Tuesday, November 01, 2016

Frozen Shoulder Revisited

Presently, I'm going through ups and downs of pain from my frozen shoulder. I would like to really say that I'm not faking it. A question appears though in my mind whether I'm finding excuses psychologically, given the challenging duties of today. In any case, I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to sit idle and if I have the chance to stay away and work on stuff, I will do so. I don't go lepaking (it is in Oxford dictionary) or have extended teh tarik breaks but instead I will always bring something to read as my friends and family may attest to.

Last night was probably one of the peak times of pain from the frozen shoulder. The pain seems to be radiating from the shoulder to shoulder blades and to the neck. Took up pain killer (plus other meds) last night and just go to sleep. This is my second time of having frozen shoulder. The last time was in April 2015 and the shoulder affected is my right shoulder. Being right-handed, I experienced crippling pain each time there is a reflex action from my right hand. Did physio-therapy at one private hospital but it was so painful (each time after the session, I felt so exhausted trying to withstand the pain) that I stopped doing so (instead did mild exercises at home).

Now with the present left frozen shoulder, I am more or less decided not to go for physiotherapy at the hospital and suffice to do it at home. However I also noticed that I'm experiencing discomfort and sometime pain under the shoulder blade. My other half told me that it might be the interconnected bunch of nerves there (see here). Besides that, I also noticed a weakening of my left arm. I can't remember whether I experienced the same the last time. In any case, if they persist, I might just have to see a specialist this Friday on the matter, just to reassure that there is nothing serious.

Serious or not, this pain has started to affect my work. The following are some of the common things that I could not do:
  • Wearing a t-shirt or baju Melayu - taking it off is very painful to do.
  • Tucking in my shirt and adjusting pants.
  • Fitting a belt to my pants.
  • Reaching for something in the left pocket of pants.
  • Lifting my left arm vertically.
  • Reaching the back with my left arm.
  • Prostration in a limited arm space (in jemaah prayers).
  • Any form of stretching that also stretchers the left part of body e.g. for touch 'n' go at tolls.
  • Prolonged holding of the steering wheel with left hand. It will tense up quickly and eventually pain.
  • Sleep properly; the tendency to wake up when experiencing pain.
  • Focus to work where there is constant discomfort or pain; worse when it is a throbbing pain.
As I said, last night was pretty bad. Even after taking the pain killers, I was restless and could not put myself to sleep. But finally I got tired and just dozed off. Hopefully from today, it will get better.