Working Out After Shoulder Bursitis

Linda is in her 40s and works as a hairstylist. Like many women in their 40s she started noticing she’d gained some extra weight and started having random body aches. So she joined a group fitness class to get healthy.  This class was amazing. The instructor and members were very helpful and supportive. In fact, she made fast friends in the group since they were all on the same health journey. She lost 60 pounds while having fun!

Unfortunately, she always had to modify the squats and lunges due to chronic knee problems but then her right shoulder started to hurt. How do you get your heart rate up if you have knee and shoulder problems?!

Not to mention, as a hairstylist you NEED your right arm for work. You don't really have the option to “rest”.  When she couldn’t work through the pain any longer she went to the doctor, who told her she had shoulder bursitis. They scheduled her for an MRI and injections. After the injections he told her to “rest”  and gave the guidelines on how to move her arm when she returned to working out. 

Linda waited 3 months to workout. She had 3 months of no pain after that first round of injections. She finally built up the nerve to start up the exercise program and went to one class. BAM the pain came back. 

There Linda was feeling like she was losing all the ground she made with her weight loss, strength gains not to mention missing out on her social circle. All because her body was falling apart piece by piece. Something had to give...she was debating another round of injection but then what? Would she not be able to workout? How would she stay healthy? She could feel herself getting depressed and anxious at the idea she would simply start hurting more and more. 

When Linda and I met we figured out the root cause of her shoulder pain. I was able to show her a clear path to returning to working out, keeping her weight off and getting back to her workout friends. She was so relieved and hopeful at the end of her evaluation.

It didn't take very long before Linda’s shoulder was pain free at which time I did have to remind her that pain free wasn’t the only goal.  The goal is to not have the same issue come back...we are almost done life proofing Linda’s shoulders. 

If you are having shoulder problems that are interfering with your favorite activities and you want to find the root cause click here to talk to a physical therapist. 

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