
I've been with a painful shoulder for almost a year now. Recently, I was diagnosed with 'diabetic frozen shoulder', something I have never heard about before. Well, apparently, a big thing in the diabetes community.
My diagnose triggered a bit of research on my side. I've shared this widely in social media and I got an overwhelming response within the diabetes online community. I've found diabetics who got frozen shoulder in both shoulders! Also, cases of bad diagnose: please check that what you actually have is not a torn rotator cuff - as symptoms may be similar at the beginning.Â
With that in mind, I decided to post here some of the answers I've found to treat or cope with a frozen shoulder. I hope this would be useful for other diabetics like me who are going through this extremely uncomfortable long process of healing.Â
Please bear in mind I have lived with diabetes type 1 for 25 years but I'm not a doctor. Therefore, please do your own research and check your sources. At the end of this post, you can find the references.
A quick advice: pay attention to your posture at work and sleeping position.Â
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Diabetic frozen shoulder? What is the main cause of frozen shoulder?
Sadly, people with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing adhesive capsulitis -commonly known as frozen shoulder-. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can affect collagen, which is a major protein that makes up our connective tissue.
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Bad news, everybody will tell you different things. This process can take up to six to nine months or to three years, although it may take only a few months for the lucky ones. I'm in my 11th month and things are not improving as I would like to.Â
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What is the fastest way to get rid of a frozen shoulder?
That is a good question! This is a complete mystery to medicine (as many other things).
Some things I've tried:
- Acupuncture - I go often, it helps me a lot
- Chinese cupping - great to relieve the pain
- Ice packs - it helps if you cannot sleep but only temporaryÂ
- Physiotherapy - didn't work well for me
- Cortisone injections - good stuff but cortisone play havoc with your sugars (I had to change my basal x6 for a few days). Be aware that cortisone is not always effective for all people. Â
Some things other people with diabetes have recommended me:
- Shoulder manipulation under local anaesthetic followed up with daily stretching exercises over a couple of months.
- Deep massage
- Saline injection - a few litres pumped in and people experience relief for a few months. It could be an alternative to cortisone, I think.
- SurgeryÂ
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References
- Frozen shoulder - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic, 2021
- I have frozen shoulder. Is this related to my diabetes? - American Diabetes Association, July 01, 2020
- Review of diabetic frozen shoulder - European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology 28 (3â4), April 2018
- Analytical Observational Study of Frozen Shoulder among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus - Joints, 2018
- Thawing Out a Frozen Shoulder, with Diabetes - Healthline, Diabetes Mine
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