Arm Pulley PT - Not as painful as it looks. Trust me.

Last time I talked about the ever closer road of normalization as I continue my recovery from Open Bankart Surgery on my right shoulder. I would say this week has been much of the same. I am eight weeks away from surgery and six weeks into physical therapy (PT). There has been no major change in my physical condition overall since my last post. My left shoulder continues to experience minor dislocations and is now in more pain than my right. This is because right now my right shoulder has little to no pain 90% of the time.

My range of motion is still limited in that I cannot reach outward above my shoulder, lift or pull more than ten pounds, or partake in strenuous physical activity such as sports or heavy housework. Overall though I’m able to do about 80% of what I did living with my shoulder in constant danger of location. The difference is there has been no indication the right shoulder would dislocate and that is a major improvement. It’s in there pretty good indeed.

Otherwise the week has been pretty much plateau in nature. I made no more forward progress beyond 170 upward and 30 degrees outward. Nevertheless after being examined by the PT’s office chiropractor I was pronounced fit to proceed with light physical exercise and told that I’m recovering very well considering the extent of the surgery. He also altered my routine a bit. Now they do the shoulder massage, apply heat, and then let me do scapular crunches against a wall with a balled up towel in the middle of my back. I also so a free arm pulley to lift my right arm upward and perpendicular to my collar bone. Each of these is for ten times. I then walk the wall ten times with my arm again to stretch it upward. Then it is twenty circular pendulums in each direction, twenty side to side pendulums, ten shoulder shrugs, ten forward and reverse shoulder rolls, ten bicep curls, ten elbow circles in each direction, and then three 15 second neck stretches to each shoulder. I actually get done with the whole thing in about ten minutes. It’s actually pretty painless and I feel good afterward. They then ice me while applying electrical stimulation.

I also do this routine once a day at home while in the shower in the morning in addition to my three times per week during PT.

I am now through my second full week of work. There has been no issue with that. I do notice my shoulder does bother me in the extreme cold (sub-twenty degree temperatures) and my regular PT therapist says that is typical.

Otherwise no news for once is good news.