Topic: I have a frozen shoulder ...

[Trevor_D]

You don't have to be referred to a chiropractor - just make an appointment. They all have to be registered, so you shouldn't end up with a fake one. But - as with most things - if you can find someone to recommend one, all the better. They all have slightly different techniques, so some might suit you better than others. And they should take an x-ray before they do too much. Also, if it's something they can't treat, they will tell you.

We've been going to ours for over 30 years. My wife was threatened with life in a wheelchair before she started with him. (Yesterday, having spent an hour and a half walking the dogs through the woods, we went to the allotment where she spent two hours strimming!)

Go! I can't recommend them highly enough.

[grannyjanny]

The lady I see is a McTimony chiropractor which is the gentlest form of manipulation. I like Trev can't praise her enough. I tripped up in February & landed on my knee. The pain was getting worse so GP sent me for an xray. Of course the answer was arthritis. By chance in bed I put pressure on the knee cap & the pain went. My lovely lady saw me that afternoon & sure enough the knee cap was out of place. I'm going to have physio because the residual pain is from holding the knee cap in the wrong place.

[Mr Smith]

Having a similar problem my self which was brought on by sleeping in a funny position on our hols in the caravan, my Doctor said that it will settle down in six weeks time, I've already been to to the Chiropractor but he was a bit reluctant to do anything, I'm more annoyed about having to cancel my Snowdon trip but I'm still digging the lotty, :)

[pumkinlover]

I do not think you can say a physio or chiropractic is better or worse.
Advanage of chiropractor is you get to see one straight away- as you are paying! Each are individuals.

[Linnea]

There are private Physio's too.
I see a sports massage thereapist - eases the muscles when I've done too much - but there are physios in the same practice and having been refered (by the massage therapist) with the last injury can heartily recommend them.

I think the major point is to find someone you're comfortable with, which is not necessarily the first person you see, if you're going private. not sure you ahve much of a choice on the NHS

[Carol]

When I injured myself initially I went to the Chiropractor but a froz\en shoulder is a muscle/tendon problem so he referred me to the sports physio.  I cannot thank that lady enough for relieving my pain.  I will repeat myself by saying  do not use a COLD compress.  It is Heat you need to relax the inflamed muscles.   Those heat pads you can now buy at all supermarkets/chemists are brilliant for this kind of pain.  Well they did help in my case and also gave me a nights sleep.  Hope you have got something sorted for yourself today Sam.

 :-*

[SamLouise]

Thank you again for your informative and helpful messages.  Such a great place for advice and support is A4A :)

I have indeed booked an appointment with a chiropractor. I called this morning and good news too - the Chiropractic Clinic is based about a fifteen minute walk from where I live! Nearly fell off me chair when he told me how to find it (then I'd have booked in a bad back too! ;D)  He asked me a fair few questions including how long I'd had it, what the doc had done about it (that didn't take long to explain, lol!) which tablets I was given and a little info on the movement I have and don't have.  Told him I'd attempted a couple of sessions of swimming (round in circles, mostly) Asked me how I slept, how much I moved about in bed (I said, ooooo, no matron, don't be nawty) had I had an injury that I can remember - any little thing, etc etc.  As the first appointment is around half an hour, he's squeezed me in for tomorrow morning at 11.30. I feel nervous, isn't that silly?  He said I've to expect discomfort and some pain ... I said I already have that so if it's going to be for the greater good, I'll put up with more ;D He told me how much the sessions will be (but I forgot to ask how long, lol) and it was a much more reasonable figure than I'd read about on the internet. Is it ok to say how much it is? (as long as you don't all write back and say your sessions were £20 cheaper!! ;D)

Anyway, enough waffling but just wanted to let you all know as you'd been so kind & quick with your advice and pointing me in the right direction.  Haven't done the hot/cold treatment tonight; thought I may as well wait and see what he says tomorrow to be sure :)

Goodnight  :-* :)

[lorna]

Good luck for today Sam. Hope you get some relief from the pain.

[grannyjanny]

Hi Sam, hope you had a good night. It won't be like toothache will it though & go away now you have an appointment ;D.
I pay £39 for about 30 minutes, sometimes a bit more, we do chat a lot & I take her seeds & plants. Never miss an opportunity ;). I've seen her for 10 years now, 9/11 was my first appointment. My lady was a radiographer but when she had the children she wanted to work from home.
Good luck, we await your report.

[Grandma]

Hi SamLouise,
So glad you have been able to find a local practioner who can see you straight away. Had a chat with my daughter and she asked me all the questions the chiropractor asked you - most of which I couldn't answer!
Please let us know how you get on, we're all wishing you well and keeping our fingers crossed. xxx

[saddad]

Hope you are sorted out soon... :)

[grawrc]

Good luck for this morning, Sam. I don't suppose it will miraculously disappear but I do hope it eases some of the pain. xx

[busy_lizzie]

