Man, I am so sensitive to your fear of returning pain. I never share my own stories but I only started this work because I had constant pain most of my adolescence. It is not in your head, it is in your soft tissue and it is the process of healing. Don't be afraid of movement instigating some sensation, that I like to call information. You will readdress these problems in the process of drawing in the blood and the movements that correct the origin of the problems. The sensations we call pain will come up and disappear as you heal yourself. Be sure to be deliberate and exacting as you create training exercises that are designed to allow for a more natural and appropriate agreement of tension around your joints. You are doing all the right 'stuff'. Resting and supporting (anti-inflammatories are not bad in the short run) and addressing. I would make a recommendation to take shark's cartlidge. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and provides the matrix to heal any injury that has transpired in the soft tissue. This is not a treatment for arthritis (glucosamine and condroitin are the usual suggestions and could be necessary in the long run). For now you are trying to provide what your body needs to heal itself. Shark's Cartlidge is great for near injuries and will replace the need for analgesics. Start slow, trust your process, and enjoy the ride. It's rarely predictable but can become a permanent solution if your focused on the origin of the problem and not the symptom. Keep me posted. Reminder: you're not crazy but the healing process can seem so. Vik

I did the exercises last night with no bands. So far so good. I'm still taking ibupofen, 2 in the morning and 2 at night. I'm normally not a "pill popper" but with this situation, I'll do anything to get back to normal. I'll look into the shark cartlidge. I'll keep doing the exercises with no bands, let me know when I should start using the bands. Once again, thanks a lot!!

Shoulder still OK. On a different subject but still related. Trying to have better posture. Do you have any pics or anything that show the best way to sit at a desk/computer for 8 hrs a day. Also, what's the best position to sleep? I've had a stiff neck lately. I tell you what, the last couple months I've been so out of wack it's not even funny!!!

Wacky Stuff
 

Ok, Curtis:

I am absolutely on my own on this one but I really believe 'your body' is going to move around during your sleep and any position it chooses is . . . right. I typically go to sleep on my back but never wake up that way so what is that? I really think we 'over think' this one. Sleeping, like walking and driving and living expose our weaknesses . . . but that is it. I do wish Lynn and I would get our pictures together as we have discussed so often. I am in the process of replacing my digital camera, stolen by some workmen last year, so I will make an attempt to put some pics on the site. Do you have pictures? I could certainly evaluate yours. I am having trouble with my web site also but you could send them here or to vickielake256@hotmail.com. I will be happy to do an evaluation from there and in fact know that I could give you better information just from that point. Thx for the suggestion. Vik

Sitting at a PC
 

Curtis,

At the suggestion of another poster, I got some of Peter Egoscue's Pain Free books, one of which is all about PC use. I highly recommend it for his discussions about posture and the various E-cises (Egoscue exercises) that can be done in 5 minutes while sitting at your desk.

Bruce

Dont' worry about my last post Vickie - no pics. My shoulder has been good so far. I've been doing the exercises with NO bands and I did some yoga the other day for the first time in quite awhile. Was a little worried about the yoga but the result was no pain. Do you think it's time to get back into the bands? Also, do you think I can work out with light DB's? I've got DB's from 2.5lbs up to 40lbs.

PS Still taking ibuprofen but I'm thinking about cutting back or just stopping. I seem fine right now but that might be a different story after I incorporate some resistance.

Curtis, I just dropped the ball on this one. So sorry I didn't address the PC issue. You can just imagine that I have a lot to say on the topic. First, in most cases the monitor is too low so you could be dropping you neck forward. Secondly, most keyboards are too high, so you could have your shoulders lifted and your elbows out. Thirdly, most people round their back to type, shame, shame. Whenever anyone sees me at the computer, it's sickening, they always comment on my posture. It feels most natural to me. I sit forward in my chair with both feet flat on the floor. My shoulders are over my hips and and my head is lifted into an appropriate alignment. It's possible because I worked hard to set up my system(took me months to find the right set up so my monitor set on a phonebook, very asthetically pleasing. I do not use the back rest of the chair; no one has perfected it no matter what they say or how much it costs. Watch out when you are 'surfing'; even I get lazy in my chair. Also, try to get up atleast every hour and walk around; you probably need some water anyway. I even keep a resistance band at my desk and do some seated row motions throughout a long session. (Sounds obsessive but I was in too much pain for too many years and I've been pain free for 15 years. Forgot the pain of childbirth but not the pain of body misalignment. My apologies to you all for the anology.)

Yes, add bands. Choose ony half of the exercises the first week and then add the band to the rest of the workout the next. Pick large, core muscles like the lats and wait on the rotator cuff muscles. Use the lightest guage you can and reduce your repetitions by half for the first couple of days. When you can do a full set (to your isometric experience) then, and only then, increase the guage just a little. You can get the resistance bands from a PT office and they are measured in mils.

So glad you are feeling better. Don't worry about the pill thing. If you decrease it, however, do it slowly, one at a time, and over a couple of weeks. It's just confusing when your pain comes in and you don't know if it's the 'work' or the reduction of synthetic support. Sounds like you are making progress but it is often a two steps forward and one step back process. Just expect it and you'll be less disappointed through the process. I used to have periods (months at a time) that I couldn't lift my right arm to table level without assisting with my left and it would still make tears come from my eyes. I have no pain or limited motion for many, many year; since I came up with my work, how 'bout that. Yet another example of your greatest challenges becoming your greatest gifts.

Enjoying the on- going process. Vik

Just do not get it!! No soreness for over a week and then the last few days it came back. I didn't even do anything to cause it to act up. Just when I think it's gone it comes back. Do you think I should go get it checked out? Not afraid of the Dr, I just don't want to slap down 1 grand for a MRI and then have them tell me to keep doing what I'm doing. You know what I mean? :BangHead: :BangHead: :BangHead: :BangHead: :BangHead:

Curtis, I can only refer you to my last reply. I see this process over and over. Are you doing the exercises? Where are you in applying the protocol I suggested. The greatest difficulty in doing this on line is that I can't tweek the work for you. You should be doing the movements 2-3 times a day to keep reminding your recouperating injury that the new pain free agreement is what you really want. But without knowing what you are doing I can't advise you. Trust your gut on the Dr. I often tell people that it is sometimes good just to get the picture so you can have confidence in your process and not have to worry about the reoccurance of discomfort.

Let me know what you are doing, if you want, and I'll give you the best I got.

Vik

Went to the Dr. and he gave me a cortizone shot. Hurt like hell the next day. Can you tell me about this shot. What I should expect, etc..