badboy and pooh

[capricorn]

Pooh...my life saving grace. Thank you. I have read and read until I am almost cross-eyed. 1st I really believe PT played a big role in the frozen shoulder syndrome. From what I've read they went too far, too fast and that PT and the stretches will hurt BUT they should not be forced to unbearable pain that I was brought to for the past 6 weeks. after reading I have learned that I was totally told the wrong way to do some of the excercises at home and they should have never been doing some of the things they've been doing. I have done no arm bikes, no bands. All the PT involves is them crushing my shoulder down on the table with the palm of their hand with all of their body weight behind it and deep, high pressured massage. Imagine what that has done for my fibro. Stretching, pushing, pulling to the point of me screaming out in pain and then there is still no let up. When I saw the surgeon for my 4 week check-up he grabbed my shoulder and rotated it and was so very pleased that it moved smoothly. It doesn't anymore after 5 more weeks of the torture chamber. I am also annoyed that I am perfectly honest everytime I go to PT as to where the pain is. I have been told that it is all muscular in my case. Well the PT tells me yesterday when I called after seeing the surgeon that he KNEW I had a frozen shoulder. Had this been told to me just once I would have seen the surgeon weeks ago for the injections and saved myself alot of pain. I'm not stupid . I had already known what the initial treatment was for frozen shoulder. I am so angry that I have to go back there but have no choice because of my insurance. I hope the Judge has a couple of Martinis today and signs my paperwork in my behalf.At least if they pick my case up I can go almost anywhere. I thank you so much for the list of stretches. I trust you and basically after reading about what I SHOULD HAVE been doing for the shoulder and brachial plexus you are right on target. BUT it is all very different from what's been done in PT and what I have been told to do and how to do it. I am just so angry at this point I can't see straight. This should not have happened. I will speak to the PT next week and ask him if he is uncomfortable with me as a patient he needs to say so. I think after diming the one out who yanked on me 2 weeks post-op that I am getting somewhat of an attitude now. I knew and I said it many times. PT can be painful but you need to stop at some point. NO they kept going and going until I was worse each and every time I left there. This didn't happen overnight and it's not going to go away overnight. OK my friend. Thanks for the help and letting me vent. I need to get over the anger at this point. PT is hard enough, I odn't need to dread going and be miserable everytime i have an appt.


Have a great day,
CAP

[Pooh]

Cap

I told my therapist that I was getting worse and she contacted my doctors office to see what could be done - that was plain and simple on her part - she didn't want to make me worse - she wanted to make me better that is why she started all the cervical stretches to help ease up the TOS symptoms some more because of the fact my muscles are just starting to work again and going into spasms big time - including the neck - this is also a common area for TOS patients to have spasms from what I understand.

If they haven't had you doing any exercises at all during this time - then is all you are getting is massage therapy - what are they doing for you? the idea of PT is so that you can get your muscles stronger in my opinion not for them to force them.

[capricorn]

Morning pooh....I am on my 3rd prescription for PT. 1st was 2 weeks post-op and for nothing but assisted light stretching.But the 1st day she put me on the pullys and that whacked my neck out. 2 weeks into it the girl pulled my arm and something in my pec muscle separated, swelled immediately and the swelling started above my collar bone. None of this swelling has gone down in 6 weeks. Saw the surgeon he gave me another script for 2 more weeks of assisted,passive PT and then after 2 weeks I was supposed to start strenghtening the shoulder. That has never happened. Still after 8 weeks have done nothing but the same as from day 1.They stretch me until I'm screaming. The only thing I refused to do was the pullys. 4 weeks post-op the surgeon was thrilled with how loose my shoulder was. 4 weeks later I have frozen shoulder???? My new script says in large writing the technical name for frozen shoulder and in very large writing says "ROM SHOULDER, strengthen shoulder. I feel by now , 10 weeks later, I should be using the bands and the arm bike. They have refused ultrasound even though i have asked for it for 8 weeks now and have read how very beneficial it is for frozen shoulder AND TOS. Pooh, my eval said "Poor posture and patient is limited due to pain" Nothing else. I have gone to every PT session and lived through the horrible pain, did what they wanted no matter how much it hurt and worked it myself 2 xs a day at home. I'm trying but I feel they hurt me so badly and knowing what I was walking into, I froze up. The injections have helped immensly already. I am determined that when I go back next Thursday that I have it loose enough so I can start to do strengthening PT. I believe I may have had a Brachial plexus problem when the injuries occurred and PT crushing the area made it all worse. I also feel if left to do the bands and arm bike on my own I will no myself how far I can push without doing more harm as they have done. There has been no contact with the surgeon and PT except for what he wrote the other day that I hand delivered. Surgeon told me to do nothing but ice and rest for a couple of days after the injections so later today i am going to start stretching again. I am waiting for the Judge and my MRI of the brachial plexus and then will notify my attorney is necessary. I am also going to join an indoor pool facility and get in there and work it all. No swimming , I know I can't do that. Back and knee are starting to act up so it will do my whole body good. Found agreat stretch for the armpit. Put the arm chest high on top of a table, dresser, countertop and start slowly to bend the knees until you feel a stretch and then a little lower each time. Going to try it. Also told to do the pendulum the wrong way. The article i read says to never bend over but to start slowly by your side. This nut at PT after 2 weeks post-op told me to bend as far as I could and swing it in all different directions. side to side, back and forth and regular pendulums. It's time I went back to who I was back in August and start taking control of my own recovery. I am disappointed and disgusted. Thanks my friend for all of your help.

