Cuff Update

By | April 25, 2004

It’s been nearly three weeks since I damaged, and very possibly tore, the rotator cuff in my right shoulder. One or more of the tendons still produce a disturbing pop a couple times a day. Usually there is no pain, but sometimes it can be relatively painful. Overall, though, I think it is getting better. I have a noticeably greater range of safe motion than I did a week ago.

I went to physical therapy last Wednesday, and I have six more sessions spread out over the next two weeks. The therapist hooked up a four electrode electro-stim box to my shoulder, along with a huge heating pad, for about ten minutes. He then used a small wand that looked like a shower head to do ultrasound heating of the muscle and tissues. After a deep massage of my shoulder, he finished up by having me do a couple simple exercises lifting small weights. I was surprised by how much the injury weakened the muscles in my shoulder.

Since I definitely can’t play tennis, I decided to go for a ride on my mountain bike. The biggest problems were that I hadn’t been on my bike for over three weeks and the outside temperature was about 30 degrees F higher than when I had been riding in February and March. After doing only three or four hundred feet of climbing through the hills, I was ready to head home. The only thing that caused my shoulder to pop during the ride was pulling the water bottle from the cage on the bike frame and lifting it to my mouth to drink.

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