PT

[austin_tycho]

I took off at 2 from work to visit the physical therapist for my rotator cuff impingement. She asked me a few questions, then had someone put some interesting goo on my shoulder and apply it with a little metal thing that emitted special fancy beams of some kind (I think she said it was ultrasound). Then she had me see-saw a rope on a pulley back and forth for awhile, then lay along a foam tube about a foot in diameter with my arms in ka position for a bit. This stretched all the muscles across my upper chest and collarbone. Boy, they were tight. She says this is typical of people who work hunched over computers, and she suspects that's why I ended up with this problem in the first place. This is the first explanation that I've heard that makes some sense (gardening, *pfft*) and that was worth it for that alone. Then sliding my arm up and down on a table, shoulder blade scrunching, then 10 minutes with an ice pack on it. Monday will be strengthening exercises.

I went ahead and bought one of those foam tubes, since I will continue to work on computers- and I figured Eric might benefit from it too.

She said swimming was okay, and in fact breast stroke was a good idea because it strengthens the shoulders without overextending them. When I asked her about yoga, she said "well, as long as you're not doing too much downward dog..." heh, that's my teacher's very favoritist position of them all. I may try to go anyway and just mention beforehand and see if there's something easier on the shoulders I could do.

I was back at my desk by 3:30, hunched over my keyboard again.