Frozen shoulder

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Hi
Havent posted for a while i am two years down the road from mastectomy and 10 months after having a revision on the same scar, i have been suffering with pain in armpit and shoulder with stabbing pains feeling so uncomfortable, had to go back to wareing soft prothesis that i had when first came out of hospital i suffer with lymphdema as well saw consultant because i was getting worried, about feeling so bad after all this time, after having x rays she told me it was a frozen shoulder, done excersices but obviously wasnt enough i thought that my arm would never be the same as before, has any one else had this i feel pretty stupid. I am very impressed by how quick and the way in which i was seen was fantastic, rang my breast care nurse on monday saw consultant yesterday just wating for blood results on monday every pain i have i think is it somthing coming back again, hope to here from anyone

Angexx

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Hi Ange

I too have a frozen shoulder. I had WLE, ANC, Chemo and radiotherapy which finished in September last year. I developed the frozen shoulder half way through radiotherapy. I had months of physio, steroid injection and finally in July I had surgery. I am still struggling with pain and I am going back to see my consultant for a further steroid injection tomorrow. I have been told that a frozen shoulder after breast surgery is very common. I know this seems all negative but I was just talking to my physio today and she said it will eventually get better, I just have to be patient.

Viv x

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Hi Viv

thanks for that i am sorry you are suffering too somtimes you think will i ever feel normal again, glad you said it can be common after surgery’

Angexxx

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I had a frozen shoulder years ago. It’s not uncommon in middle age and older, and often no one knows for sure what causes it. In my case, it was probably a sequence of small things: a much longer drive than I was used to, plus things like heaving the family suitcases around on my own, being thrown forward while holding heavy bags and hanging on in a crowded bus, and so forth.

Physio really made all the difference, although I still have trouble reaching the middle of my back, and I went on doing some of the stretches whenever I felt stiff. I didn’t have a mastectomy, but I’ve still got some swelling and stiffness from WLE and node clearance nearly a year on (the previously frozen side, of course), so I got the DVD and I’ve resumed regular arm exercises, plus the ones on the DVD. Obviously you need to check with the physio or medical person if you have lymphoedema.

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I to had frozen shoulder, made me very miserable, very restrictive. Followed all physio, and swam as much as poss. Now 12 months on completley resolved, got full range of movement back, Never thought Iwould. Will never again think … . its just frozen shoulder, it is agony with knobs on

good luck, speedy recovery x

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when i had a frozen shoulder with barely any movement they gave me a cotizone injection better with in a couple of days.

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I’ve got a frozen shoulder at the moment. I had a steroid injection 10 days ago but sadly it didn’t make any difference so I’m waiting to have some physio. It’s come on in the last 7 weeks after rads which is so annoying because before then I’d got almost all my mobility back!

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Thank you all so much i am wating for physio to ring this afternoon, hopefully will be able to get a nights sleep.xxxx Ange

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I suffered from a frozen shoulder after a mastectomy too. Very unpleasant and painful. I insisted on an orthopaedic referral. The orthopaedic surgeon did a manipulation under anaesthetic which was very effective - the pain disappeared immediately, range of movement was massively improved immediately and now, 10 months later I have practically a full range of movement back.

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Hi, this is my first post. I had the first round of BC in 2008 and got a frozen shoulder and lost nearly all use of my arm. I had chemo then a LD flap operation followed by radio. It wasn’t until I had radio that the problem with my shoulder started.
I had a wonderful physio who did a lot of work in the hydro therapy pool with me. I didn’t have to have any steroids or any operation for this and after a lot of hard work got the movement back. I also went to aqua aerobics and went swimming. I believe that all the work in the water is what helped me.
Keep trying, it is worth it
Good luck

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I had a frozen shoulder for years after a neck injury in my 20s - the old treatment used to be immobilisation with a neck collar, which led to extensive arthritis in my spine. Some years later, I was offered physiotherapy - it sorted out a lot of my stiffness and the frozen shoulder went for ever.

Good luck.