Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder: What helps?

Hello. Can adhesive capsulitis cause nerve pain? I have AC with pain radiating down my arm, and it feels like sciatica, which I sometimes have in my leg. I'm wondering if the thickened tissues in the joint might press on a nerve somewhere?

Hello. Can adhesive capsulitis cause nerve pain? I have AC with pain radiating down my arm, and it feels like sciatica, which I sometimes have in my leg. I'm wondering if the thickened tissues in the joint might press on a nerve somewhere?

Just saw the post. Over the years had frozen shoulder twice. Last time, six years ago, I was given a cortisone shot and about six weeks of physical therapy, twice a week, and I have been fine since.

Hello. Can adhesive capsulitis cause nerve pain? I have AC with pain radiating down my arm, and it feels like sciatica, which I sometimes have in my leg. I'm wondering if the thickened tissues in the joint might press on a nerve somewhere?

Welcome, @russet3. Good question about whether adhesive capsulitis (Frozen shouler) cause nerve pain. I moved your question to this existing discussion:
- Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder: What helps? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/frozen-shoulder-1/

I did this so you can read the previous posts and connect easily with members like @auntieoakley @artscaping @lioness @that_girl @jaysnh721 @Erinmfs @deanna2 @collierga @heather47 @anniebrook @drt @tsch @alive @deonmarie @vic83 @angie13. They may be able to share whether their experience with frozen shoulder also involved nerve entrapment or radiating nerve pain.

Russet, have you been to see a physical therapist? Might the issue in the sciatica be a result of posture adjustments or compensation due to the shoulder pain?

Hello @russet3 if your shoulder is pinching a nerve, the pain in your arm might feel exactly like that. I had some of that when my shoulder was at its worst. There is hope for healing. This might be one of the most painful things I have ever had, but it did get better. I started using Voltaren gel for a little pain relief, in addition to my doctor putting a steroid shot in the joint. PT didn’t start until it started to thaw on its own. The doc sent me to Pt for a consult but they said it wouldn’t help it until it started to move.
It was a long process but it got better and better. I still have some scar tissue that shouldn’t really be there limiting some movements, and muscle discomfort can be a thing but definitely nothing I can’t live with.
Has your doctor recommended a treatment plan yet?

Hello, I suffered from adhesive capsulitis after a humerus fracture and surgery. My arm was in a sling for weeks. Hence frozen shoulder. My orthopedic doc recommended manipulation under anesthesia. My physical therapist said she could get rid of the pain with therapy. So I did intensive PT 3xs a week. After a few months the issue resolved itself. Good luck. I know this is painful.

Hello @russet3 if your shoulder is pinching a nerve, the pain in your arm might feel exactly like that. I had some of that when my shoulder was at its worst. There is hope for healing. This might be one of the most painful things I have ever had, but it did get better. I started using Voltaren gel for a little pain relief, in addition to my doctor putting a steroid shot in the joint. PT didn’t start until it started to thaw on its own. The doc sent me to Pt for a consult but they said it wouldn’t help it until it started to move.
It was a long process but it got better and better. I still have some scar tissue that shouldn’t really be there limiting some movements, and muscle discomfort can be a thing but definitely nothing I can’t live with.
Has your doctor recommended a treatment plan yet?

Thank you! I am so glad to know that I'm not alone in this experience, and that my impression of a pinched nerve might be correct. (I messaged my orthopedist but he was noncommittal.) I'm also glad to know that I'm not alone in finding AC painful in general. Not that I wish pain on anyone, but everything I've read says that it's supposed to stop hurting after a while, and mine hasn't. And I'm glad there is hope!
Did the cortisone help? My orthopedist is recommending it, given the continued pain. Otherwise, he says studies have shown that nothing will make this condition heal any faster; I just have to wait it out. That actually makes sense to me. But see my reply to Colleen above – I may have some secondary posture or compensation issues that would benefit from therapy.
Thanks again for your support.

Waiting it out is exactly what my doctor said. He said there is surgeries and manual manipulation and a few other things but he said he has never seen any of them work. The cortisone shots really were a lifesaver for me. He also would not order PT until it was thawing on its own because he said that he never found it to be successful either. But once I started doing PT, it thawed and felt better pretty quick. All told I was in it more than a year, and I still have to be careful of shoulder posture. Do you have an appointment for a shot? Have you ever tried topical nsaids, or topical lidocaine?