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Ouch! My Shoulder is Killing Me!
Dear Tony,
I’ve been working out for nearly ten years and am proud to say that I look and feel half the age of many of my peers. I’ve never had an injury or an accident in the gym, but lately I’ve found that pressing movements, especially military style, cause my right shoulder to ache badly.
This has gone on for a couple of months, slowly getting worse. The other day I went to grab the milk jug from the top shelf of the fridge and had to use my other hand to keep from dropping it. On the 9-11 anniversary I went out to tape an American flag to my antenna, and couldn’t even hold it overhead with my right arm.
There’s no swelling or bruising. What have I done and where do I go?
Sore and Scared
Los Angeles, CA |
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A: |
Dear Sore:
No need to be frightened. You have all the classic symptoms of tendonitus of the rotator cuff. Lay off the overhead lifts and presses—that should have you feeling better immediately. Although you don’t see any swelling, icing the area for 15 minutes a day may help.
This is a very common overuse injury, but the good news is that it’s so common there are lots of remedies short of surgery. Inquire among the gym staff for a doctor, sports med specialist or chiropractor who has worked with this injury before. Often, deep tissue massage can alleviate it. There are also some new noninvasive resonance treatments available. Your health professional will then give you a series of exercises to put you on the mend.
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