Keeping your strength/motivation during an injury

[carolyn]

So the pain is back once more in my shoulder. Too many long reaches irritated it. I took a week off. It felt better. Climbed. Hurt it again. Took a week off. It felt better. Did some strength exercises. Hurt it again. Im now at a point where I have a sharp pain in the lower part of the shoulder blade when lifting my arm, carrying anything, even sneezing sux. There is an obvious weakness in it as well.

 

Ive received some great advice on how to take care of it both online and from friends. I dont have insurance and cant afford a dr, so there is not a whole lot more I can do. I know One of the keys for me right now is disciplining myself AND taking more than a week off. I can/will do this.

 

In the meantime I worry a lot about losing my strength. With ice season right around the corner (well, actually beginning right now), what kind of things can I do to keep my strength (and motivation) up and not irritate the shoulder more?

 

Things I HAVE been doing...

 

calf raises

 

Stomach muscle exercises

 

Back exercises

 

stretching (anything that doesnt involve the shoulder)

 

Working on my eye/hand coordination on my left hand by swinging tools and/or hammer at one spot.

 

biking (gonna have to put the bike on a trainer very soon)

 

Possibly I could do some ice climbing without tools? Using flat hands to practice footwork?

 

Any other thoughts/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dru]

exactly -

 

oh, aside from biking, you can try running, etc. i wouldnt go kayaking though and even swimming involves lotsa shoulder movement

[layton]

try getting your shoulder adjusted by a chiroquacktor.

[lummox]

light weight lifting emphasizing range of motion will help a lot --as long as it is pain free. get a good book. a horny boyfriend. volunteer at the local library. theres more to life than climbing. or so i have been told.

good luck

[Dave_Schuldt]

That sucks, hope your better soon.

[carolyn]

Dru said:

you can try running

 

Oh how I HATE running!

I dont mind running stairs if I have to.

Maybe a good ol fashion hike!

 

Good News, tho!

I take care of a little boy a couple days a week.

Once a week he goes to the chiro.

I couldnt help much today (he has some very special needs), and I told the dr this. He was curious what happened and suggested I come in. After I explained that I didnt have insurance and would just have to deal he offered to see me for FREE the first two times...then half off for each visit...no extra charge if I need ultrasound or other miscl therapeutic devices to speed up the recovery.

 

My first appt is tomorrow!

 

*big sigh of relief!*

[carolyn]

lummox said:

a horny boyfriend.

Too bad he is out of town, eh?

 

lummox said:

theres more to life than climbing. or so i have been told.

 

No there is not!

Dont let them tell you those lies!

[ChrisT]

carolyn said:

Dru said:

you can try running

 

Oh how I HATE running!

I dont mind running stairs if I have to.

Maybe a good ol fashion hike!

 

Good News, tho!

I take care of a little boy a couple days a week.

Once a week he goes to the chiro.

I couldnt help much today (he has some very special needs), and I told the dr this. He was curious what happened and suggested I come in. After I explained that I didnt have insurance and would just have to deal he offered to see me for FREE the first two times...then half off for each visit...no extra charge if I need ultrasound or other miscl therapeutic devices to speed up the recovery.

 

My first appt is tomorrow!

 

*big sigh of relief!*

 

that's cool carolyn. good news. I've had chronic shoulder pain for years and I just grit my teeth and climb through the pain. I would, however, be interested to know if chiropractic treatment is beneficial so keep us posted.

 

BTW i hate running too

[Dru]

RUNNING SUCKS! but it is good for you.

 

actually i prefer walking slowly carrying heavy loads. but it might be out if pack on your shoulder tweaks it.

[rbw1966]

Just found out I have a SLAP tear in my shoulder that will require surgical repair. Hopefully this will take care fo the chronic shoulder pain I have experienced for years. MRI showed the tear, as well as the fact that I had dislocated it previously.

 

Huh huh I said chronic.

 

Hope the chiro treatments work for ya carolyn.

[Bill_Simpkins]

Sometimes getting good at something else can make you better at what you've been doing. Take a good, long break from climbing. Maybe do a ton of hiking, or get into fast-packing. Light scrambles, play soccer, whatever. Have fun and forget all the pressure. When you return to climbing, you may suprise yourself.

 

I

 

[carolyn]

The chiro went well for the most part.

Lots of info spewed out in a short amount of time.

The scans showed problems on the entire right side from my neck down to my lower back. The most severe were in the neck and lower back. He believed it was a pinched nerve in the neck causing the shoulder pain/tingling/aching/etc...even the mysterious headaches (just thought I wasnt getting enough water!). This would all make sense considering it started with a kink in my neck months ago after belaying. His thougths on why it keeps getting irritated is because when I do long reaches on that particular side, Im twisting my neck funny. Mimicking the moves with my arms I can definately see how that is accurate. I cant remember his explanation for the weakness in the arm. I will have to ask next time.

 

I got adjusted for the first time ever. It seems to have relieved the symptoms a little bit, altho as the day/eve goes on they are increasing again. He recommended I come back a few more times this week. *fingers crossed*

 

The strange thing is the greatest abnormalities on the scan were in my lower back. I do have lower back issues, but really no current pain...especially to have it show one side being 2018% out of the normal range!

