Two Years with Frozen Shoulder: It Changed More Than Just My Shoulders

For almost twenty years, I worked as a chef.

It was a career I genuinely loved, but it was also physically demanding. Every day involved lifting heavy pots, carrying boxes of ingredients, reaching overhead, and spending long hours on my feet.

I rarely gave my shoulders much thought.

They simply did their job.

That changed in September 2024.

While lifting a heavy box at work, I injured my right shoulder. At first, I assumed it was just another muscle strain. Working in a busy kitchen often came with aches and pains, and I expected it to improve after a few days of rest.

It didn't.

Instead, the pain stayed with me and slowly became part of my everyday life.

I Kept Working Through the Pain

Looking back, I probably should have sought specialist treatment sooner.

Instead, I continued working for about ten months, hoping my shoulder would gradually improve.

Some days were manageable.

Others were much harder.

Like many people, I kept telling myself, "It'll get better soon."

It didn't.

Tasks that had once felt routine became increasingly difficult.

Lifting heavy pots.

Reaching for ingredients on high shelves.

Even putting on my chef's jacket became uncomfortable.

The hardest part wasn't always during work.

It was getting home and realizing how many ordinary things had become difficult.

Washing my face.

Washing and drying my hair.

Reaching for the seat belt in the car.

Taking something down from a high shelf.

Even getting a full night's sleep became difficult because of the pain.

These were things I had always taken for granted. Losing the ability to do them made me realize how much I depended on my shoulders every single day.

Finally Understanding What Was Happening

After months of appointments and different treatments, I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis.

Before then, I knew very little about the condition.

My orthopaedic specialist explained that frozen shoulder usually progresses through three stages.

The freezing stage, when pain increases and movement becomes more restricted.

The frozen stage, when stiffness often becomes the biggest problem.

And finally, the thawing stage, when shoulder movement gradually begins to return.

For the first time, my experience started to make sense.

I understood why recovery wasn't happening in a few weeks—or even a few months.

There wasn't a quick fix.

My recovery was likely to require time, patience, and an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan.

Recovery Took Longer Than I Ever Expected

Over the following months, I tried a range of treatments as my recovery continued.

I attended regular physiotherapy and massage therapy. During the first six months, I also tried acupuncture once or twice a week and cupping therapy while the pain was at its worst.

Later, my orthopaedic specialist recommended several procedures, including steroid injections, other image-guided injections, and hydrodilatation. These treatments were selected for my individual circumstances and may not be appropriate for everyone.

Some treatments appeared to reduce my pain, while others were followed by gradual improvements in my range of motion. None provided an instant or complete solution.

Each one became part of a much longer recovery process.

About eighteen months after my injury, my right shoulder had improved enough that I decided to try Pilates.

It felt good to move again.

Then something unexpected happened.

My left shoulder began to freeze as well.

I stopped Pilates and found myself starting another recovery journey before the first one had fully ended.

At the time of writing, I estimated that my right shoulder had recovered to about sixty per cent of its previous function, while my left shoulder was still progressing through frozen shoulder.

Somewhere along the way, I realized this story was becoming about much more than my shoulders.

Life Didn't Stop During Recovery

For a long time, I thought recovery simply meant waiting.

Waiting until the pain eased.

Waiting until I could lift my arm again.

Waiting until life returned to normal.

Over time, I realized that wasn't really what was happening.

While my shoulders were recovering slowly, other parts of my life were beginning to change too.

Not all at once, and not because I planned it that way.

It just happened naturally.

Finding Time to Learn Again

When I was working as a chef, most of my energy went into work.

After long shifts, I usually wanted to eat dinner, relax for a while, and get some sleep before doing it all again the next day.

There wasn't much time to read or learn something new.

Recovery gave me something I hadn't had for years.

Time.

I started reading books about health, nutrition, and healthy aging. Later, I became interested in psychology and personal development as well.

Some books were helpful, while others simply gave me a different perspective.

I also found myself watching more documentaries and films than I ever had before.

For someone who had spent years working in busy kitchens, slowing down didn't feel natural at first.

Eventually, though, I stopped thinking of it as "doing nothing."

I was simply spending my time differently.

Learning About Money in a Different Way

Another unexpected change was learning about investing.

For most of my working life, I depended on my salary.

Like many people, I thought that if I worked hard enough, I would always have an income.

Being away from work made me think differently.

