirdy75]

Wow! Thanks for your replies guys. I'm so sorry you've all had the same experiences and it's very interesting to hear some of you also have or have had problems with trigger fingers/thumbs too. Am thinking there must surely be a link with T1 and tendons?! Interestingly i also had plantar fasciitis for a year in my left foot (horrid pain) and limped all the time. I eventually found changing my footwear to shoes with a strap/bar across the middle front of the foot rather than stupid little fashion pumps got rid of it in the end.

Andybee; it would be so interesting to see stats. Not that it will help in sorting the shoulders out but just by this post alone there's a few of us who've experienced frozen shoulder so there must be lots more out there?!



Himtoo: sorry to hear about your fall and broken shoulder!! I'm going to be referred back to the local orthopaedic hosp for it soon so will ask about that injection. I'd rather that than surgery.

Flowerpot: lol i have to put my jacket and coats on in an odd way too. I feel like an idiot in public when I'm struggling with sleeves.

 

[RuthW]

Yes, mine froze one after the other. The first was screamingly painful, the second not so bad, and yes it took years for them to get completely better - I think about 5 years for me. It took more than a year for the pain to completely go, then more years to get the range of motion back. I had no treatment at all, no physio etc. I took a few painkillers when it was at its worst.

I eat quite a lot of peppers and used to find that every time I ate them, the pain increased, so I avoided them for a while. But eventually, as the pain subsided I decided I was in more pain from boring food. So I started eating them again. Oddly, around the same time some research was reported as saying that peppers were somehow good for shoulder pain and injuries (it was a proper academic paper, not a snake-oil website), so.... All I did was eat peppers and I'm better. I have 95% range of movement in one shoulder (but still improving) and 100% in the other. I have 3 sisters - none of them diabetic - who also all got frozen shoulder. There's definitely some genetic thingy there.

 

[Daphne917]

I'm Type 2 and have just started physio for my frozen shoulder.

 

[Ladybirdy75]

RuthW: wow! So i guess with my right shoulder on it's way to it's 5th year being frozen i guess I'm in for a long ride!! Since my heart attack I've increased my veggie intake including a lot more peppers, will be interesting to see what happens. I gave up on the physio ages ago as i felt it actually made things worse, i now just try and keep my range of motion by doing my own exercises. I haven't been able to get either arm/hand behind my back at all but I've noticed these last few days that i can get my right slightly further back than before. Could this be the big thaw ????!!!! lol

It's during the night that it really bugs me as the pain wakes me up seemingly every 5 mins.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I've had frozen shoulders for years although over time they do ease up. I was told by my physiotherapist that it is quite common in diabetics as 90% of his patients were. Also recently had op for trigger thumb.

It's also more common in females. Here's a link.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Frozen-shoulder/Pages/Causes.aspx

 

[Ladybirdy75]

I'm Type 2 and have just started physio for my frozen shoulder.

How are you finding physio Daphne917? I personally found it made my right shoulder worse so i stopped after around a year. I haven't bothered with any for the left shoulder not had any steroid injections in it.

Hope yours resolves a lot faster than mine are taking. :-D

 

[Ladybirdy75]

It's also more common in females. Here's a link.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Frozen-shoulder/Pages/Causes.aspx

Hi RRB, yes that's one of the ones I've read too. In my own experience I've only ever known women have it too. I have quite a few of the risk factors mentioned so i guess that's my link to having it. Boooooo ;-)

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi RRB, yes that's one of the ones I've read too. In my own experience I've only ever known women have it too. I have quite a few of the risk factors mentioned so i guess that's my link to having it. Boooooo ;-)

It is a pain, I can get both my arms behind my lower back and that's it, with me I find the more I do the better it is, painting, wallpapering etc. It is difficult at times, but I won't give in to it Have you looked for self help home remedies on line ? as that might be beneficial. Take care RRB

 

[Croc]

Im type 2 and have 2 frozen shoulders. The right for about 5 years and the left for less. The left is a lot better than it was and I have most of the movement back though not all. The right is a killer. I can't write more than a sentence or two as my whole arm hurts but I can type. Was very annoying not being able to swim when I was on holiday recently.

 

[Robinredbreast]

How are you finding physio Daphne917? I personally found it made my right shoulder worse so i stopped after around a year. I haven't bothered with any for the left shoulder not had any steroid injections in it.

Hope yours resolves a lot faster than mine are taking. :-D

I had physio at the hospital on the left shoulder years ago with exercises to do at home and that really helped me, but I haven't bothered with the right one, but have mentioned it to GP in the past.