| Six months ago, I tore my left rotator cuff, or to be | | | | exercises and decided that with nothing to lose I would |
| more accurate I tore one of the muscles in my left | | | | check out his programme. |
| rotator cuff. Rotator cuff exercises helped me to a full | | | | He claims to be able to strengthen injured shoulders |
| recovery despite being told that I needed surgery, so | | | | and return them to a pain free state in around six |
| here is my story. | | | | weeks. The programme of rotator cuff exercises |
| I woke up one morning with shoulder pain. It hurt | | | | starts with very simple easy to do exercises that |
| whenever I tried lifting my left arm above my shoulder | | | | gradually increase in difficulty and length over six |
| or reaching for anything. Over the next few days the | | | | weeks. At no time did I experience any pain simply |
| pain got worse until I had severely restricted | | | | because the exercises stayed within my comfort |
| movement and was in pain constantly. | | | | zone. As the weeks progressed I found that I was |
| The pain that had started in my shoulder was now | | | | gradually increasing my range of pain free movement |
| radiating down my left arm as far as my elbow and | | | | until six weeks later I was pain free and moving my |
| virtually any movement resulted in shooting pains | | | | shoulder as normal. |
| through my shoulder. | | | | Ten weeks after starting, I was feeling brave enough |
| I went to the doctor who referred me to a specialist. | | | | to risk a game of golf. I decided to start with nine holes |
| Being based in the UK we have the NHS which | | | | just to be on the safe side. I was a little out of practice |
| means that we don't pay for medical care. The | | | | but by the end of the game I was consistently hitting |
| downside is that you wait for an appointment, so whilst | | | | the ball as far as before the injury and without any |
| I was waiting for an appointment I acupuncture to help | | | | problems. Next week I am booked for a full round of |
| manage the pain. I was also taking a course of high | | | | all nineteen holes. The nineteenth is just to celebrate |
| dosage Ibuprofen and using cold compresses to try to | | | | my return to health. |
| reduce the swelling. | | | | So what do I out this down to. I am in my early fifties |
| The specialist diagnosed a torn rotator cuff, which was | | | | and although I keep fairly fit I have definitely changed |
| confirmed by an MRI scan. I was told that I needed | | | | shape, put on a few extra pounds and am not as |
| surgery to release a shoulder impingement and given a | | | | active as when I was younger. My theory is that as |
| date for surgery that was three months away. | | | | we age we change shape, don't stand as straight, our |
| Having already suffered for three months by then I | | | | posture changes and we stop using certain muscles |
| decided that I would do some research and look for | | | | so much. The rotator cuff exercises woke up some |
| other methods of treatment while I was waiting. I came | | | | of those lazy muscles and helped change my posture |
| across the website of an American Physiotherapist | | | | enough to free up the problem. |
| who specialised in shoulder injuries and rotator cuff | | | | |