#subluxed

Last night I reached for something and heard a pop. My shoulder felt a little better so I don’t think it was bad. Maybe the joint had been slightly out of alignment since the original injury or maybe it had just slipped again recently. It still hurts but I don’t have to use a sling.

My workout was ok. These exercises really highlight exactly what I need to work on (which is pretty much everything). My current goal is to rehabilitate my left shoulder and right ankle. I’m not sure how long that will take but my personal trainer is enthusiastic to help 😉

Subluxed Shoulder - Day 2

My shoulder still hurts but I have slightly more range of motion than yesterday. I’m trying not to push myself but I’ve decided it’s time to get back into physical therapy.

I stopped doing exercises because all of my effort was going towards training and caring for a malinois puppy. Now that Mandana is nearly an adult I am able to set aside some time for self care. I’m still in an energy deficit but I need to take some preventative action to avoid further injury.

I love the Autoimmune Strong workout program. It’s the only program I’ve found that is tailored to people with chronic illness and it’s very adaptable (I’m sure there’s others but this is the one I’m most familiar with). I had a lot of success with it in the past and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others. Today I went back to basics and just focused on some range of motion stuff. This type of program is excruciatingly slow if you do it right, but that’s the point. We want to exercise without burnout and that’s hard to do with chronic illness.

It’s been about two weeks since I started doing physical therapy at home. I’m inspired by the small improvements I’m starting to see. I noticed my left side was significantly less stable than my right. I have a tendency to shift my weight and brace with my right side. That has begun to improve and my whole body feels more stable and in sync with itself. Furthermore, my left shoulder and right ankle injuries are not as quick to become inflamed while doing activity.

Mandana also enjoys our group work out sessions. When I set up to do my exercises, I let her choose if she wants to get on her carpet mill or not. She typically waits until I’m done with my warmup stretches before getting on and then she keeps a steady walk until I’m done with my exercises. Yesterday she was feeling spunky and did some sprints as well. I don’t think she’s lost much weight since her vet visit but she has gained more muscle and seems healthier so I’m happy with that.

This isn’t an injury I’ve had before. Usually it’s a hip, ankle or wrist that subluxes / dislocates. I didn’t realize how limiting this would be for me. I can’t move my shoulder without pain. I have it in a sling so I don’t accidentally use it and make things worse.

The problem is that I’m so weak from my disabilities that there are few things I can do safely with one arm. Even though my dominant side is fine, I find myself struggling to open doors, carry items, stand up, etc. I didn’t realize how much I use both arms to stabilize myself throughout the day. I’m really struggling to function. I hope this injury recovers soon.

I wish Mandana was trained in mobility tasks already but at least she has a great heel and can retrieve items off the ground for me.