Serendipity

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that form a cuff over the shoulder. These muscles and tendons hold the arm in its "ball and socket" joint and are involved in essentially all shoulder motions. Back in April, I talked about (in another blog ) having to go to physical therapy for pain that I was having in both shoulders...and had lost my strength and range of motion in both arms. While in PT, I found out that my muscles from my neck to my lower back had seized. Not good. I remained in PT for a few weeks, until I was able to get in to see an orthopedic surgeon. The doctor was great...and actually took the time to show me in a medical book, what was going on with my shoulders, after he reviewed the xrays his office took of my shoulders.  Diagnosis: tendinitis of the rotor cuff . Tearing and inflammation of the tendons of the shoulder muscles can occur in sports which require the arm to be moved over the head repeatedly as in tennis,...

physical therapy table Where ever did we get the notion that physical therapy wouldn't be so bad, that the 'good' pain would out-weigh the bad? So okay--that was MY notion...but I have to tell you that the good pain does NOT out-weigh the bad! In fact...it has made it worse! Several months ago, I began experiencing a lot of pain in my shoulder joints as well as in the center of my back between my shoulder blades, and relentless pain in my collarbone area. With this pain, there became increasing soreness and stiffness to the point where it was effecting my range of motion in my arms.  When I went to my doctor and told her about it, she did some simple strength tests to see if I was losing strength in my arms...and I had. Her asking me to resist or push against her hands... acerbated the pain. She asked me then, in November (2011), if I wanted to be referred to a specialist, and at that time, I said 'not yet'. I wasn't ready and I really hoped that it wo...