Anyone get a frozen shoulder after fusion surgery?

[debbei]

I just went to a Sports Medicine Ortho Dr. who took Xrays and said nothing is broken or torn; instead, I just have a frozen shoulder. He said it is common after fusion surgeries or even heart surgeries where the patient is in one position for a long time. Mine was 9 hours I guess with my arms up by my head? He recommends PT 3x a week and that should help. I told him how after exercise class it feels better and he said that's normal.

This 3x/week PT will be tricky with me starting a new job next week.

Oh--he also said that if PT doesn't work, they can put you under 'a little' anesthesia and crank the arm around to loosen it up. SHEESH only me.

[mamandcrm]

Hi Debbei,

I just finished PT for a frozen shoulder, not as a result of fusion (I don't have scoli, my daughter has) but as a result of who knows what. Your doc may have told you this but, just FYI, depending how advanced it is (and maybe not so much if it stems from one incident), frozen shoulders can take a while to fix. I spent 3 months in PT, going 2x a week (I couldn't manage more often than that). And yes my doc talked about the alternative. "Knock you out for a minute and then break things up" was how he put it. Ouch.

[titaniumed]

Debbe

So sorry about the frozen shoulder. How long have you had this going on? Since surgery?

When I started PT for my shoulder, they wanted me coming 2x per week and I ended up going once per week.
I learned the exercises and then applied them on my own. I'm sure that you could do this and schedule once per week at a convenient hour.

Ed

[Qikdraw]

Debbe

Sorry to hear about this. :( I got one after my surgeries. I was still in the hospital and they started PT on me. I can't exactly remember how often they came, all I really remember was hating when they came into my room cause what they did hurt.

Just make sure you do the exercises they give you so your shoulder will be ok.

Brad

[titaniumed]

Brad

We do not doubt that you had shoulder pain. Let me guess? The right side? Your pre-op x-ray is absolutely amazing. #7 shape, that's a lucky number you know? Mine was a half of a figure 8.

Dr Bradford did an incredible job on you, and in 1983 to boot.

You have a very unique spine and are a special scoliosis case and that makes you special. I'm sure everyone would concur.....
Ed

[debbei]

Debbe

So sorry about the frozen shoulder. How long have you had this going on? Since surgery?

When I started PT for my shoulder, they wanted me coming 2x per week and I ended up going once per week.
I learned the exercises and then applied them on my own. I'm sure that you could do this and schedule once per week at a convenient hour.

Ed

Ed,

Yes I've had this problem since surgery. I was SURE that it was somehow related to the surgery because I had never in my life had shoulder problems before. I have a fantastic physical therapist who I used for my back, so I'll go back to her 1 or 2x a week and yes, I'll do stuff at home. Heck, I already started. That's why I bought the theraband last week that ultimately gave me back muscle spasms. :)

[debbei]

Debbe

Sorry to hear about this. :( I got one after my surgeries. I was still in the hospital and they started PT on me. I can't exactly remember how often they came, all I really remember was hating when they came into my room cause what they did hurt.

Just make sure you do the exercises they give you so your shoulder will be ok.

Brad

Thanks Brad. :)

Ed--why did you guess that Brad's problem was on his right side? Is it because of our thorasic curve to the right?

[titaniumed]

Assuming that his x-ray is from the back, yes. In looking at all sorts of x-rays of different types of scoliosis, I have never seen any others like Brads. His spine almost went right up into his shoulder. Having curves up high in the rib cage like his are not simple cases.

Its funny, I have a photographic memory of blueprints. I've drawn and looked at millions of them through the years. Its something that comes naturally. X-rays are similar, and when Dr Bradford responded to Brads letter last year, I'm not at all surprised at his response. How could he forget? I'm sure that he spent thousands of hours thinking about it through the years. I do the same thing with my projects, constantly pondering.......

Special cases or projects are stimulating. Like brain teasers, they drive you nuts, until your answers are solved.......

I know a Dr of engineering who calls me with these concepts. He likes to brainstorm, and he is about 95 years old. I ask him how old he is and he tells me he cant remember, he is too old. LOL I ask him about retirement, and he says that he tried that decades ago and it didn't work. Poor guy, he just cannot turn his brain off.

After I had my gall bladder removed, I noticed that my neck was sore. I don't know if that was from them pulling and repositioning me while on anesthesia, or from just laying there under sedation. It just goes to show that all surgeries need careful consideration. Gall bladder removal is the second most performed surgery done in the US and Canada. Even with these procedures perfected, things happen.
Ed

[Qikdraw]

Brad

We do not doubt that you had shoulder pain. Let me guess? The right side? Your pre-op x-ray is absolutely amazing. #7 shape, that's a lucky number you know? Mine was a half of a figure 8.

Yup. Right side. (and from the back) You should have seen me out of brace! :D I think I went from a 7 to a 9. lol


Dr Bradford did an incredible job on you, and in 1983 to boot.

Yes he did. I literally owe him my life. I wish I could have had a video camera recording the surgery, I'd love to have seen it. I also wish I could get my hands on the papers he wrote about it afterwards. It would be interesting to read his view of it and how he describes it. I really only have a 12 year olds idea of what he did as it was explained to me at the time.


You have a very unique spine and are a special scoliosis case and that makes you special. I'm sure everyone would concur.....
Ed

Awww... Shucks and geewillikers. :o

I think we are all unique though. Each of us has our own issues and pains to overcome. :)

Brad

[titaniumed]

Brad

I didn't realize that x-ray was in brace. Wow...... Too bad you didn't have your hospital reports. Maybe you could e-mail Dr Bradford and ask for them. They have to be someplace. Maybe out at Twin Cities......?

Maybe you could contact someone in the records dept at the hospital for your reports. It would be a historical document....
They would be more than happy to make copies for you and drop them off in the mail,after all, there yours.

I requested video or pics and it didn't happen. They knew it was going to be a doozy and were extremely focused. I don't blame them. I was almost shipped down to Dr Bradford's group in San Francisco.

I get a kick out of the usage of the word "shucks" usually preceded with Awww. "Awww shucks" Its very "Hee Haw", gee I wonder why? LOL I have noticed it used quite a bit on line.

Looks like Debbe will have some PT to do on her arm. She will feel so much better as my shoulder PT helped considerably with building up my upper paraspinal muscles in my back. It actually helped my back more than my broken shoulder! I would recommend it to all scoli posties after some healing time goes by.
Ed