Over the last year since doing so much painting work I have overused the muscles in my right arm. At times my arm aches.
On Sunday 23 July 2006 my arm was aching a bit but not unduly. I decided to get rid of the tent caterpilalr from our trees and got the clippers out to do it. I couldn't reach all of them so got the long device out that has a rope you pull to bring the cutting edge down on the branch. then the branch falls off. i had to stretch up to reach some of them and couldn't reach two areas so left them. This might have been the deciding factor in causing my shoulder to play me up the next day!
Mon 24 July. I got up as normal though my arm was hurting a lot. I dressed as usual with shorts and t-shirt. By 9 am I could not lift my arm above my head unless I lifted the arm up with my left arm. By ten am I was in tears with the pain from my arm. I do not like taking pain killers so tried to last out. I had many tender spots on my right arm. I could not lift my hand above my head. I got used to the pain and did nothing , just rested the arm, wishing the pain would go away!
I did not want to go to the doctors because I feared they would just give me cortizone injection or painkillers. I did not want that.
With my training in Body Management I felt that my problem was that the muscles were not getting the energy to them that was needed. I needed someone to do Body Management on me! No one around though and my teacher lives along way away in Aldergrove, near Vancouver.
I looked up in Canada 411 in the business section for accupuncture. I chose to look for accupuncture because I know that deals with the meridians and energy. I had never yet had accupuncture treatment. I found Nothing. I looked in yellow pages and managed to find one in Grand Forks. I managed to get an appointment for Wednesday at noon. A long to wait when you are in agony, but better than nothing.
That night I massaged the arm for about two hours and got a bit of relief, going from five tender spots to just two. I wondered why I hadn't done that earlier in the day!!! Silly me!
On Tuesday my arm was a little better than it had been on the Monday. At least I was not in so much agony! Dressing was a problem though! I ended up pulling a t-shirt vest top over my bottom and onto my shoulder that way. (nope.. I could not put on my usual undergarment on my top though I could on my bottom!) I found a wrap around skirt I could do up. At least I was decently covered! However I still could not effectively use my right arm and I still was unable to use the computer for more than about five minutes without feeling too much pain even though I was only using my left hand to move the mouse and type.
On Wed I dressed in a similar fashion to Tuesday, but with a clean t-shirt vest and just before noon I drove to the accupuncturist for an hour session. I had to use my left hand to insert the key into the lock and could just about use my right hand to operate the automatic gear shift and put it into reverse and then into drive.
Since it was my first visit he got me to write down my name, telephone number and age. Then he asked what my main problem was. I told him that I thought I had a frozen shoulder as I couldn't lift my arm above my head or move it very much.
We went into the treatment room. He got the treatment chair out and got me to sit in it. I sat facing the back of the chair, with my head in the little hole there specially designed for this. My knees and legs were resting on the specail ledges there. My arms were resting on the ledge that was now to my front and in front of the head hole. It was comfortable.
Now came the sticking in of needles. I felt a few pricks but nothing painful. Then came something to do with getting a circuit through me. The positive and the negative... both flowing. He turned it up so untill I could feel the tingling going through me. In actual fact what I felt was a oulse between what I thought was one needle and another. He said the energy was very blocked because I hadn't felt the electricity until he had turned it up quite a bit.
This seemd to relax my muscles. I guess I had this for about twenty to thirty minutes. Then came a heat sensation on my muscles. I am not sure how he did this though he told me at the time. This felt realy good!
Then came a massage time. This felt good though a bit painful in places. The oil used smelt wonderful.
Next came manipulation of my arm. During this session he told me that I couldn't have a frozen shoulder as I would not be able to do what I was doing. He said I must have injured my muscles and the pain was preventing the arm from working correctly. He said it was more like a repetative strain injury rather than frozen shoulder.
By the end of the session I could lift my arm a little. Not much, but more than before.
I drove home. I suddenly realised I had used my right hand to insert the key, that I was holding the steering wheel in the normal way, and although my arm was a bit painful still in places, overall it felt much more relaxed. I am due to go again for treatment on Friday at noon. One session is not enough to cure all the problems. I have to rest the arm and not overdo it! (I could not have written this article yesterday!!!! My arm was too painful!)
Thurs 27 July 2006
I dressed normally today!!! A great feeling! Admittedly the t-shirt is a golf-type one and loose but that is OK! I got it on in the normal way over my head!I even have shorts on which I am able to pull up and do up with only a little pain.
Plus I have been able to cope with one load of laundry and I have washed the kitchen floor which is a great moral booster. I did not like looking at my dirty floor!
Friday 28 July 2006
I had another set of accupuncture treatment. The arm feels good!
Wed 2 August
I had another set of accupuncture treatment. This is the last I need unless I have problems with the arm or elsewhere.
I would recommend accupuncture for anyone who is suffering from pain in their limbs. It really helped me with my frozen shoulder ... which in fact was repetitive strain injury.