Postoperative Adhesive Capsulitis - Follow-Up

[AikiPapi]

Just wanted to follow up here to the related thread begun in October 2023 in case it might be helpful for someone else reading, and thank Will and Friends again for the advice.

I’m about 6 months out from the peak freezing of the shoulder (which for me was ~10 weeks after rotator cuff surgery) and, true to Will’s prognosis, ROM has returned slowly without further PT and aggressive stretching, to the tune of about 2-3% per week. I resumed training a while ago, very carefully at first, using some higher rep ranges for bench and presses initially to get some training stimulus in without ratcheting up the weight too quickly and risking some kind of damage or debilitating pain. There’s still some pain involved, more so between sessions than during, and I still can’t get my hands up on the bar for a LBBS, but I have been successfully progressing squats holding a bent (buffalo-type) bar on my traps with lifting straps (SSB-style). So with about 80% ROM returned and a willingness to scratch and claw my way back to some respectable level of strength, I am hopeful for a full recovery at some point in the not-too-distant future.

[Will Morris]

Just wanted to follow up here to the related thread begun in October 2023 in case it might be helpful for someone else reading, and thank Will and Friends again for the advice.

I’m about 6 months out from the peak freezing of the shoulder (which for me was ~10 weeks after rotator cuff surgery) and, true to Will’s prognosis, ROM has returned slowly without further PT and aggressive stretching, to the tune of about 2-3% per week. I resumed training a while ago, very carefully at first, using some higher rep ranges for bench and presses initially to get some training stimulus in without ratcheting up the weight too quickly and risking some kind of damage or debilitating pain. There’s still some pain involved, more so between sessions than during, and I still can’t get my hands up on the bar for a LBBS, but I have been successfully progressing squats holding a bent (buffalo-type) bar on my traps with lifting straps (SSB-style). So with about 80% ROM returned and a willingness to scratch and claw my way back to some respectable level of strength, I am hopeful for a full recovery at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Well, the odds are forever in your favor with adhesive capsulitis. It is only in the extreme margins that this condition is not completely self-limiting, and your willingness to get back to training prior to complete resolution almost certainly eliminates the possibility of the extreme outcome. Self-efficacy is the secret ingredient in rehabilitation. For what it is worth, you should pat yourself on the back for bucking up enough to be able to do this. Most people aren't able to demonstrate the proper mettle to be able to work their way back through this in the same way that you have been.