Hi Sam, Poor You!! It is a very miserable thing a frozen shoulder. I too have suffered, and after an appointment with the physio at my doctors, which was unsatisfactory I too went to a chiropractor.  She was absolutely brilliant and really helped me. I hope yours will do the trick too, as I think you have made the right choice by seeking one out. It can be expensive but can make such a difference to your health. One of the exercises I was given by mine was to do the breast stroke swimming movement. Just stand up with feet slightly apart on the floor and start as low as you can with the movement, gradually working your way higher. It really loosens you up and you can be as gentle as you want to be and go as far as you are comfortable. Good luck with it, and we hope to hear better news from you soon. love, busy_lizzie

[SamLouise]

Well .... it all went well I think.  We had quite a long chat about it and he seems to feel it's a problem with the rotator cuff, not a frozen shoulder.  Gave me lots of advice, asked me lots of questions and spent half an hour doing a bit of manipulation and massage (I don't like neck manipulation one little bit!) He said the muscles in my back and shoulders are ridiculously taut (sp?) which would contribute to but is not the cause.  Oh my gosh, every time he tried to massage the back or top of my shoulders I just winced and yelped :-[ I told him to ignore me and just push on, LOL!  He thinks as I can't lift my arm up sideways more than 20 degrees that there might be a deeper problem which will be investigated via my GP if there's no response to his treatment after four sessions. 

Just as a point of interest, he said that as there's obviously a lot of inflammation going on in there that hot treatment is a definite no for me.  Cold treatment only.  He also said that alternating between hot and cold for injuries like this is a bad idea as apparently is causes the 'debris' inside to start moving around.  I was told to give up trying to swim (I thought I was helping my shoulder by trying to get some motion going, oops :-[ :-\) and between now and next Tuesday I've to dedicate some time each day for shoulder rotations backwards and forwards to try and loosen up a bit.  Apparently I can still attend the physio appointments (if they ever arrive) as he said treatments between physio and chiro very rarely clash and the more help the better :)

I didn't feel tender at the time but a couple of hours later I was quite uncomfortable - but I don't care because I'm on the mend! ;D ;D
 

[grannyjanny]

Great news Sam. I've been known to have acupuncture for the pain from a chiropractic appointment ;D ;D ;D. Now that is wimpish ::).

[pumkinlover]

Glad feeling a bit better, neck and shoulder problems are so demoralising. Every little movement seems to make it sore, give me back ache any time instead!

[Trevor_D]

When you have the treatment, it's only relief. It's later that day, or the next morning, you feel fragile.

Neck crunching is lovely. But you've got be participating, not just having it done to you. (You'll understand what I mean after a few sessions.) You can feel the tension being released.... When I had it really bad, he had to do each disc in turn from the top down.

[Borlotti]

I still think you should go back to the doctor and get it checked, if it as painful as mine was the othopath wouldn't treat it, and I am sure he made it worse when I first went, and it was only sore, and it cost me £40 a session.  The only thing that sorted me out was the doctor and the injection into my shoulder.  I know that your shoulder might be different from what I had, but my opinion for what it is worth, is go back to the doctor, and I don't like doctors as a rule, but you really need to get this sorted.

[Ellen K]

Just a word of caution - be very careful about chiropractic neck manipulation as it has been reported that it's linked to stroke.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirostroke.html

[SamLouise]

I'm just touching back on this with an update as so many people were nice enough to offer advice.

Well, it's been three months since the initial pain started and after four visits to the doctors, three visits to the chiropractor and one (so far, got another this Thurs) visit to a physiotherapist ... I'm in more pain than ever and made no progress whatsoever.  Popping pain killers like sweets, particularly yesterday for some reason.

Last week I wrote a stern letter to my doc and told him that I felt the handling of my injury was not good at all and I wanted some help!  I saw him last night (understandably he was not happy with the words in my letter, being a page and a half long an all ... lol) I took my husband for back up, LOL!! But I stood my ground and told him that my right arm is now near on useless - and how had this been allowed to happen, risking permanent damage, yadda yadda. 

Anyway, to cut a very long story short, he contradicted himself all over the place.  The ultra sound I have booked for next Tuesday won't show anything (he sent me for it) Physio won't help it (he put me forward for it - even though I'm still waiting for the NHS physio after nine weeks and paying privately!) and I shouldn't have bothered with Chiro as it's not that sort of injury (????) But he jabbed me in a different place this time for some relief, which thankfully seems to have worked somewhat for today so I'm trying to move it as much as possible and then he said ... it looks as if it's going to have to be referred to ortho and probably an operation for it to be put right!!  He said they usually put a patient under a general anaesthetic and then wrench it free (yes, my toes also curled when he said it!!) I just feel pretty crushed really because I'm sure if he'd acted fast enough before it became this bad, I could have gotten better  :'(

Btw, the chiro gave me the boot after three sessions, saying that what he was doing obviously wasn't working because I didn't gain any more range in motion.  I just felt that three sessions was a bit quick, I wish he'd persevered a bit longer but obviously as the pro, he knew best.  I'm giving physio a shot anyway because I feel I've got nothing to lose and something to gain.

So many thanks to those who posted up helpful advice and tips.  Especially thanks to GrannyJ, Borlotti & Carol for the supportive and helpful PMs :-*

I shant be around much on A4A from now on as using a computer causes me quite a lot of pain after 15+ mins.  At work, as I have to use one (thankfully only three days a week) I've switched to using my left hand - well, that takes some getting used to, let me tell you, LOL!!