We started out with the most basic of exercises. PT sends me home with pictures of the exercises as they are given or changed so I would remember how to do them. The pictures have the amount of times you need to do each exercise and this is to be done two times each day (morning and afternoon).
I used items at PT that I tried to replicate at home. The first ones were the pillow and the dowel above. They used a foam ball with which I pressed my arm against the wall. I don't own such a ball. But I do have the pillow that I made for Gramma Chris (Claude's Gramma). It is about the same thickness and I stuffed this little pillow very tight so the texture is about right. PT also used a dowel. Fortunately I had one exactly like the dowel used in PT. I used my dowel when I taught Old Testament in Seminary in Maryland. I made an 'Ark of the Covenant' out of a copy paper box that I spray painted gold. I painted two dowels and ran them the box for the handles. This dowel is gold because it was one of the handles for my very simple Ark. I place the dowel on the palm of my left hand (my left shoulder has the torn rotator cuff). With my right hand I push the dowel against the left palm and try to stretch my arm as far as it can go with out causing pain. I've done that with a bent elbow placed on the pillow and now with a straight left arm raised straight over my head.
The blue tablecloth I wrap around my right hand and hold it over my right shoulder draped down my back. I reach my left arm behind me and grab the other end of the blue tablecloth. The object is to raise my right arm straight up thereby lifting my injured left arm as far as I can behind my back without causing pain. At PT they have lovely rubber strips that mount on a bracket on the wall and have handles at the ends. This tablecloth produces the same effect without me having to purchase those nifty things at PT.
The white cloth napkin is used to make arm stretches go more smoothly. They use a white washcloth at PT on an inclined weight bench. I find this white cloth napkin does just the trick at home. At first I did these stretches with my left arm on the dining room table. First you do them seated in a chair at the table and leaning my body forward so that my left arm go completely straight in front of me. Then I do the same thing except my arm stretches straight out at a 45 degree angle. Now these exercises are done at a door facing and the wall beside it. I step into the doorway as my arm raises straight up or at the 45 degree angle. The step into the doorway allows my body to help my arm do what it is supposed to. The goal is for me to be able to do all that without the help of the door and wall.
Then we come to that grapefruit. About a week ago they started to have me use a one pound weight to do some of the exercises. I hold that weight with my left arm hand as I do the exercises. Hmmm...what to do for that. I was told that when I was to use the weights at home I could use a can of soup or something like that. Then PT gave me a ball to start a new exercise. I took this little ball expecting it to be full of air. Not so. It was weighted a bit. I was surprised and we all had a laugh at my reaction. Immediately I started to process how to replicate that at home when the time came. When it came time to do this exercise at home I pondered what to do that would simulate this ball. Claude had two grapefruit in the crisper. This was perfect. So now I use a grapefruit in place of the ball and the weight. I sent a nice eMail to Claude to thank him for his grapefruit. He assured me anything he could do to help he would do. Such a guy!!
That red rubber strip has to be one of my favorites. You just fold that puppy in half and make a knot in the fold. Then I hold the knot inside the door frame and close the door at the height I need the band to be. The knot catches and holds on the other side of the door and I can use the two ends to pull to do my exercises. It is truly the cheap version of the lovely piece of equipment at PT.
I took my 'Tools of My Trade' to the Marx home last weekend and showed the Mini's what I was doing. At one point I found Miss Bailey laying on the floor working the dowel with her little arms. She said, "See Ma, I'm doing it!!"
I'm being very diligent in doing my exercises morning and night. The exercises have progressed from very basic just to get a little movement in my arm to stretching and weight bearing (albeit little weights) to strengthen and help with greater movement. They measure my range of movement and track every little thing I do in PT. They have a goal for the range of movement they want me to achieve before I cease PT. I'm coming close to that goal but not there yet.
I've had some days where my arm ached and I was afraid I wasn't doing the exercises right or they weren't going to work. Then I've had one Saturday where my arm felt so much better. Not right but truly like it was healing.
I met with the orthopedist last Monday. We agreed I will not go back to him and will probably not have surgery but I will have to understand it will be many months before the tear in the rotator cuff heals. I'm set for a couple more weeks of therapy at this point. The goal is to have me to a point where I can take the final exercises home and continue to do them on my own while the tear continues to heal.
In reality, studies have shown that about 50% of torn rotator cuffs can heal without surgery if PT is done faithfully and carefully and time is given for the tear to heal. I'm going to be in that 50%.
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