MY FROZEN SHOULDER JOURNEY - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment - What's working, what didn't! 

Frozen shoulder is the worst!! I would say it took me two-three years to recover. An occupational therapist helped me so much. I went twice a week for 6 months. The stretching at therapy was awful. I wouldn’t wish frozen shoulder on anyone! I never thought it would get better, but it did. So to anyone suffering with it, have hope!

Beautiful and kind Kerry-Lou, hello! I am 59 years old. Аnd I suffer from frozen shoulder, 11 months. I understand you completely. I went through 6 corticosteroid injections and lots of physical therapy. You are a charmer for me with your smile. My orthopedist said, "NO shoulder surgery! It often gets worse..." I need shoulder exercises. I'm trying to avoid pills now. Thanks for sharing the experience to seek acupuncture, but I am in a small mountain town in Bulgaria and it will be difficult. I love you so much, Kerry-Lou. I am rewatching your videos because you are stylish and very charming. Be healthy, take care! I give you a hug! Rumi

I had a frozen shoulder for several months - at about age 60. My doctor said there was no known cause, but PT is what cured me. It took a few months. I wish you the best outcome; mine is completely healed. I never received an injection - the pain was significant - but continued PT really restored me. I hope acupuncture is helpful to you!❤❤❤

I joined a restorative yoga class which focuses on good stretching. It has been a game changer for me.

I especially love these "less glamorous" practical quality-of-live videos. This is the substance of timeless wise women .... please keep sharing your life journey and the secrets no one else speaks about. Love you!

I’m in the uk and had frozen shoulder gradually set in from January this year 2024 mine was so bad I was unable to work , I drive an Hgv for a living, so had no choice, for safety reasons. It is incredibly important to keep stretching the shoulder joint throughout the phases as much as you can tolerate. I opted for capsular release surgery, basically it slingshotted me along the road to recovery, as I needed to get back to work , as I needed to be earning money again. I’m not saying the surgery performed on me is the answer for everyone, and with physical therapy this condition will improve over time, but it is a long journey and for me I can honestly say I have around 90% of my movement back and it continues to improve with Physiotherapy. Good luck to everyone with this condition, it is truly debilitating, but it will improve whatever route you choose.

So sorry you're going through this. I too have frozen shoulder. Saw there doctors, first one seemed to say, it would go away, no x ray, nothing. Second did MRI said surgery, third said no surgery, and to do PT and stretches at home. A year later I have almost full movement back of my arm. It is in my predominate arm, so life was difficult for a good 6 months. Thank you for letting others know, surgery is not the answer, and it can be worked out, healed without.

I dislocated my right shoulder a few years back and take Reformer Pilates with the physical therapist who treated me. Full mobility now.

Hello, I had frozen shoulder over 15 years ago. I will never forget the pain I had. It started as bursitis, then frozen shoulder came on. Well, a year later still dealing with the pain,my other shoulder started. He didnt believe me. MRI,later showed I had problems with the second one. Omg ,it was just beyond what I could deal with. Here I am today,and both of my shoulders are ok. The ortho told me I will need a shoulder replacement in years to come.

Hello, I have had 2 frozen shoulders... first the right then 2 years later the left. I had excellent results w/ pain and bringing on an early thaw using trigger point therapy. The first time I did the technique myself after I discovered around month 8 of the freeze. It triggered the thaw almost immediately and also immediately relieved the pain. The second time I worked w/ a massage therapist who did weekly trigger point treatments and it kept the pain under control and shortened the cycle to about 7 months from freezing to completing the thaw. NEVER allow a therapist or anyone to do forced stretching!!!! I'm so sorry you seemed to encounter doctors/therapists out of the stone age for this issue. I was lucky to find a therapist who had worked at a shoulder clinic and who understood the progression of this condition.

First of all everyone please don’t rush into surgery! I had a frozen shoulder a few years ago, as well as other issues that require physical therapy such as carpel tunnel, trigger finger, a knee that would just give way or out and a pinched nerve. A wonderful therapist in Palm Springs California where I live treated all the above over the years. Never had to go to therapy more than a couple of months at the most to be completely healed and back to normal, of course I always did my exercise homework faithfully! I feel it depends on the therapist in most cases! Never had acupuncture, but I know those who have swear by its benefits 🙂

I had a terrible fall and broke my arm and collarbone. Had surgery with screws, nail and a plate put in. It’s been almost 6 weeks and the pain is excruciating, just as bad as day one, nothing has helped. I am now informed that I have frozen shoulder and it’s recommended that I have a cortisone shot and aggressive pt. I am so tired from the pain so will probably try the shot. I hope it works, I do not think I can withstand another surgery. It’s a tough recovery, I hope things get better soon, your video has been informative, thank you!

I had terrible pain in my left arm and was initially misdiagnosed by a general practitioner, who at the same time, was brought up on multiple patient molestation charges. So I didn’t receive the early care that would have given me a fighting chance. Fast forward to surgery to release the adhesions, followed by a year of intense physical therapy. My shoulder slowly healed and returned to normal but it was an excruciating journey.

