Meet Mr. Right Shoulder:
Likes to be the center of attention
Gets angry if you make him exercise
Is a big fan of relaxing
Holds on to past trauma
Tends. to get depressed
He's a real catch...NOT.
My right shoulder was the first joint pain I can remember. I was around 12 years old, and I noticed an achey pain that wasn't really going away. That pain would come and go, but I would say for the past seven-ish years, the pain has never gone away.
On a scale of 1-10 (which I really truly dislike this scale, but I've gotten used to it since it is used at pretty much every doctor's appointment), and without doing anything physical (you know, like my job) the pain stays around a two. After I start teaching it typically jumps to a five or six.
Things that irritate my shoulder:
Overhead movement (fast or slow)
Any fast arm motions
Lifting
Pulling
Laying on my side
Letting my neck get tight
The pain is a deep constant ache. However, on days where Mr. Right Shoulder wants more attention, he'll throw in some shooting/stabbing pains.
One tell tale sign my shoulder is in more pain is if it looks depressed. No, not emotionally. When I first heard this term I laughed because if my shoulder actually was a person, he would definitely be very sensitive.
My body has a pattern of when my right shoulder is in a lot of pain (normally with a subluxation) it sinks lower than my left side and holds itself there. I've had a lot of doctors say that my uneven shoulders are because of my scoliosis, but my amazing PT actually taught me that it's a pattern, and that I can get out of it!
In these pictures, you can see the lopsidedness of my shoulder. I'm not leaning, twisting, pressing down, etc.; this is me standing completely neutral.
What is this magic?
I would like to preface this with every person is different. If you are experiencing unpleasant symptoms, find a medical professional who will work with you to find a tailored solution. Shout out to my wizard of a PT who was the first person in 15 years to actually help me!
My depressed shoulder routine (I have know idea what the actual names of these exercises are):
Peanut balls on my back moving upwards
Lifting a block with shoulder punches
Laying on top of my arm
Sleeper's stretch
Fancy wall exercise that involves breathing and opening/closing your mouth😂
Things that help my shoulder in general:
I don't know if Mr. Right Shoulder will ever be perfect, but I'll settle for improvement!
Be Brave. Stay Kind. Much Love.
Sami