Friday, February 27, 2009

Week 9

February 27. As I keep bombarding my PT with more or less trivial questions, I get some important information. Q: "when can I perform push-ups?" A: laugh, "in three months." In his assessment, the bone is not the issue, since people with a broken leg are encouraged to walk on it after eight weeks. The issue is muscle strength. When I asked him when to begin with weights, I was told that a bigger muscle mass is not important at this point, not until the range has been expanded. Muscles could retract and prevent increased motion. Good to know. When I asked him what would happen if I didn't come for PT, he told me about frozen shoulder. It was simply terrifying to listen to his description, but highly motivational for working hard. I also asked if it is possible at this stage to damage anything by the exercises I'm doing, he said No. The weakness of the muscles would prevent me from overdoing anything, and the bone should be strong enough for carrying out any task that only involves the weight of the arm itself.

So I keep working on the shoulder range in all directions: chicken wing (laying down on the side and lift the elbow, first by resting the hand on the right hand fist, and then without support), external shoulder rotation (I'm not using a weight as in the video, but I turn it much further), wood rod bench press but now with extension of range over my head (not possible in my case yet), laying on my stomach lifting the hand, and then lifting the arm straight holding it parallel to my body. 

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I had my humerus fractured too. Reading your progress made me smile and decrease my level of nervosism. All what has happened to you is happening to me. I'm a bit worried about the clicking in my shoulder when i lift my arm. At first I thought it was the broken bone ends but then I realised the noise came from my shoulder. Do i have to worry about this? What excercises should I practice to eliminate it. My doctor says it is normal, as the cast (i have taken it off now) was heavy. I am really looking forward to hearing from yo

Claire O said...

I have started knitting and can bend my arm up as far as my chest but can hardly lift it straight forwards at all
Physio assessment conducted and they aren't concerned my arm won't straighten at the elbow. Due to the fact I'm not healed I can only do pendicular exercises and straighten my arm as far as I can assisted and my wrist all around. Very frustrating.