January...must be time for Physical Therapy again! (long)

[Catrin]

Yippeeeee! Yayyyyy! Ok, back down to earth now

Went in this morning to my PT appointment, the first one since my evaluation. It featured a LOT of manual manipulation in some painful places and a back "cracking". By the time he was done my bad arm showed perfect extension AND with no pain or tension in my scapula! By Jove, Bill is on the right track! He gave me a gazillion rotator cuff strengthening and serratus muscle exercises to do three times a week, and he does think that in 4 short weeks we will likely have won this battle.

While the AC joint is the most immobile by far, there are also issues with the scapula and serratus - probably all going back to the immobility of the AC joint. Guidance has been sent to my trainer to do more "pulling" than "pushing" exercises to balance out all of the rotator cuff work.

Now we just need to persuade the assorted elements of my shoulder to STAY in place after our sessions It has been like this for years, so I hope he isn't over-optimistic about this being fixed in 4 weeks.

[OakLeaf]

Woooohoooo!

My DOM is going deep into my shoulder on Friday. The way he was talking about the things I shouldn't plan on doing Saturday, I think he's planning on using a crowbar.

[Catrin]

Woooohoooo!

My DOM is going deep into my shoulder on Friday. The way he was talking about the things I shouldn't plan on doing Saturday, I think he's planning on using a crowbar.

Eeeek, at least he warned you!

My shoulder and neck muscles are complaining a bit tonight, but that is ok if it gets the job done. I am THINKING about going to the gym before work tomorrow and just focus on my correctives/mobility/rotator cuff exercises. Thursday is normally a rest day, so it will depend on how I feel in the morning. My normal hard Sunday Funday workout is Saturday this weekend so I probably should take a full rest day Friday...so hopefully I will feel up to doing the correctives in the morning. No strength, no cardo - just correctives and mobility work.

[Catrin]

Woooohoooo!

My DOM is going deep into my shoulder on Friday. The way he was talking about the things I shouldn't plan on doing Saturday, I think he's planning on using a crowbar.

How did it go? I noticed yesterday that my shoulder is bruised where he was manipulating different things, but I can see improvement in the ROM of my AC joint. Of course it isn't ready to STAY there just yet but it is progress. Did my full list of rotator cuff strengthening exercises yesterday and I am a bit sore today. This is GOOD - for in 3.5 years of doing far more intense things to that shoulder it's never been sore before. We are getting it's attention

[OakLeaf]

Thanks for asking - it's a little bit sore but not like I was expecting (but tomorrow could go either way)! He went in stages - massage, acupuncture, added some needles, then took the needles out and did more massage. I can definitely feel where things are going back into alignment.

So glad yours is going well too! Yay for us! Yay for health care practitioners who know what they're doing!

[Catrin]

Just got re-assessed by my PT. While my shoulder rehab has been extended for at least another month, we are seeing improvement in both ROM and rotator cuff strength, and a few other things Now my OTHER shoulder is complaining, and THAT rotator cuff is weaker than it was a month ago...sigh. Excellent signs that conservative treatment is working though and for that I am quite thankful. Just more proof that I don't need to see anyone else for PT in the area, this guy is just plain great at what he does! That being said, my doctor isn't yet convinced that shoulder surgery won't be necessary - I am rooting for my PT

Oak - how is your journey going? I must admit the very idea of acupuncture makes me squeamish...but is it working?

[Catrin]

This feels like the never-ending-shoulder-saga...

My PT feels like he is getting closer to discovering everything that is contributing to my shoulder problems. My shoulder ROM is still restricted but much better. Rotator cuff strength is increasing, at least in a couple of directions. Scalene and first rib tightness on that side is a contributor. Since the number of my symptoms are decreasing, it becomes easier for him to tell what is going on, and today I started getting numb in certain areas that indicates ulnar nerve entrapment/thoracic outlet syndrome. He gave me yet more exercises - these are to "glide the nerve" - odd term that - which will hopefully help.

Interestingly, while the "nerve gliding" that he did this morning had some odd effects in my lower scapula - once he was done all ROM restrictions in that shoulder just plain disappeared! He also no longer considers the shoulder dysfunctional - it is now acting like a shoulder though not optimally (yet) I know that in some cases nerve entrapment requires surgery to address, I REALLY hope and pray that won't be necessary here.

[OakLeaf]

Care to share the nerve gliding exercises? Mine at this point (besides yoga anyway) mostly involve just taking the shoulder through its FULL range of motion with and without light resistance (stretchy bands with a door anchor for pulling motions, rolling a foam ball on the floor for pushing), rather than doing anything repetitive in a single plane the way most "exercises" work. (And I really feel the muscles at the inferior point of the scapula, too - have all along.)

Glad you're still making progress!