frozen shoulder

Hi everyone,
well I just got a checkup after my surgery on Wednesday, I got the stitches taken out and the dr. said I am healing very fast. However for the past 2 days I have been experiencing extreme pain in ly left shoulder and neck. I learned from my Dr. that it is Frozen shoulder. I was told by many Drs and Nurses after my surgery not to move my left arm that much, so I followed exactly what they said. When I saw my Cardiologist today,he said to move the arm slightly below the shoulder so your muscles don't tense...this is why I now how frozen shoulder.
Have any of you expierenced this, and if so what helped relieve your pain and stiffness?
Thank you,
bini

4 Comments

probably not so

by albie - 2007-07-02 11:07:00


The chances that you have a frozen shoulder after less than a week are VERY slim to impossible.

Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder as it is commonly called is a shoulder joint with significant loss of its range of motion in all directions. The range of motion is limited not only when the patient attempts motion, but also when the doctor attempts to move the joint fully while the patient relaxes.

Inflammation of the shoulder joint or the muscles around the shoulder such as after surgery can cause swelling, pain, or stiffness of the joint that can mimic a frozen shoulder.

Your pain and stiffness is most likely from muscle guarding due to the pain from the surgery. The range of motion limitation is due to pain. Don't worry, most if not all the motion will come back as soon as the pain subsides. If you do a web search for pictures of cervical stretches and also pendulum exercises they should help with the pain and stiffness without disturbing your wires.

albie

Hi!

by tcrabtree85 - 2007-07-03 02:07:01

I agree with Albie on this one. You are just coming out of surgery hasn't been very long at all. Once the pain subsides you should be fine. Though remember that you can still use your left hand some not as much as you normally would but you still need to move it around just follow the guidlines that your doctor has set. Not lifting it above the shoulder.
I wish you luck on your road to recover. Take the pain meds to also help with the swelling and rest a lot that is the best thing you can do for yourself. Please keep us updated on how your recovery goes.

Tammy

Agreed!

by auntiesamm - 2007-07-03 02:07:10

Hi - I agree with the above for the most part other than to say a frozen shoulder can occur in a short period of time depending on what has caused it. Several years ago I spent many, many days wallpapering a new addition to our home. I noted some tightening and mild pain after being at it for about 5 days. On completion of the papering I woke up one morning and absolutely could not roll over on my right side or use my arm in any way. My husband literally had to get me up out of bed! I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder and ran the full gambit of treatment: ice, muscle relaxants, physical therapy, etc.. It resolved within a few weeks completely but I have been very careful since then and somewhat protective of both shoulders. I believe what most of us were told post-implant was "do not raise the arm above shoulder level for 6 weeks". There is a lot one can do with the arm at or below shoulder level. Most important thing to remember is NO REACHING above the shoulder and no lifting of heavy objects! You might try icing your shoulder a few minutes out of every hour for some pain relief and try gently stretching the shoulder after. I hope you get some get resolution to your problem. I know it is very painful and feel for you. Good luck and God bless. You will be added to my prayer list.
Sharon

thank you all!

by bini - 2007-07-03 09:07:27

Thank you albie, tammy and sharon,
I read up on what you all have told me and I now know that it cannot be frozen shoulder, which relieves my mind so much!
I am feeling a little a better today, and am so relieved to have the resources from you all to learn more about the pacemaker world. Like alot of you said some doctors don't know everything about pacemakers and when things get scary...it's nice to know that there is a wonderful support group out there. Thank you Thank you thank you!!!!!
Bini

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