My shoulder continues to improve, slowly, day by day. Biggest problem with it, other than the whole “can’t use my right arm” thing, was that I couldn’t sleep through the night. And I’d just gotten over that! It’s infuriating. For some reason my shoulder aches worse when I’m horizontal than when I’m vertical – in fact during the day as long as I’m not stretching it, it doesn’t hurt at all anymore. But as soon as I laid down, it would go to hurting. Anyway that has also improved somewhat, and last night I actually slept for a reasonably large majority of the night. So today I was feeling pretty good.
Been using this liniment, don’t know if it’s really doing any good but it certainly smells medicinal…
Seems to help a little. Not for very long at a time.
But as I said things are improving. For the past three weeks I’ve felt positively naked, because I haven’t been carrying the gun I couldn’t draw or present anyway. I started out carrying weak-side, and maybe with a lefthand holster that would have worked, but it just didn’t. So I stopped. Now I’m getting enough better that I’m thinking how I can draw with my somewhat-mobile but comically weak right arm. Pulled out the holster kindly donated a year ago when I switched over to the Tracker. It’s convertible to crossdraw…
Wouldn’t carry it anywhere public, it’d seem too much like I’m trying to draw attention to myself, but it’s okay for around the gulch. Still hard to get the gun out and impossible to extend it unless I let the left arm do all the work. But with a little practice I think I can stop feeling quite so much like prey. I am the baddest SOB in the valley and all the other SOBs know it, which is why they leave me and my chickens alone, but sometimes we do have short loud conversations about that. I’d hate to have them get the idea the situation has changed.
Joel it doesn’t matter how the holster looks as long as it works.
I’m glad to see that you are on the mend if only slowly. One thing that will help is to do some stretching of the muscles. I know that it will hurt but if you don’t use that arm will never be the same. Just don’t go crazy.
https://caloriebee.com/workout-routines/Cure-Sore-Shoulder-Blades-With-Stretches
Physical therapy works like a miracle sometimes. Imagine my distress at having to use my off hand to pick up a coffee cup. The horror! I had many weeks of PT with a useless arm and one day all better! Be stern but gentle with yourself. Good luck.
Don’t want to scare you but the symptom of not being comfortable laying down is the number one indication of a torn rotator cuff. How do I know? It happened to me 6-8 years ago while I was trying to lever a rock out of a post hole with a steel bar. Couldn’t sleep, tried propping the arm with pillows, different positions, elevate the head end of the mattress, and loads of ibuprofen and aspirin. Finally gave up and went to doctor after a year of fighting with it. He had to open it up and go in and stitch things back together. Slow rehab but now it’s fine.
I find that a 50-50 mix of Voltaren Emulgel and DeepHeat/Dencorub/IcyHot works well for deep bruising and joint issues.
Contra-indicated if using Warfarin or other blood thinners.
About a decade ago pinched a nerve right where neck joins shoulder; sleep came only while sitting up and loaded with pain killers. Physical therapy accomplished nothing, but after a few months everything slowly returned to what passes for “normal.”
The episode highlighted some needs that I had long neglected: alternative holsters and weak hand practice.
If the opportunity presents itself, and sometimes one has to make opportunities happen, I’d suggest procuring a very good “wrong side” holster well in advance of critical need and working with it enough to develop, and maintain, at least a minimal degree of proficiency. The holster, if one is fortunate, will be an incurred expense never needed, but no one will sell you fire insurance coverage while the ashes are cooling.
I have to agree with Mike. If the arm doesn’t return to more or less normal, without night pain, in a few weeks, you may well have a torn R. cuff. And that won’t ever heal by itself. Especially if you keep hurting it over and over…
Second the motion to carry and practice with your other hand/arm. It could make all the difference in the world to your survival. 🙂
Your symptoms are of a torn rotator cuff….one of my skills includes operating MRI machines….I’ve seen plenty. This will not heal properly by itself. You need to see an orthopedist and probably have an MRI (I know, they are frightfully expensive) to learn the extent of the damage. Otherwise you will probably always have pain, especially when laying down and will never have full use of your arm.
I definitely agree with the idea of shooting either side and having carry gear that can accommodate this. I did some tendon damage to one arm a couple months ago and it was quickly apparent that I couldn’t manipulate a trigger without pain – much less handle recoil. Thankfully I had an adequate CC holster that happened to be reversible and I’d worked at shooting with either hand for the last several years. It’s a bit more awkward but it beats the alternative. After a couple months it’s actually getting a normal feel to it. I’m probably another month away from being able to use the other hand – it’ll be interesting choosing then which side to carry on. I’ve already put a couple more off-side holsters on my shopping list for other sidearms where I don’t currently have that option.
The tendon issue wasn’t as pronounced with long arms – different trigger/finger/arm geometry involved – though other manipulations were affected – loading and working an action.
Just another reason to practice and become proficient with your “weak” or off hand. I have come to the point now where when I find a holster that works for me I buy two. One for each side. You need to be deadly with either hand.
Dean