shoulder news

[angledge]

OK, went & saw the sports medicine doctor yesterday. Dr. H. took a few X-rays, performed an unpleasant physical examination, & then gave me his diagnosis.

Short version: I'm getting old.
Longer, more diplomatic version: I have subluxated my shoulder, a common problem amongst swimmers, since we tend to stretch out the tendons & ligaments in our shoulders, which destabilizes the joint. Dr. H. said I have cartilage rubbing on cartilage, which is causing the pain & a lot of inflammation.

So the way forward is 1) less swimming in the immediate future; 2) anti-inflammatory drugs (which are helping a lot already); and 3) 10 sessions of physical therapy. Dr. H. gives this treatment plan a 75% chance of successfully addressing the problem. If it doesn't work, I might have to consider surgery. But hey - 75% chance of success. That's pretty good odds.

And now, photos from my last swim meet - see Ang swim the 200 individual medley! In a 25-yard pool, the 200 IM consists of two lengths of each stroke in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, & freestyle. It's one of my strongest events.

Swimmers, take your mark ... Diving off the block to start the race.


The first two laps of the individual medley are butterfly, my favorite stroke.


No backstroke photo was available, but here I am turning at the wall.


By the second half of the race, AIR is the most important thing. BREEEEEEEEEEAAATHE. I think I look like some demented frog-woman in this photo. But it's funny, so I posted it.


The last two laps of the IM are freestyle. I'm the swimmer closest to the camera, doing my best to catch the race leaders in the last sprint.

Warning: slow photo download behind cut.

Comments

[permogod.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
Ang, you kick so much ass! Thanks for sharing the pictures, I love the frog woman.lol
And take care of that shoulder babe! A hot bath wih Epson salt is a wonderful thing.

Roger wilco

[angledge.livejournal.com]

And take care of that shoulder

Yes ma'am. I didn't go to practice last night. I'm taking my drugs. And I'm scheduled for my first visit to the professional sadist physical therapist for Monday morning, 8 AM.

Re: Roger wilco

[permogod.livejournal.com]

alrighty then. I was afraid I might have had to kick your ass or something. :)
Good luck at your appointment.

Re: Roger wilco

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

I'm contemplating a career change to professional sadism physical therapy.

[mrsjadephoenix.livejournal.com]

Cool pictures. You rock! And I've seen swim meets before - I think everybody pretty much gets the frog face when they're swimming intensely. ;-)

I agree.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

In particular, breaststroke provides everyone with an opportunity to look truly ridiculous.

[thereject.livejournal.com]

You should swim like an oarfish and you wouldn't need to use your arms at all.

What is an oarfish?

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I might have to come up with some clever strategies for staying in the pool a little bit without irritating the shoulder.



OK, I feel better for getting that off my chest. *phew*

[afterwards.livejournal.com]

Scrolling OMG! It is a happy day!

[ataralas.livejournal.com]

I know exactly how you feel. I fucked up my elbows pretty good playing water polo (really, you haven't actually stressed your elbow in your life until you have a 200lb guy come crashing down on your hand from above while your arm is outstreached simply cos you wanted to hold the pretty yellow ball for awhile) and had to stop playing. I'm still struggling on getting into the pool regularly, particularly because lap swim is at bloody inconvenient hours.

As for being frog-face...*points and laughs at breaststroke swimmers* teeheehee! My coach in high school allowed me one breath in my 50yd and four in my 100yd (free). Dear lord, I hated him for it...

Times change!

[angledge.livejournal.com]

My coach in high school allowed me one breath in my 50yd and four in my 100yd (free).

My understanding is that coaches encourage sprinters to breathe as often as they want to, as long as they don't breathe right off the wall. More air = more explosive sprinting.

Re: Times change!

[ataralas.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I heard that too, and my coach didn't impose breathing limits for anyone else, really. For me it was a mental thing--if I was swimming from breath to breath, I was focused on getting to the next place I was allowed to breathe, and ended up being faster. Which, I guess, just goes to show that everyone's a bit different.

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

People I've known who've done PT for shoulder pain have had some pretty good results when they actually keep up with the strengthening exercises.

Will you show me all the exercises they make you do? I really love this stuff, hence researching the career change. It's flesh mechanics.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Will you show me all the exercises they make you do?

Sure. I'll be fairly practiced with them by Memorial Day.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Have you tried those hot wheat bags?

I haven't tried heat - I was icing the shoulder after practice this week & taking lots of ibuprofen. But the anti-inflammatory meds the doctor gave me have done a lot to fight the pain.

[crostfingrs.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Sorry to hear you're hurtin'. Sorry to hear you're getting old.

If you find a cure for aging, let me know, will you? Getting old is kicking my ass more than yours, I'll betcha. In the meantime, take care of yourself, and hope you're feeling better soon. :)

The only known "cure" for aging ....

[angledge.livejournal.com]

.... was the Quiz theme last week (http://www.livejournal.com/community/ljdq/29873.html).

Thanks for the well-wishes. I'm already feeling a lot better, just from the anti-inflammatory drugs & three days out of the pool.

Re: The only known "cure" for aging ....

[crostfingrs.livejournal.com]

I missed by thatmuch. Rub it in why dontcha.

Hmmm... Cure for Aging of a Salesman?
Til Cure for Aging Do Us Part?
Mega - Cure for Aging?

Doesn't quite work . . .

[mjrowswim.livejournal.com]

If your shoulder is subluxating, that means that the ligaments around the joint are loose, and thus the best PT is to strengthen the muscles around the joint. My guess is that your PT will have you doing some internal and external rotation exercises with a Theraband (provides resistance), and also work on your upper traps, and deltoids.
Surgery should not be in your future unless your shoulder becomes more unstable over time. Hopefully, as your shoulder muscles get stronger, the joint will become more stable, and you will be back to swimming. I would suggest not using heat, but continuing with your meds and icing.
Remember you have a friend who is a PT back east, and we are NOT all sadists. :)

Thanks for the advice!

[angledge.livejournal.com]

The PT focused a lot on my poor posture (shoulders slumped forward, head not in neutral). She recommended several stretches to do during the day at my computer desk. I've got some stretching exercises for my back muscles, which (she says) are so tight right now that they need to get stretched out before trying to strengthen them. Also, since I'm out of the water for the next few weeks, I think I'm going to find a Pilates class & start back with that. Yeah.

Remember you have a friend who is a PT back east, and we are NOT all sadists. :)

How could I ever forget my friends? And I know you're not all sadists; you're only trying to heal. But having someone poke, pull, & prod at my sore shoulder makes me cranky. Besides, having just learned that my health insurance plan has a $500.00 deductible for physical therapy, I think I've learned who the REAL sadists are ...