 

Anyway, Im developing a more positive attitude toward letting this heal and grateful for the opportunity to work on some of my weaknesses (like cardio).

 

Rob-

Sorry to hear about your shoulder. Tho, maybe it will be an end all to the pain! How long do they say it will take to fully heal from the surgery?

[layton]

Carolyn,

pain is the Last symptom to appear, and the 1st to dissapear making it a poor indicator of function.

Also, I don't know about those back scans some chiropractors do. Seems like smoke and mirrors a bit, versus actually palpating and range of motion tests. I'd ask him to actually adjust my shoulder (did he?) too. Like everything else, there are good D.C's and bad D.C's. If you don't like him see someone else. Esp someone whose is into sports med. Yes, most problems need more than a couple visits, but make sure you need them too. Also, if he only does short quick visits, dump him like a bad boyfriend. See someone who spends TIME on you and has the integrity to refer you if more needs to be done. I'm sure he's fine, but there are a few "salesmen" out there.

[rbw1966]

I was told six weeks of limited activity, stretching and then back to normal. I'm waiting until after my ice climbing trip to the Tatras over xmas before letting him cut though.

[Szyjakowski]

yeah its hard to beat a good chiropractor....there is an awesome doc in leavenworth...sprots med background, loves to talk about rock climbing and fixes the problem every time.

[Retrosaurus]

But what if you are not a close relative?

[carolyn]

A month and a half of no climbing, the chiro last week told me his tx plan involved 15 more visits! My eyes about popped out of my head!!!! He told me I need to come in more often and slowly ween away from adjustments. There have been some major improvements, but Im having a hard time deciphering between whether the improvements are coming from the adjustments or just rest. The shoulder seems to be doing quite well most of the time. My neck, on the other hand feels relief after the adjustment. Usually a day or two later i get the 'kink' again. According to him, the kink is a pinched nerve, which is what travels down and causes pain in the shoulder.

 

I couldnt resist any longer and went climbing last weekend. I vowed to stop if I felt the slightest bit of pain. I had no pain in the shoulder. The kink in the neck became obvious again after belaying a bunch, but it didnt affect the shoulder or my climbing. I was suprised. Tho, leashless seems to be more forgiving on the shoulder (if youlet go of the tools), it also seemed to be pretty damn strenuous to climb mixed.

 

The next day, I had to lift the little boy I work with and that triggered the pain in the shoulder. Could it be the different motion of lifting vs pulling that is causing the strain? Did the increased kink in my neck make me more suseptible? Why didnt it affect my climbing then?

 

The other question/thoughts I have...

Is the chiro an appropriate person to be seeing?

Tho he is giving me a good deal financially, I wonder if it might be in my better interest to find another one who I can go to just a few times vs months and months of seeing this other one. Could I get quicker results with someone else?

 

 

[Billygoat]

A massage therapists who has a strong healing side does well for me. Find one that you feel good about, that's compatible energetically, and develop a working relationship. It takes a few sessions but the pay off is quick. I come in now and don't have to tell her what's wrong. She just picks right up on it. It costs $40 to $80 a month but look at it this way, you probably spend more on keeping your car in good running shape. And it is a really enjoyable way to heal your body. If you use your body you have to keep it tuned up.

[scott_harpell]

dont do it. from what i have experienced, if you get one of those chiros, they are like crack. you will keep having to come back. get one that will get the job done right the first time. i went to a guy for a while and then switched and he fixed me and no probs till i crashed my bike. i think it is time for a tune up.

[catbirdseat]

Seems like at this stage of your recovery, you need a trainer or a physical therapist. You need to build strength and you need to build resistance to re-injury by excercising the right muscle groups. Having said that, I'm no expert by any means.

[Courtenay]

I would agree with the recommendations to 1) see a qualified trainer, 2) see a massage therapist, or 3) visit a physical therapist. Nearly every chiropractor I have heard about subscribes to the "rack and crack," even the one I go to. I happen to see him perhaps once every 3-6 months as the need comes up (I know when I need an adjustment as a specific pain crops up every so often meaning I've slipped out of alignment) but regardless of his message to come back in 3 days, I do what my body needs. If he's saying it will take 12-15 more visits, and you haven't seen major improvement or relief, try something else. Better yet, pull a fast one on him and ask point blank what's causing the problem and what exercises (stretches or strength) you can do to prevent recurrence. IF his answer is more adjustments, rather than preventative care you can do yourself, turn away and never go back.

[glassgowkiss]

courtenay, good point. same with pt's or md. homework is the key to any recovery. also few more things. the excercises or stretches should never cause any pain, burning, numbness or pins&needles sensations. so if they do, stop and ask if they can get adjusted to your condition.

you should not be sore from the treatment (chiro or massage) for more then 48 hours.

if you have a chronic condition learn to recognize your symptoms before a major flear-up. usually your body will let you know before it starts breaking down. it's much easier to treat an injury before it is a full blown pain/inflammation cycle

with the excercises you should have some changes within 1 week. if you don't, they are not the one you should be doing.

if you go to massage therapist they should be able to access any tissue within 15 minutes. if they don't they are not accessing the right tissue. i know i am going to catch flack from other practitioner, but this is my opinion on this subject matter.

[Dave_Schuldt]

Sucks to rear your in pain again. So tempting to start climbing before it has heeled................