Frozen shoulders

[Zaphoon]

Okay, so I'm walking around with what some doctors have temporarily tagged as PLS. The temporary started in Dec/08. I'm not so sure I agree for a couple of reasons.

My first big problem occurred in my right shoulder probably 5 years ago or so. It got sore, then weak, the locked up tighter than a drum. Had a couple of steroid shots in it and they helped, somewhat, then not at all.

My next issue began 3 years ago with my right leg getting stiff and seemingly weaker (an illusion the stiffness brought on). Soon afterward, the left leg joined in the stiffness and became twice as bad as the right. This is when I asked the GP for a referral to a neuro.

Within a year of the first neuro appointment, the left shoulder became frozen and worse than the right. The left has now thawed and normalized but the right still lacks a lot of range of motion.

I've always thought this could some kind of autoimmune thing and now I've discovered that people with diabetes are twice as prone to develop frozen shoulder syndrome. Some believe that some autoimmune diseases can trigger FSS (frozen shoulder syndrome).

I've run into other PLS'ers that have had bouts with FSS and it makes me wonder. Maybe there is some sort of mayhem making malady out there that is umn related attacking shoulders first, then legs, hip girdle muscles, etc.

By the way, I've been tested many times for diabetes and do not have it. Hope to never get it either!

Any thoughts on FSS relating to PLS?

 

[johnnyliverpool]

zaph....frozen shoulder sure rings very loud bells with me.......7yrs ago aprox.....i went down with a most painful shoulder.. took me 4 months , with physio to get my arm above my head, and a year to get full movement....at the same time , i recall my walking deteriated badly and improved as my shoulder improved.....now i have very stiff neck, shoulders and tops of my arms..........frozen shoulder did precede my dornward slide into the upper motor neuron syndrome............could it be the spasticity, iwonder?.........loves johnnypool...

 

[Zaphoon]

Hey there, Johnny!

Always good to hear from you! I think it's beyond coincidence. How's a guy come down with a frozen shoulder, screwed up legs followed by the other shoulder becoming frozen and the whole mess not related? I'm thinking something autoimmune.

Nice to see I'm in good company!

Shucks! No wine tonight - just lemonade.

 

[Maddy]

I started with frozen L shoulder in Nov '06 (approximately) It was awful! Two rounds of steroid injections and several months of PT. Major atrophy. It took a full year to thaw out and now I have pretty much full ROM. I had noticed slight slurred speech with a half a glass of wine around the same time, then I noticed that I was very "cloddish" when I was running. Today, almost 4 years later, my speech is almost unintelligible, I use a walker around the house and a manual wheelchair for long distance. I am not looking forward to the cold weather ahead as I completely freeze up and can not walk at all.
Funny though, the docs have refused to make a connection between frozen shoulder and MND- they say they are unrelated. I say they are wrong!

 

[Zaphoon]

Maddy,

Good to hear from you, especially on this issue. I think you're right on. There are some researchers that think it could be autoimmune related. I've got a spinal scheduled for next week to do the final rule-out for MS. The neuros had already ruled it out with MRI's and no spinal tap. With having a sister with MS, I thought it best to have the spinal fluid checked.

My problems have been chronic for too many years and I'm not liking what I feel happening with what I think are hip-girdle muscles.

 

[olly]

well,if my two cents are worth anything i would say its all down to the spasticity.

a few years back i started with severe spasticity in my left arm one day that progressed to the right the following day.
it was so bad my shoulders locked (contractures)and for a few weeks i could barely use my arms............could not reach up or out.
since then i have chronic shoulder pain 24/7.
for some days now my hips are real bad that i also put down to the spasticity.

the fact is spasticity causes damage and weakens the joints............i might also add my knees get painfull and weak sometimes.

i had exstensive rheumi tests done by a rehumatologist specialist ,all came back ok...........he told me i needed to see a neuro.

will re pm kim shortly.........sorry,not too cracking at the moment.

 

[Zaphoon]

Caroline, Thanks for your input. It is always appreciated. We have a lot of similar stuff going on. The muscles in my lower back near the left side of my hip have been killing me with spasticity. Trying to lay down last night brought on some pretty bad pain in that area.

