brianblomquist

My advice is to make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. I had rotator-cuff surgery on my left shoulder two years ago, and I avoided surgery on my right shoulder. Both are healthy and strong now thanks to my doctor. When my shoulder started seriously bothering me, friends referred me to chiropractors, massage therapists, fitness trainers, physical therapists. Everyone had an opinion on fixing a hurt shoulder. I initially didn’t want to see a doctor for fear of being told I needed surgery. I read dozens of articles and forums on shoulder injuries. Finally, I made the decision to see a doctor. My doctor tried to fix it without surgery, but after a few weeks told me I needed surgery. It took a month to heal, and now I practice Bikram yoga four times a week and lift weights without pain. My advice is to go see a man or woman who actually went to medical school, who looks at shoulder X-Rays and MRI’s all week, who performs shoulder surgery at least a few times a week. If your fear is that the doctor wants to find an excuse to do an expensive surgery, that wasn’t the case with me. A year after my surgery, my other shoulder began to bother me, but the doctor looked at X-Rays and determined that it was strained, not torn, and advised me to stretch it and give it time. He was right, again.