I started asking myself what I wanted my future to look like, especially if my body could no longer do the same kind of physical work forever.

That curiosity led me to books about investing, ETFs, and personal finance.

I'm still learning.

I still make mistakes.

I don't consider myself an expert, and I probably never will.

But understanding money has become another way of preparing for the future.

Looking back, those months eventually became the foundation for the Mindful Wealth section of this blog.

Why I Started This Blog

During recovery, I spent a surprising amount of time searching online.

Whenever my shoulder became stiffer or more painful, I wanted to know whether it was normal and how long it might last.

I found plenty of medical information.

What I found less often were personal stories that felt calm, honest, and realistic.

Many stories focused only on treatment or only on frustration.

I wanted something in between.

So I began writing down my own experience.

At first, it was simply a personal record.

Later, I added notes about menopause, healthy aging, nutrition, and the financial lessons I was learning after leaving work.

Eventually, those notes became Nourished 2nd Act.

I don't expect my experience to be the same as everyone else's.

But if someone searching for answers feels a little less alone after reading my story, then sharing it has been worthwhile.

Small Things Became More Meaningful

One unexpected benefit of recovery was having more time with Mandoo.

When I was working full-time, our walks often fit around my work schedule.

Now we walked more slowly.

Some days we stopped more often.

Sometimes we didn't go very far at all.

Those walks weren't part of my rehabilitation program, but they became one of the most enjoyable parts of my routine.

They reminded me that not every day needs to be productive to be meaningful.

Recovery also taught me to appreciate smaller improvements.

The first night I could sleep a little longer without pain.

The first time I reached a shelf without thinking.

The first walk where I forgot about my shoulder for a few minutes.

None of these moments seemed important on their own.

Together, they reminded me that progress often happens quietly.

By then, I had stopped thinking of recovery as simply getting my shoulder back.

It was slowly becoming an opportunity to build a different kind of life.

Recovery Is Still Ongoing

People sometimes ask me whether my shoulders are fully healed now.

The honest answer is not yet.

My right shoulder has improved significantly, but it still isn't back to normal. My left shoulder is still going through the frozen shoulder process, so I know there is more recovery ahead.

I've stopped trying to predict exactly when everything will be better.

My experience of frozen shoulder has not followed a predictable schedule.

Some weeks I notice small improvements.

Other weeks feel almost the same.

Recovery isn't always obvious from one day to the next, but looking back, I can see how far I've come.

What Recovery Taught Me

If someone had asked me two years ago what recovery meant, I probably would have answered with one word.

Healing.

Now I think it's a little more than that.

Of course, I wanted my shoulders to get better.

But along the way, recovery also gave me something I didn't expect.

It gave me time to slow down.

To learn more about health.

To start understanding investing.

And eventually, to create this blog.

None of those things were part of a plan.

They simply became part of my life while I was recovering.

Continue Your Journey

• Body & Harmony - Read more about perimenopause, recovery, movement, and everyday wellbeing.

• Graceful Living - Explore reflections on career change, slower living, and building a different daily rhythm.

Sage Journey's Note

When I first injured my shoulder, I thought recovery meant getting back to the life I had before.

Two years later, I see it differently.

I'm still recovering.

My right shoulder continues to improve, and my left shoulder still has a long way to go. I don't know exactly when that journey will end, and I've stopped trying to guess.

What I do know is that life doesn't have to wait until everything is perfect.

Over the past two years, I've learned more about health than I ever expected. I became interested in investing, started thinking more intentionally about the future, and eventually created Nourished 2nd Act to share what I'm learning along the way.

None of that happened after my recovery.

It happened during it.

If you've found this article because you're living with frozen shoulder, I hope my experience reminds you that recovery takes time, and everyone's journey is different. While it is important to work with your GP, specialist, and physiotherapist on care suited to your condition, I also hope my experience offers some reassurance that meaningful parts of life can continue during a long recovery.

As for me, I'm simply taking one step at a time.

I'll continue sharing what I'm learning about healthy aging, menopause, retirement planning, everyday wellness, and life with my Maltipoo, Mandoo.

Thank you for reading.

I hope you'll join me again for the next chapter.

Medical disclaimer: This article reflects my personal experience with frozen shoulder and is provided for general information only. It is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat shoulder pain. Symptoms, causes, stages, and treatment options can differ between individuals. Consult a GP, physiotherapist, or appropriately qualified specialist for assessment and advice suited to your circumstances.