Judy's Shoulder

I went to a new orthopaedic doctor yesterday, as my therapist suggested I get a second opinion. She recommended a doctor she'd heard good things about. He, considentally, was the doctor I was originally referred to, but it took so long to get in that I switched to another (perhaps less popular) doctor.

Doctor B (as in Blue) concurred with Doctor W's assessment that I, indeed, do have a frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis). The upside, however is that Dr. B recommends something besides therapy to treat it. It's called shoulder manipulation. They knock out the patient (me) with anesthesia and then move my shoulder in all the ways it should but that that are unbearable to me because of the pain. It breaks up the scar tissue and I wake up with increased movement, and it shortens the recovery time.

After manipulation I would have a few weeks of therapy, then just do some exercises on my own. Apparently, untreated, the shoulder would eventually unfreeze by itself (perhaps after several years). Therapy often doesn't help, because it makes the patient (again, me) so sore that she (me) uses it even less than without therapy.

I just looked up this treatment online, and it seems standard. It begs the question, of why didn't Dr. W offer it to me? That was what Dr. B was wondering, also. So, I'm am cautiously optimistic about my chances of a speedier recovery.

I also had a dental post implanted yesterday. I'm a little puffy on the left side, but not as bad as Crystal after her wisdom teeth were removed. I have to wait another 6 months for a tooth! Maybe I'll get a tooth about the same time my should stops hurting!