No hurry on the PM! Wait until you're feeling a bit better.

 

[johnnyliverpool]

Zaph.....further to the post......i had all checks for MS..including a spinal tap..and was told definately not ms.........i was eventually told."something in the spine".....was causing my symptoms...and that after they told me my spine was in good nick for my age.............a puzzler for sure..i doubt its my immune system...but what do i know?..................maybe someone will have a clue.......sure think you hit on something..........maybe ollie got it right with spasticity.........get yourself better ollie.by order of the pooler!........so zaph, we need another clue from someone dont we..................am off to bed...you have a good un....loves johnnysleepy.......

 

[olly]

hey johnnyfabulous,good to hear from you............congrats on the bus pass lol.
had a bad past week and yesterday was feeling very low and teary.
took double sleep meds and extra baclofen last night..........was away with the fairys lol.
woke this morning feeling much better and less pain.
how are you my old mukka?
going out with the lads as usual tomorrow? have one on me.

 

[johnnyliverpool]

Ollie..get yourself out..3 pints of strong lager down yer....you can bin all the pills the lager will do you more good........besides youll have an headache to distract you from all else....and the rewards?...well, you will have put the world to rights...religion, the economy, wars ect,,ect,,,,,,,,,,,,,bit quiet on pls blogs here.....hope its because all are cured..................loves..johnnygoodadvice.......

 

[AKmom]

I have had frozen shoulders for years. I have been treating them with my own physical therapy plus ice. my bro in law is a chiropractor and gave me adjustment to one of them that had a tendon that had slipped out of its groove...very painful proceedure but it worked on bringing down the pain level and increasing the range of motion. As it is now, my shoulders grind and pop during movements. Sometimes they burn when I move them them up when doing the wall climb (walking my fingers up a wall to get range of motion to move the arm above my head) which is pt. Pain is a normal part of life for me. I have given up on being pain free. No such state exist for me until I get a complete healing from the Lord...either on this earth or in heaven it will be when it is. I take it as a way for me to grow stronger as a person on the inside and I can identify what others go through and sympathize with them.

My knees are doing the same as my shoulders. So are my wrists. The RA docs have all changed their minds to what is going on...first saying its RA even though the bloodwork does not positively show that then they change it to poly rhuematica....2 docs have done that...but that doesn't fit either. So it is what it is with me. I am tired of spending all the money on finding out what it is. I do what I can to maintain the movements I have and adjust my living accordingly. I would much rather spend the money on taking cruises to other parts of the world!

So sorry to hear that others are suffering from this too. I didn't even think it could be caused from the spasticity contractures but now it does make sense doesn't it?

 

[olly]

joyce,if i woke up one morning to find i had no pain i think i would panic something seriously was wrong.............can't remember what its like to have no pain.
most days my body screams pain from head to foot 24/7.............so when someone is always moaning of a pain here or there i loose my rag and tell them they should put themselves in my shoes.
like you i suffer in silence and get on with things,focusing on pain only makes it worse but taking your mind off it does help you to cope.

sunbathing in alaska!.............now i've heard everything lol.
its not even warm enough to sunbathe here'i'm going to have to win the lottery and emigrate.

 

[Judith]

Kim,
I hope your spinal goes well.:-D

Judy

 

[johnnyliverpool]

hi gang..its me again.the chopsy scouse get..........well i never signed in thursday as normal..cos when i got home from the boozer , after one pint too many....i fell asleep with a cuppa tea in me hand in front of the telle and spilt the contents over mesen..and didnt notice till i woke at 4am......but wat a good kip i had..funny, if a sit for too long me backside and me hamstrings hurt like shit..but with a drink, not a prob.......well its a month without the statins and i aint had the stomach probs......swelling and such..good news..so i aint gonna take em agen......ad me lagers tonight too..well i av a few with the lads on a sunday also...but thats me lot for the week, honest, i aint a alcoholic,,honest....rule brittania, god bless america, and the rest of the world..........loves the pooler

 

[Zaphoon]

You lifted my spirits with that post, Johnny,

Thanks!

Glad you're off the statins and feeling better for it! Cheers mate!