Some answers...I hope!

[Catrin]

I visited the chiro today who specializes in ART, nerve entrapment, and other things. More than one professional athlete I know have told me if anyone can figure out my shoulder dysfunction that he can. According to him my entire left side, everything associated with my left shoulder complex, lats, and scapula, sub-scap, pec minor, etc) is ALL crazy insane tight and so is the fascia. He prescribed a very aggressive version of ART, with a warning that I would be quite sore tomorrow. I am a tough old bird, I can take it! It was...intense but it was interesting to feel how quickly he was able to get places to release.

It wasn't a very long visit, but his treatment made a significant difference in my ROM. He thinks it all goes back to the mountain bike/whiplash injury and then the repeated mtb crashes last year. My prognosis is very good and he thinks it will only take a couple of visits to free everything up :) Most importantly, he said it was clearly a muscular/skeletal problem and not neurological. All of the tight muscles have caused some impingement, especially on the bike, but he really thinks this is all muscular - which is great news!

Time will tell, but I am hopeful. Part of me was beginning to wonder if this was a permanent condition but that fear is receding.

[Becky]

Where's the "like" button when you need it?? That's great news, Catrin :)

[OakLeaf]

Yay! Fingers crossed for you.

[Owlie]

Yay!

[murielalex]

Sounds promising!

[Crankin]

I am so happy for you, Catrin!

[thekarens]

Good news!

[Catrin]

Second visit today - and while it was short he went to work with a vengeance! He is working to release adhesions on my lat (right in my armpit - didn't know they WENT that far north!), and some issues in my t-spine. I had no idea things were so bad, no WONDER I've been having referred pain in my upper arm! The results are pretty amazing, my ROM is much closer now for both arms, and my flexion in that arm is even improved. The pain in my upper arm is just...gone after the treatment this morning. He said this has been brewing for many years...

Hmmmm, perhaps I can ride my bike without pain later this week? We will see :)

[emily_in_nc]

That's wonderful, Catrin. So glad you found someone who can help and that it appears that all your issues are muscular. Those can be fixed. Yippee!

[Catrin]

That's wonderful, Catrin. So glad you found someone who can help and that it appears that all your issues are muscular. Those can be fixed. Yippee!

The treatment is....brutal.... but it is necessary. He hasn't ripped my arm off and it doesn't hurt afterwards - he knows what he is doing and he DID warn me that it would have to be a very aggressive application of ART. I am a tough old bird :) SO thankful I resisted the MRI idea and decided to go this route, it just seemed so apparent that it was something like adhesions (apparently I've a lot of them) rather than something like a torn labrum or cuff. The referred nature of the pain is apparent, it's been amazing to see what hurts in my upper arm when he is doing things to a very different part of my body! He warned me about that beforehand.

I am SO thankful! I am actually going to try and ride a little this weekend to see if some of my symptoms on the bike have moderated - I've seen so many changes after only 2 treatments! He did say what some would have recommended placing me under a general and addressing everything at once...YIKES!!!!

[OakLeaf]

Most excellent!