I have hurt my right rotator cuff three times.
- I was in the driver’s seat and tried to pick up a heavy bag from the rear passenger side. The doctor prescribed rest and it was soon resolved.
- I did the same dumb move, rested as before, kept resting, until my shoulder froze, and then I had to have my arm muscle repeatedly torn from September to November of 2012.
- Most recently I was putting something in a corner kitchen drawer, and I wanted to get in the dishwasher. In a vain attempt at efficiency, instead of pivoting to face the dishwasher door, I pulled it open from the side. This time it isn’t torn, though, just “impinged.”
In addition to giving me shoulder advice, the new physical therapist lady corrected my work posture. I’ve been slouching and not putting all my weight on my “sit bones”. I know of my sit bones because they are tethered to my pelvic floor, which has taken up far too much of my attention of late.
She guided me into the correct posture. “Put your shoulders back so they are above your hips. Now try to pinch your shoulder blades together.”
Take a moment. Do that. Do you feel that you are presenting your breasts like you are an animal about to mate? I did.
She added, “Now arch your back, slightly.”
“Okay, seriously, do you want me to put a finger in my mouth at the same time? I can’t do this on a Zoom call.”
“I know, it feels odd. Now tuck in your chin.”
She did say that I wouldn’t be able to maintain that posture permanently, but I should try it intermittently. So now I sit boobs out, back arched, chin doubled. I think I look like a preening goose suppressing a burp.
Oh, and she gave me exercises to do on my own that hurt like I’m tearing my own arm off. I am inclined to never open the dishwasher again.
7 responses to “Another Round of PT”
… yeah. That… does not feel like something one could do on video unless the video was *very* definitely only neck-up. (and still: the multi-chin. Sigh.)
(just to check, does she know the exercises hurt that much? some exercises are “it will hurt more than you can imagine” ones, some are “… yeah, they will hurt approximately X much, but if it hurts Y much, call us” ones, and others are “oh good heavens that isn’t supposed to hurt, if it hurts we have a different problem” exercises.)
(I have known people who erred on both sides, some going ahead with ouchy exercises they shouldn’t have, and some assuming they should stop exercises that did hurt, in both cases resulting in further problems, sigh.)
KC – I now have a handwritten note of “stop if painful.”
… does that mean the exercises *weren’t* supposed to feel like you were tearing your own arm off?
KC – they were not. It’s very puzzling. Usually I am rewarded for more effort, but maybe she knows that if it hurts too much I won’t do it.
I would not be surprised if the treatment for a torn rotator cuff is Not The Same as the treatment for frozen shoulder.
(but also: effort is not necessarily pain. Effort can be dealing with the boredom and frustration of a set of exercises that don’t feel like they’re a big deal, but which at that level are cumulatively helping heal while stopping a freeze….)
(also I cannot tell you how happy I am to have been maybe even very slightly useful here, albeit via unsolicited advice)(I will not take this as confirmation that unsolicited advice is a good thing, I will not take this as confirmation that unsolicited advice is a good thing, I will not take this as confirmation that unsolicited advice is a good thing…)k
Kc – well, I am banking on the no-pain system. I have used the no-pain system to some effect over the weekend.