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I haven't been building or even getting my shop completed for the last 8 months due to a nagging shoulder pain and increasing loss of mobility. It finally got bad enough (as in painful) that SWMBO got me to go to the doctor. He sent me to a specialist. So after another 2 week wait and lots of Vicodin (don't you love HMO's), he diagnosed it as adhesive capsulitis (eg. frozen shoulder). I was given a cortizone shot and 8 weeks of physical therapy to start with. Anyone know how much yelling is acceptable in physical therapy sessions?

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

No pain...no gain. Be brave and compliant to the wishes of your dungeon master! Let me know if you run out of expletives!

I guess it could be worse...be thankful they didn't recommend surgery.

Good luck, Don and keep us posted as to your progress.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Don, we feel your pain. You just stay at it and hopefully everything will get ginning again. Never heard of a frozen shoulder.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Yup, acupuncture fixes it.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I had this and I was fortunate to get perfect results from the physical therapy.   The physical therapy consisted of following directions at home that gradually put more stress on the adhesions until they tore loose. Until they did tear loose, it was quite painful to go through the routine. That was five years ago, and it has never recurred.

Don't stop, or the shoulder will continue to freeze up, worse. The MD told me that if physical therapy did not work, the next step would be to sedate me and yank my shoulder in the operating room. If that did not work, surgery could be tried, but surgery usually was not good for stuck shoulders, becasue the surgery left scars that would form more adhesions.

Don,

I went through this last fall. After a few months with a medical doctor and physical therapy with little results, I went to a certified Active Release practitioners at the recommendation of a college strength coach friend of mine. After 5 sessions (twice a week)and a couple of follow ups, the shoulder was good as new. I highly recommend giving it a try.

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Scott Thompson
Port Townsend,WA

"In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
But this is reality so give me some room"
-Billy Bragg

Thanks Scott. I plan on going the physical therapy route for 2 months as the doctor recommended. He said he would re-evaluate at that time. If he then suggests surgery, I do plan to try some alternatives treatments first. It appears the surgical outcome has its own problems. I will check into Active Release. Thanks again for the recommendation.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Good luck with it Don, sounds like it should come good if you do as instructed by the pro's so go to it,

Cheers

Kim

What causes frozen shoulder ????

                                 Red

Red, in some cases they just don't know. It is the result of inflammation, scarring, thickening and shrinkage of the capsule that surrounds the normal shoulder joint. It generally always occurs in the non-dominant shoulder. Injuries can contribute to it, but in my case I just had a soreness and stiffness that gradually turned into immobility and severe pain (about 7-8 months). It occurs in about 2% of the population over 40 and is much more prevalent in women. Billy T pointed me to some good discussions related to the need for magnesium intake to couterbalance calcium intake (prevent deposition in your joint). I'll try anything to keep this from happening to the other shoulder.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

I've had similar problems with my left -- non-dominant -- shoulder several times over the last 30 years. It's by far the weaker of the two. Being right-handed, my right shoulder gets far more use, especially considering that I've used a cane on my right side for about 25 years. The left shoulder seems prone to inflammation, presumably due to scar tissue from an injury in a car accident in the 70s. The present bout of inflammation seems to have been brought about by using a cane on both sides while recovering from leg surgery. This time the worst of it is that even two minutes of guitar playing sets it off. Shoulder pain that impacts putting on jackets or reaching overhead is one thing, but when it impacts my playing, it's time for action!

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com