I'm a retired therapist and resulted in frozen shoulder from walking with crutches for another injury. I researched and came across the "Booyah Stick" and did the exercises from the RU-vid PT's "Bob and Brad"...healed but I still do stretches as joints require constant motion and contact with the surfaces on which they rest in order to get synovial fluid (lubrication) to each point of contact. Good to see you, always lovely.

I’ve had frozen shoulder for 9 years and have done all you’ve done plus surgery. Still frozen, but no pain unless I try to reach up. I’ve learned to live with it 🤷🏻‍♀️ and adapt to what range of motion I have.

I don’t have frozen shoulders, but both my shoulders have torn rotator cuffs. I’ve been going to physical therapy for about 6 weeks to strengthen the surrounding muscles supporting the rotator cuffs. My orthopedist and I discussed surgery, but as I am the sole caregiver for my husband (dementia) and the only driver, I can’t take a year off to recover from 2 separate surgeries. The only answer has been PT. I’m now wondering if acupuncture may be the answer. Thank you for bringing this possibility to light. I’m so glad it’s working for you!

I have end result arthritis in my R shoulder so can relate to the pain. But I HAVE to have surgery. I so hope it doesn’t end up being frozen. Glad you’re better! This was so infornative! PS..Orthopedic surgeons DO tend to be cocky!

When my shoulder was frozen I did some of the simplest stretches in the shower with the warm water focused on it. It felt good and I think it helped

I don’t have frozen shoulder but your video was very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Good video....i have the exact problem ...massage therapy has helped as well as exercises. I have been thinking of accupuncture and listening to your video i DEFINITELY will make an appointment. Thank you

I've had tendonitis in my shoulders since my 40's. It's painful and the healing is tedious. At this point in my life now, I haven't suffered the frozen symptoms but being post-menopausal certainly comes with not so fun surprises. I woke up 4 days ago with extreme pain in the ball of my left foot. I couldn't put weight on it or flex it in any direction. Within 48 hours it was swollen to the point that I struggled to put on shoes. My Dr. suspects my blood pressure medication caused a case of gout due to one of the ingredients that is a diuretic which is known to cause this painful side effect for some people. Lucky me. 😕 He changed my medication and gave me another prescription to reduce the swelling and pain. I have my fingers crossed that this will go away and not reoccur. I hope your shoulder issue clears up soon!

I had frozen shoulder a few years ago at 54, and it was unbelievably painful. Went to a PT who determined I needed a cortisone shot after several appointments and exercising at home. She explained that it could take up to 10 days before there would be a noticeable difference in movement. What neither of us expected was my reaction to the cortisone. I was awake for over 36 hours with a massive tension headache. My entire upper body was red and warm. It literally took the 10 days before there was improvement in my therapy. All of this because I reached behind to unhook my bra like I'd done for years. Never again though! My arm is still weak compared to what it used to be. My other shoulder tweaks with pain every now and again and I pray it never becomes frozen. Wish I would've known about acupuncture because I would've tried it. Best of luck to you in your healing journey!!

It's good to see you again, Kerry-Lou! I'm so sorry about your frozen shoulder. That's wonderful that the acupuncture is helping!

Torn rotater cuff ….physio and acupuncture helped a great deal for last year. I still have limited mobility and an ache. But you have inspired me to get more acupuncture. Thank you……it is worth a shot for me I am a lot better from the treatments but not perfect. I like your outlook that there may still be opportunities for greater improvement. Thank you ….very motivating and so relevant. Wishing you full recovery. You look spectacular!! Happy new year🎉

Wow... this sounds like exactly what I have going on! I did injure mine though, I do furniture refinishing and I remember the exact movement that caused it. I'll def check into some physical therapy for it. I'm sure there are some videos on you tube.... thank you for sharing your experience! I'm glad you are getting better!

At the beginning of my menopause journey, I had a frozen shoulder too. It bothered me for a year and then went away. Never came back so far (10 years on)

Oh yes, it happened to me in my 50's. EGAD! I couldn't even raise my arm to wash my hair, or anything else. I was basically one armed for a year. Terribly painful in the beginning is right. Physical therapy was painful, but effective. I don't think most doctors would recommend surgery unless there is actually an injury to repair. More damage and more likely to freeze again. I've had acupuncture for my back issues, but it is always just a very temporary relief for me.

So glad to see you back, just talking about anything. Lol. I hope your shoulder gets to feeling better!😊. Im 65 and all of a sudden I started having pain in my ankle, getting older isnt fun. I pray alot!!

I have frozen shoulder started 6 years ago it went away during the first year and 5 years later it came back with a vengeance now I'm loosing muscle in that arm. My husband don't have time to drive me 2 hour to the doctor so I'm dealing with it. Now getting it in the other

I got frozen shoulder due to a "change in immune system" following contracting COVID. It developed slowly over a few months. I also had a severe case of vertigo. When I went through physical therapy for the vertigo, I started noticing an improvement in the frozen should. The one stretch that helped me the most with my shoulder was with a pulley hooked at the top of a door. You can use your "good" arm to help aid in lifting your frozen arm and coax it to stretch further with less pain.

