Frozen shoulder can be a terrible experience, causing us to do this we might not otherwise do when not in such severe pain. This article is written by someone who has been through it and wants to share her insights she’s gained in the process. This particular ‘guest blog poster’ is my mother, who I built this website for in the first place. I’m sure you’ll gain quite a bit out of reading this post. Please feel free to leave comments or feedback, either via the contact form on this site or the comments section. Enjoy!

Cynthia Ament, Nutritional Consultant

Pain, it can certainly impair our best judgment.

Unfortunately, pain confuses our reasoning abilities when we are most vulnerable. Our ability to make decisions is compromised, which can often result in serious consequences later on. During extensive periods of frozen shoulder pain the only thing we can focus on is getting relief– as soon as possible!

This condition is unique to each person. If it’s identified in its early stage, it can be managed with physical therapy and non-toxic pain management. Many people work thru frozen shoulder discomfort without resorting to dependence upon prescription pain drugs.

From personal experience I can attest to the devastating side effects of taking
prescription pain medications for frozen shoulder pain. What began as desperation to find enough pain relief to continue performing my job ended in more than a year of serious side effects to my immune system, complex allergic responses, and severe mental stress, emotional anxiety and depression.

The lure of the pharmaceutical industry to offer a “panacea” to pain relief is so tempting when your pain levels are off the charts. Looking back I only wish I had listened to that inner voice and never taken the first pill.

At first over-the-counter pain medicines gave a little relief, but as more adhesions
developed my body’s ability to produce its own anti-inflammatory response failed
to provide the degree of relief that I needed. In fact my job was in jeopardy so I
relented to asking for a prescription pain medication from a pain management
center. Huge, big, gigantic MISTAKE!

Over-the-counter pain pills led to more serious pain pills and their side effects. I remember frantic calls to the doctor insisting that my pain was exacerbated and the present prescription drug was not working. In actuality the drug’s effectiveness had diminished and a more frequent dose was needed to take the slightest edge off the pain. Little did I realize it was my first step down the slippery slope of chemical dependence.

Instead of turning this valuable alert into a mellow dramatic novel on the tragedy
of Ultram, Loritab, Tylenol with Codine and Percoset, let’s me just say that it was
a very costly mistake for the little relief that it provided.

All metabolites of prescription drugs are eliminated from the body through the
kidneys, liver and intestinal tract. It is wise to carefully read the potential side
effects list and alert a spouse or family relative to the symptoms as well. Having
an objective person to oversee and monitor your reactions is essential. The
frantic, edgy panic that surfaces when pain reduction is no longer effective will be
very apparent to those close to you. The accumulative side effects to the liver in
particular can be serious. Insist that your doctor check or monitor your liver
health if you are currently taking or have used these classifications of pain drugs.

While this article is written to warn others suffering from frozen shoulder pain
about the potential risks associated with prescription pain killers, it applies to
anyone dealing with chronic pain. So, are there other options to dealing with
frozen shoulder pain….YES! To deal with this condition a personal plan to
deal with every stage is absolutely essential including:

• Develop a self-help plan that includes daily physical therapy stretches
and strength exercises.
• Pain management relief with massage and/or acupuncture.
• Safe, natural topical herbal pain rubs. (avoid ones with chemical bases)
• Include in your diet foods that fight pain.
• Support healing by taking nutritional supplements formulated to reduce
inflammation, and fight pain.
• Identify your stressors and reduce or eliminate them.

Personally, if ever presented with a return of of this problem in the future I would
not use prescription drugs again. The costs have been severe, long lasting and I
would encourage you to pursue a more natural treatment for relief.

For more information, take a look at this related blog post which describe the new program put together from Cynthia. It’s absolutely comprehensive and goes way beyond anything else you will find written by people who have no personal experience.

I can’t recomend this product enough if you or a loved one has frozen shoulder.

Related posts:

1. FROZEN SHOULDER (Adhesive capulitis) PAIN
2. Frozen Shoulder Side Effects—Anxiety & Depression