CAP

[Pooh]

Your welcome Cap

I Know with my PT that no matter what, my therapists listened to me, and even with my pain levels being high - they didn't increase anything but the cervical stretches.

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner on this, but like badboy has pointed out - there are times when the pain just gets to you - and the past couple of days was just that for me when my shoulder blade hit my ribs really hard and pulled a few muscles as well. One great big migraine to boot followed that I am now just getting over and today for the first time the muscles aren't all tensed upped.

Wate therapy is good - as it keeps the weight down on the muscles as well and helps support them yet also helps to tone them at the same time.

I don't know about the bike with TOS - because they had me doing circles - and I can tell you that is one of the things that set my pain levels sky high - but for you it may not - remember I have winging of the scapula so that really aggrevated that more I think because trying to keep the shoulder blade back and do the circles at the same time. So it wasn't one of the exercised I did - nor was the pully one of the exercises I did. Most of mine were at shoulder level, with a few reaching over head - but then my range of motion was much better going into PT than most that go into PT.

[capricorn]

Pooh...please never worry about getting back to me immediately. I know how you suffer. Sounds like you had a domino affect going on. One thing aggravating another. What a relief to have some of the muscles loosen up and not be spasing as much.

I waited my 2 days out with ice and rest and started working it the best I can. If I plan on doing 10 of something and only get to 5 I stop. Maybe tomorrow it will be 6. Most of the pain has subsided on resting. When I move it I still have that horrible armpit pain but the rest isn't half as bad so I'm taking it slow. The only way I can describe what they were doing to me is that it was manipulation that should have been done under anesthesia. Never again. I will talk to the PT when I return on Thursday, have him decifer what I don't understand on the surgeon's prescription, tell him I want ultrasound as it's highly recommended for all of my problems and hope for the best. If the same thing occurs, the torture chamber I will join an inddor pool(which I think I'll do anyway) and work it under water. I have had alot of luck getting the arm everywhere with the shower beating on it so I know this works. Thanks for all your help and feel better.


CAP

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Cap, have your hubby make you an arm bike, from a cheap bike from a garage sale. It works too. Just tell him to cut the front off the bike, and make an adjustable stand for it. Cut the pedals off leaving just the stem, and put handle bar gribs on them.

[capricorn]

Funny you mention this badboy...I just started yesterday doing arm bike movements without the bike. Look like an idiot but I know I should have been doing this a month ago. I'll get me better if it kills me trying. Good idea. I will see what Hubby can muster up. I only have about a minute in me right now before my arm weighs in at 2000 pounds but am trying all the same. Thanks.


CAP

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Well, a $10.00 garage sale bike, and $10.00 in parts, and you got a arm bike

[Pooh]

Cap - If you can only do 5 then later in the day try to do 5 more makes 10 in my book ..... lol

I try to do mine twice a day when I remember to do them - right now need to get the bowflex out and start working out muscles and hopefully can get a job again - that will be so good.

At least finally got some answers as to what was going on.

[capricorn]

Pooh...that's exactly what I'm doing. Amazing when I do it myself and stop if I have to how different I feel. One day I might only get to 5 with something the next day it's 6. I'm happy with how I 'm progressing in just the last 2 days. Do them 2 xs a day. Once in the shower with the water running over it. What a difference in how that feels.


Pooh ....How long is it for you? How long have you been waiting for answers? Absolutely makes a difference when you have answeres. I always say I can deal with almost anything as long as I know what I'm dealing with. I wish you all the best on that bowflex. You're a better woman than I am

CAP