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Shock Doctor Ice/Heat Shoulder Wrap

Shock Doctor Ice/Heat Shoulder Wrap

Posted by on Feb 10, 2013 in Blog, Equipment | 0 comments

I was unfortunate enough to cause serious trauma to my right rotator cuff in a non-training-related injury. The specialists in the ER discussed surgery, of which I wanted no part. Physical therapy, over a period of a few months, was the better strategy so I opted for that. My therapy included stretching, repositioning, strengthening, cortisone shots, and heat therapy, which I enjoyed the most.

The exercises were easy enough to perform at home when I was not in the clinic, however the heat therapy was not. They used a thick, terry-covered pad with heated stones and moisture on my shoulder. It was blissful. The warmth and moisture always comforted me to the point of falling asleep. That wasn’t possible at home until I received a package from the great folks at Shock Doctor.

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Knocked Out By Calcific Tendonitis

Posted by on Nov 11, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Boxing has been great for me, getting me in amazing shape physically, but injuries have set me back. First, I suffered with a bout of rhabdomyolysis, which I completely recovered from. Now, an old and unrelated injury has come back to haunt me.

Years ago, back in college, I damaged my rotator cuff while weightlifting. There’s no reason why I never got it fixed, save absent-mindedness or youthful delusions of immortality. You can probably chalk it up to me being “young and dumb”. Years and years passed and I either ignored, dealt with, hid, or otherwise put the pain and complications of the shoulder injury into a cognitive black hole: I just didn’t deal with it.

Despite my unwillingness to address the injury, time and circumstances took their toll on the rotator cuff and the surrounding tissue. The battery of trauma that I experienced over the last several years is what I believe caused the recent and cataclysmic flareup in my shoulder. During that period, I renovated three different floors in my house from top to bottom, shoveled every few days during the blizzards that hit New York City, uprooted the side yard, and braved the bitter, cold seasons without having adequate layers for warmth. The shoulder was taking significant abuse and was not getting sufficient recovery.

I suffered an unexpected injury in the beginning of September that partially crippled me for several days and had me all but incapacitated for one month. After initially believing that I had Sciatica (because of the pain that I was in), the doctor correctly diagnosed me with Calcific Tendonitis. Secondarily, I have rotator cuff damage, nerve damage, and shoulder impingement that complicated my problem. I may be going out on a limb, but it even appears that I have a detached medial (lateral) deltoid head.

So far, I’ve gone through a month of physical therapy and have made remarkable progress. I was attending twice per week but am entering my second month where I attend once per week. I have to take an MRI in two weeks and it’ll show what kind of damage that I truly have, not what I believe I have.

The road to recovery is a long one, but I plan to take the road as completely as possible. I do my rehabilitation exercises at home (basic stretches using a Thera-Band® Exercise Band), as well as hydrotherapy. Have you overcome a shoulder injury? Let me know what you did, as I’d be interested in trying other effective recovery methods.

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Masters Boxing Training Session

Posted by on Jun 3, 2011 in Blog, Training | 0 comments

Masters boxers are older boxers, at a minimum of 35 years old, but that doesn’t mean that they’re old. Some start late in life for a variety of reasons, yet have a desire to embark upon a fitness lifestyle unmatched by any other. Boxing fulfills that need in many ways. The video below shows some of what a Masters boxer can do:

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Self-imposed Training Layoff

Posted by on May 30, 2011 in Blog, Training | 0 comments

Last week was an uneventful week for me because I refrained from all gym activity. My doctor continually prescribes rest for me after my bout with Rhabdomyolysis, insisting that the damaged muscles need repair. Personally, I am no longer satisfied with that prescription and have been contemplating ignoring his advice altogether.

I noticed what appeared to be minor fluid retention around my flanks, yet nothing at all in comparison to before, so I wisely took the doctor’s advice this time and accepted the layoff. There was no pain, no cola-colored urine, or any other tell-tale signs of Rhabdomyolysis. Despite the layoff, the fluid is still there (albeit minor), which prompted me to believe that my diagnosis of Rhabdomyolysis is either inaccurate and/or not at all caused by my exertion in the gym. I honestly believe that there is another cause of the fluid retention.

Nobody knows your body the way you do, and the same applies to myself. I spent all of last week researching online, asking questions, and chasing leads. I’ve  formed new opinions on my ailment and will be pursuing remedies immediately. I will, of course, keep you informed.

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Elevated CK Levels

Posted by on May 3, 2011 in Blog, Training | 0 comments

Having recovered from Rhabdomyolosis, my doctor scheduled me for a follow-up exam last week and this week in order to monitor my progress. Overall, he’s satisfied with my progress but has a minor concern.

My liver and kidneys are in excellent working order, my heart beat and pressure are excellent. It’s the CK levels that concern him. According to the doctor, my CK levels from last week were just above 3,000. That number is noticeably high. It should be, by some estimates, only 1/10 of what it is now.

The doctor’s assistant drew another blood sample and scheduled me for yet another follow-up. He’s concerned that the exercise is too abusive. He also believes that the muscle is still traumatized and did not heal completely. I, on the other hand, respectfully disagree.

My estimation is that the peak in CK levels comes from the sudden physical activity that I’ve engaged in. I was sedentary prior to beginning boxing, and the week layoff from training gave me “ring rust”, to the point where I had to break myself in all over again.

That’s what I believe the case to be. I am, admittedly, not a doctor, but can deduce, from common sense, that the peak comes from the sudden change in lifestyle. There’s the 50% chance that I am wrong, of course, and I do accept that.

Perhaps the doctor is being overly cautious right now. He counseled me to postpone training yet again. I’m not in favor of that counsel because I believe it will, inevitably, cause this cycle to repeat itself. I’ll always find myself fighting an uphill battle of recovery if I never allow my body sufficient time to acclimate itself to physical training.

New York is a big city with thousands of doctors. I’m going to seek out a sports doctor for a second opinion and see what he might have to say about this situation. Perhaps someone more familiar with my circumstances could provide another perspective into my ordeal…

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