| Having suffered a shoulder injury earlier this year I | | | | This appeared to work perfectly. Within two days of |
| started researching the subject on the internet and | | | | the injection I was pain free but as the days passed |
| was surprised by how many different ways there are | | | | the inflammation and pain returned, not as bad as |
| to injure your shoulders and just how common it is. | | | | before but definitely back with a vengeance and |
| Around thirty percent of us will injure one or more of | | | | deteriorating week by week. Eventually it was decided |
| our shoulders. The majority of those injuries fall into | | | | that I should undergo shoulder surgery. The aim was to |
| two categories. Wear and tear as we get older is by | | | | shave a small piece of bone away from my collar |
| far the biggest followed closely by sporting injuries. | | | | bone to increase the gap through which the tendon |
| Anyone who throws or hits a ball in a sports activity is | | | | moved. This would allow the inflamed muscle to move |
| at risk of shoulder injury. Throwers shoulder as it is | | | | more freely and allow it to heal. |
| sometimes called is in fact a shoulder impingement. In | | | | A date was set for 3 months away. We may not pay |
| the course of playing sports you manage to pull or | | | | for health care in the UK but it comes with a price, a |
| tear one of the four muscles that make up the rotator | | | | waiting list. Being impatient to get better I decided to |
| cuff. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles which help | | | | research the subject to see what alternatives there |
| to stabilise and move the shoulder. Because they are | | | | were to surgery if any. |
| all very close to each other and run over and under | | | | I discovered that conservative, non-surgical treatment |
| the bones of the shoulder back and chest any swelling | | | | of shoulder injuries and shoulder impingements focus |
| in them caused by injury can result in the muscle being | | | | very strongly on physiotherapy as the way to not only |
| pinched or impinged. | | | | fix injuries but also to prevent future injuries. Because |
| Once you get a shoulder impingement the muscle is | | | | of their position, you tend not to use your rotator cuff |
| catching every time that you move it which results in | | | | muscles a great deal and as we age the blood and |
| more damage, more swelling and increased pain. This | | | | oxygen supply to them can reduce leaving them |
| is what happened to me and what started out as a | | | | susceptible to injury. Through careful exercise it is |
| dull ache in my shoulder had turned into a debilitating | | | | possible to strengthen the muscles and improve the |
| level of pain within about three days. Any movement | | | | blood supply helping with the healing process. |
| above shoulder level was excruciatingly painful and | | | | After more research I started exercising my shoulder. |
| trying to reach behind me was almost impossible. I had | | | | Very carefully at first, avoiding any movement that |
| torn one of the tendons on my supraspinatus muscle. | | | | caused pain or discomfort and gradually building up the |
| This tendon ran under my collar bone and due to the | | | | range of movement and load on the muscles I |
| swelling was catching on my collar bone every time | | | | exercised on a daily basis for six weeks and was |
| that I made certain movements. | | | | surprised to find that my shoulder gradually improved |
| The doctor recommended an eight week course of | | | | until I had full movement and was free of pain. |
| high dosage Ibuprofen. By consistently taking a high | | | | Ten weeks on and I was able to play a round of golf |
| dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs the aim is to keep | | | | without any problem, apart from taking too many |
| the swelling down 24/7 so that the muscle gets a | | | | shots. I have decided to postpone the operation for the |
| chance to heal without getting damaged any further. In | | | | time being to see if my good fortune lasts. So if you |
| minor injuries this may work but in my case | | | | have a shoulder injury and don't feel like exercising, |
| unfortunately it didn't, so the next step was a steroid | | | | think again. It might not work for everyone but it is well |
| injection deep into the muscle. Again the aim was to | | | | worth considering, but take it easy and remember no |
| bring down the swelling and give the muscle a chance | | | | gain if you feel pain! |
| to heal on its own. | | | | |