Shoulder pain

I'll try to be brief, but I've never been good at that.

Started having left shoulder pain over a year ago. Tried exercise but it didn't help. Had an MRI: bone impinging the rotator cuff with a "possible" partial thickness tear.

Couldn't go to the specialist I wanted to see because he didn't accept my insurance!!!!! Went to someone who said I just had a little arthritis and bursitis. He gave me a cortisone injection. Helped for about 3 months.

I didn't go back when the pain came back because he made me feel like a bawl baby. My chiropractor who is against surgery most of the time told me I needed surgery. I should have listened. Tried a kind of Physical Therapy called Active Release Technique. It felt worse.

Finally couldn't stand it. Went to another Orthopedic surgeon who said I should have had surgery a year ago and that he was sure I had a full thickness tear in the rorator cuff by now. Recovery would be 6 weeks in a brace and 6 weeks with my arm at my side plus Physical Therapy.

I called the doctor who didn't take my insurance a year ago and, guess what--now he does. He looked over the same tests the first and second doctors did and said I had a "frozen shoulder". Never heard of it. He said I needed surgery and scheduled it for 3 weeks.

Here is my BAD thinking: I have a bone that is tearing the rotator cuff. If I cause my shoulder to hurt I am making it worse, right? In this case: NOT!!!!!

I did have a frozen shoulder from holding it TOO still.

The first surgery to remove the bone spur and break up scar tissue did not work. Arthroscopic surgery was done with a nerve block that makes you feel like your arm belongs to someone else. It was totally numb and scary. Despite Physical Therapy it FROZE UP AGAIN.

Had to go back into surgery to have a "manipulation". I've never liked being manipulated. Had to have the same nerve block and general anesthesia with no incision. He probably turned my arm in circles to break up the scar tissue again--at least it feels like it.

It is getting better, but I swear Physical Therapy is something left over from the torture chambers of the dark ages.

Moral of this story: If you have shoulder pain, see a doctor early on. Don't hold it still unless he tells you it will make it worse.

Frozen shoulder is nothing like any of the frozen desserts you enjoy.

Here's hoping this saves someone the pain I am going through right now.