SHOULDER FIXED

Four years ago as I was going out to feed the birds, I slipped on a patch of ice and came down hard on my right forearm.  The force of the landing jammed my shoulder up around my ears and messed up that joint.

I have had shots and  therapy but refused the surgery. As a result, that shoulder has been really hurting for almost all of the 4 years. I had recovered full range of motion but one careless move could bring me to my knees with a pain which fortunately while relatively brief, would make me cry out and often curse colorfully. It was attention getting.

I got pretty adept at using my left arm for most things but I would occasionally forget as right is my dominant arm. No, I was not happy.  I knew I had to use it or it could become frozen but maybe I was using it wrong.

Back in May I wrote about my chiropractic miracle worker.  Well he really took me out of pain. As an update, no more back, hip or leg pain. Nothing, zero, nada. I think I love him.

At the time he wanted to work on my shoulder but what he did, did not seem to help so I figured this was a lifetime ailment. He did mention that when working on the computer I should keep my knees lower than my hips and adjust my keyboard and mouse so there was no reaching. I was to keep my elbow close to my ribs.

Well I was all ready doing that largely unintentionally but then I started thinking that maybe I should do all my reaching and lifting the same. Hey, what could I lose?

When I would hurt my shoulder before, I never really knew what I had done wrong to make the sharp pain resurface. So I tried making a conscious effort to keep my right elbow close to my body for all reaching and lifting. Soon it became a habit without my even thinking about it.

Then one day it dawned on me that I hadn't had an episode of knee buckling pain in quite a while. I rotated my arm and there was no pain.

I think what I had been doing before just kept aggravating the shoulder with improper usage and was not allowing it to heal. 

Do I reach out automatically like I use to for something? Nope.  Do I lift things extending my arm to the side once more? Nope. My right elbow is very comfortable by my rib or close to my body and will stay there. I no longer have to think about it.

Now this pain free mode has gone on for a couple of months. No surgery, just rest and no re-aggravation. I do believe it has healed. It wasn't an instant fix but it has been a lovely one.

As the old joke goes for those of us in our golden years: " If I woke up and nothing hurt, I'd think I was dead."

I have reached that painless point and am delighted I am still on the right side of the grass. No telling what tomorrow will bring but right now, nothing hurts. Ahhhhh.

Now I know some of my readers have been suffering with the same ailment or  know of someone who also has this problem. It often comes with aging.  All I can say is just try it. It sure can't hurt and the price is right.