Suffering Succotash!

If you can remember back, I broke my wrist earlier this year. I was in a cast for two months, on narcotics to kill the searing pain and then did physiotherapy at home after the cast finally came off in April. Since then the wrist has been doing fantastic. I still know my limits and even though it's healed, it will still scream at me if I use that wrist too much (typically holding heavy things or twisting it too much).

The muscle that is connected from the shoulder all the way to the wrist has been giving me some issues since then. It wasn't used for a whole two months so I knew it would be weak... it has turned out to be a bigger issue.

In July I noticed that the at home physiotherapy plateaued. I knew which ways I couldn't move my shoulder (couldn't move it back or shoot my arm straight up too fast) and made sure I didn't move it in those ways. Before I went on summer vacation at the end of July it started to get worse. The muscle became more weak and more painful. Because it's the muscle attached to the thumb, I was constantly dropping things. I even went as far as using plastic cups and paper plates just so I wouldn't break our dinnerware. I still had narcotics left from when I originally broke it, so that helped with the pain. I went on vacation and my arm felt better since I wasn't using it for anything.... then when I came back that is when it went completely south. I put up with it for two months and continued with the physio at home. I even added strength training to the regimen - using a tension cord (made of rubber can be purchased at any physiotherapy supply store or at any fitness store) I would do bicep and tricep curls and various stretches to help make that muscle stronger.

Then earlier this month I kinked my right shoulder/side of neck because it became difficult to sleep on my left side. Lovely. I called the doctor who treated the break and went back last week. What wonderful news I received.

The muscle is indeed week and needs major physiotherapy and strength training. The rotator cuff is also damaged because of the weak muscle - the weak muscle has allowed my shoulder to slip in and out making the smooth bones/joint rough and rugged. The doctor even thinks I had a slight dislocation because of all this. I also have bursitis. Fun. It's been easier to sleep since two weeks ago when my GP put me on muscle relaxers for my neck issue. And when I take those, the left side is much better. 

So this week I start physiotherapy. On both shoulders. Plus I have at home physio to do. I'm looking forward to when I have full use of my arm back.