shoulder pain and tendonitis
Sep. 7th, 2009 07:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lobelia321This dates from June when I did my shoulder in.
Origin
My left shoulder has been stiff for about four years. One Saturday in summer, I went to do my work-out and noticed that it hurt to do push-ups. I did fewer than usual.
On Monday, I carried cardboard boxes with books to be decluttered and to be donated to the Amnesty International bookshop to the car, and from the car to the shop. After this, my shoulder was really quite painful.
I rang a number I had for the 'hand clinic' in Shelford; I had gone there years ago when it was my left wrist that was hurting, and I thought maybe the left shoulder and the left wrist were connected. I also went to see the G.P. (doctor) who put me on the waiting list for a physiotherapist.
The next morning my shoulder was terrible. I drove myself out to the hand clinic but couldn't manipulate the clutch with my left hand (this being England, the cars have their steering wheel on the right). I held onto the wheel with my left hand, and moved the gearstick with my right hand, crossed across my belly. This was, of course, totally dangerous.
Later that day, I left the car at home and went by bike. Horrible! I couldn't hold onto the handlebars. All of this, no doubt, aggravated the problem.
The hand clinic doctor suggested I see a private physio straight away: better to pay than languish on a waiting list. So I made an appointment.
On Wednesday morning, I was in very bad pain and couldn't move my shoulder at all. I walked around, cradling my left hand to avoid shoulder shocks.
Remedies
On Wednesday afternoon, I went out to Trumpington to see the private physiotherapist. This time, I had wised up and took the bus. She asked me to lift my arms to shoulder height. The right arm was fine; the left arm did not move one single centimeter. It stayed by my hip! She thought this was very bad.
In order to avoid 'frozen shoulder', she told me, I needed to do gentle exercise. The worst thing was to do as I had been doing: not move the arm!
Exercises
Here are the exercises:
1. Shrug both shoulders evenly, up to the ears.
2. Brace both shoulders back, as if to trap a coin between shoulder blades.
3. Roll the shoulders, together.
4. Put fingertips on shoulders and circle the elbows. Small circles first, then larger.
5. Move the head up and down.
6. Move the head from side to side.
7. Standing, bend over and swing the arm loosely forward and back, from side to side, and in a circle. Lean on a table or somesuch with the other hand.
8. Sitting, or lying in bed, clasp hands together and use the right hand to help lift the bad left hand up.
Do each one 5 or 10 times each. Pick a few of these to do every hour.
Medication
Two each of: 400 mg ibuprofen and 200 mg paracetamol.
Possibly, take one extra ibuprofen and double the paracetamol. You can easily double this; they give you loads in hospital.
Don't wait for the painkiller to wear off! Take another dose earlier.
Healing
All of this helped. The exercises helped immediately. After a week, I was much better mobility-wise, and the horrible pain went away pretty much after my first visit to the physio. It was really important to know to move the arm (counter-intuitive but right).
My arm was back to normal after about a month to five weeks.
Diagnosis and prevention
I had acute inflammation of the tendons (aka tendonitis) of the cuff tendons around the left shoulder joint.
Prevent recurrence by paying attention! If the shoulder hurts a little bit, stop lifting things. Do not shlepp boxes as if you were 25 years of age.
Origin
My left shoulder has been stiff for about four years. One Saturday in summer, I went to do my work-out and noticed that it hurt to do push-ups. I did fewer than usual.
On Monday, I carried cardboard boxes with books to be decluttered and to be donated to the Amnesty International bookshop to the car, and from the car to the shop. After this, my shoulder was really quite painful.
I rang a number I had for the 'hand clinic' in Shelford; I had gone there years ago when it was my left wrist that was hurting, and I thought maybe the left shoulder and the left wrist were connected. I also went to see the G.P. (doctor) who put me on the waiting list for a physiotherapist.
The next morning my shoulder was terrible. I drove myself out to the hand clinic but couldn't manipulate the clutch with my left hand (this being England, the cars have their steering wheel on the right). I held onto the wheel with my left hand, and moved the gearstick with my right hand, crossed across my belly. This was, of course, totally dangerous.
Later that day, I left the car at home and went by bike. Horrible! I couldn't hold onto the handlebars. All of this, no doubt, aggravated the problem.
The hand clinic doctor suggested I see a private physio straight away: better to pay than languish on a waiting list. So I made an appointment.
On Wednesday morning, I was in very bad pain and couldn't move my shoulder at all. I walked around, cradling my left hand to avoid shoulder shocks.
Remedies
On Wednesday afternoon, I went out to Trumpington to see the private physiotherapist. This time, I had wised up and took the bus. She asked me to lift my arms to shoulder height. The right arm was fine; the left arm did not move one single centimeter. It stayed by my hip! She thought this was very bad.
In order to avoid 'frozen shoulder', she told me, I needed to do gentle exercise. The worst thing was to do as I had been doing: not move the arm!
Exercises
Here are the exercises:
1. Shrug both shoulders evenly, up to the ears.
2. Brace both shoulders back, as if to trap a coin between shoulder blades.
3. Roll the shoulders, together.
4. Put fingertips on shoulders and circle the elbows. Small circles first, then larger.
5. Move the head up and down.
6. Move the head from side to side.
7. Standing, bend over and swing the arm loosely forward and back, from side to side, and in a circle. Lean on a table or somesuch with the other hand.
8. Sitting, or lying in bed, clasp hands together and use the right hand to help lift the bad left hand up.
Do each one 5 or 10 times each. Pick a few of these to do every hour.
Medication
Two each of: 400 mg ibuprofen and 200 mg paracetamol.
Possibly, take one extra ibuprofen and double the paracetamol. You can easily double this; they give you loads in hospital.
Don't wait for the painkiller to wear off! Take another dose earlier.
Healing
All of this helped. The exercises helped immediately. After a week, I was much better mobility-wise, and the horrible pain went away pretty much after my first visit to the physio. It was really important to know to move the arm (counter-intuitive but right).
My arm was back to normal after about a month to five weeks.
Diagnosis and prevention
I had acute inflammation of the tendons (aka tendonitis) of the cuff tendons around the left shoulder joint.
Prevent recurrence by paying attention! If the shoulder hurts a little bit, stop lifting things. Do not shlepp boxes as if you were 25 years of age.