Being an older dad with young kids, I try fairly hard to keep myself fit and active so that I can keep up with the kids as they grow older.
I also enjoy a game of golf occasionally, a good walk ruined as they say.
I am not exactly a great player as I am never able to play as frequently as I used to as single.
However, I do like a round every now and again.
So, it became very annoying for me when I developed a shoulder injury that stopped me playing.
When seeing doctor, the result turned out to be more complicated.
My shoulder problem turned out to be nothing less than a torn rotator cuff which stopped me from doing any activity.
It was painful when I walked or ran, even though I am right-handed.
Because any movement caused serious pain in my left shoulder.
If I forgot and made a sudden movement, I could end up crying with pain.
I can remember exactly when I did it.
I was being my usual impatient self and trying to lift some flat packed furniture on my own rather than waiting for help.
All of a sudden, I felt my shoulder joint gave way.
The next day I woke up with immense pain which got worse with each passing hour.
Reaching above my shoulder for anything was impossible.
I could not reach behind me.
Sleeping was impossible because I could not get comfortable in any position.
Golf could be out for me in future.
When seeing the same doctor, he recommended me to a more experienced specialist in this problem.
He diagnosed my torn rotator cuff and confirmed it with an MRI scan.
The shoulder joint is a simple ball and socket joint.
It is different to the hip joint in that the socket is made up predominantly of cartilage and not bone like in the hip and does not grip the bone of the arm.
Instead, a group of 4 muscles help to hold the arm in place and stabilise the shoulder joint.
These make up the rotator cuff.
What I had done was tear one of these muscles which caused inflammation.
Because all the muscles fit snuggly together any inflammation can cause pressure and pain.
The muscle that I had torn is called the supraspinatus.
I had managed to tear a tendon that runs under my collar bone or clavicle and the end of my shoulder blade or scapula.
Because it was inflamed, each time that I moved in a certain way, it got pinched or impinged and was aggravated.
Surgery was recommended to cut away part of my collar bone to release the impinged tendon and allow it to heal without any more damage.
It all sounded very easy but I was still a bit nervous.
As I live in UK, we often have to wait for surgery so I used the time to do some research on the subject while I waited for my surgery date.
Having read up on my injury extensively I finally discovered that most rotator cuff problems are cured with physical therapy .
Even a torn rotator cuff can be solved in this way, as long as it is only a partial tear.
You start off by resting the joint to allow the inflammation to calm down, treating it with anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and using ice packs.
Once things have reduced, you can start gentle exercises aimed at building up and strengthening the rotator cuff
In just 6 weeks, my shoulder was pain-free and I was able to move normally and carried with my usual activities.
A few more weeks saw me return to full fitness.
I have put off the surgery and will probably be cancelling it altogether if I remain pain free.
In the meantime, I am playing golf again.
Though I did not perform to my peak, at least I am fine now.
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