For me, I had it on both of my shoulders and it took almost two years to get it over with it. There was about 3 months gap between the two. For me, nothing helped except for time. And that's what my ortho doctor and physical therapist told me from the beginning. In the first ‘freezing stage” PT helped loosen the muscle around the shoulder and lessened the secondary pains in the scapula area due to a frozen shoulder. But during the ‘frozen stage’ no change in the range of motion through PT. Both ortho doctor and PT said it's better to leave it alone until it reaches the ‘thawing stage.’ So I didn't resume PT until the thawing stage. About Acupuncture, which I tried, it could help and not help at all. I tried two different acupuncturists in my freeze stage(worsening stage), and it did nothing. But I know for sure if you try it in the frozen and thawing stages it will be helpful since it gets rid of inflammation and promotes the healing process where it was damaged by inflammation. Steroid injection didn't do a thing on both of my shoulders. I wish I knew about trigger point therapy. That's the only thing I haven't tried. It definitely was a journey, quite a long journey. Be patient for sure. Thank you for sharing your experience with such a positive outlook. Hope you get better soon!

I am so glad you are feeling better. Goes to show you how sometimes things happen. I have been having pain on my upper arms. I thought maybe from weights, so I am taking it easy with exercise. I hope it gets better soon.....thanks for sharing..................MINDY

Glad to heard you are doing good now. ❤Wishing you the best in this 2024🎉 dear Kerry. I always said to my kids ,learning from others stories is going ahead to the problem.❤

목소리도 부드러우시고 너무 아름답습니다 ^^

I hope you will feel much better soon!

So glad that you are on the mend and thanks for sharing your story.

Thank you Kerry-Lou for that information. Glad to hear you are getting better. You are beautiful as always. Many blessings to you for this New Year💕

I'm so glad to hear your getting better..❤

I had one and it was sooooo painful!

I had frozen shoulder and it was so painful!!! It was a nightmare!

Happy New Year Kerry-Lou and good luck with your shoulder 😢. Looking forward to seeing your 2024 videos.

Hi, my frozen should is from injury, been to many doctors and mri, been to 2 surgeon, and plus l am going for therapy tomorrow too, hugsssss ❤❤

Happy New Year Kerry-Lou glad to hear you're on the improve. I remember my Mum had frozen shoulder many, many years ago and she found the cortisone injection did the trick. I think she had it quite soon after diagnosis. Take care 😊 feel better 😍

That was very interesting, so pleased that acupuncture works for you. Good luck 🥰

Swimming helped me lots.

Hello Gorgeous Kerry Lou, you are such a positive person, and iam sure your gonna get perfect soon..And such a great information, we are often told by doctors for every pain after 50, its the hormone...and we just don't know what to do...so such info is always great. I myself was diagnosed wrongly for a simple muscle spasm...and given all wrong treatments, but finally i found an amazing physiotherapist who restored me well....iam back to my workouts... workouts is the best for all types of body. Anyways, back to you, Kerry you jave a very Happy, healthy and filled with positive energies in 2024... 💕💕💕💕

I have been to an acupuncturist for m cortisol level. And he put needles in my hand that was for my pituitary gland, which I don’t have. That one kind of hurt. So I asked him to skip that one. He was trying to get my adrenal glands working. I think he helped. And I didn’t have to take any steroids. I’m thinking of going back to him. I think you go for four weeks. Then go back once a week to keep it working. And I’m seriously considering it. I didn’t think it would be fun. But I laid there and couldn’t move. But I was so relaxed. He also checks under my tongue. I’m not sure what for. I think it’s some kind of Chinese medicine.

I got frozen shoulder from playing tennis, I went for an overhead ball and missed it which resulted in my frozen shoulder. I went to PT for two months with no progress so I researched YT and found a masseuse who showed how to loosen the knotty area by rubbing it very hard until it loosened enough for me to raise my arm. I then saw a Bob and Brad video where they recommended dead hanging from a bar to strengthen the shoulders. I only had to hang two separate times which released the impingement in my shoulder. I think I had a pinched nerve that released from hanging just a short time. My sister developed horrible frozen shoulder from sleeping on her arm after a hard day. She was in terrible pain and was told she would need months of therapy. She did what I told her and in a week was cured. She just went to a playground and hung from the bars they had there. She took a week to resolve but it was still pretty quick.

Thanks for sharing ❤❤❤

I’m 65 years old and has had frozen shoulder for 8 years now!!! I have tried everything, physio therapy, chiropractors, lazer therapy and cortisone shots now I’m trying massage therapy as the muscles are getting very tight ….very frustrating

R u in the US If so what is the linkof this Acupuncture doctor

I had never heard of this. Thank you ❤

I had a frozen shoulder that had to be manipulated by the orthopedic doctor. Very painful.

Informative details given by you, I'm accupressurist and frozen shoulder repaing is very easy and simple in acupressure.... thanks a lot... i like your every video ❤

I had this and luckily my doctor knew straight away the correct treatment. I was super lucky in that one steroid injection fixed it. 🙏

I hurt my bicep and the soreness went into my shoulder. :(

Are you free now? I have had this problem for the last 1 year