The Shot Seems To Be Working

The good news is that I saw the orthopedic specialist on Wednesday to discuss the results of the X-rays and MRI of my shoulders.  Neither AC joint is great, but not so bad as to require surgery.  Partial tears of the rotator cuff  and a little arthritis in both shoulders – not untypical for my age and their history of abuse – and a bone spur that impinged some movements in my right shoulder.

The first step in his opinion and one that he felt would resolve the problem was to give me a steroid shot in the right shoulder with the intent of reducing the inflammation enough to subdue the pain and allow for some healing.

So far, so good.  The pain relief was almost immediate and the range of motion is significantly better with just a little bit of limitation.  Next, I hope to regain some of the strength that I’ve lost over the last year or so.  One area where I should be able measure any change is on the golf course.  A year or so ago my 150 yard club was a seven iron.  As time went by, the seven became my 140 yard club and I had to hit a hard six iron to carry 150 yards.  As of a week ago, I had to hit a five iron to cover the same distance.

When it comes to my recreational priorities, golf ranks well behind hunting, fishing and any of a number of other things.  Golf is an enjoyment rather than a passion, but it does seem to offer a handy yardstick for measuring my shoulder strength.

After a few more days of rest of my shoulders, I’ll be ready to begin taking measurements next week to monitor my progress.