The Pesky Rotator Cuff
Joint
(బంతి గిన్నె కీలు)
Symptoms
నిజముగా ఆరోగ్యము మహా భాగ్యము! There were many objective symptoms. It was
painful to wear/remove a jacket, long sleeve shirt, or T-shirt quickly. Putting
a towel on a line to dry was difficult. Even just pushing a light lunch box on
the (car) rear seat would trigger a sharp pain through the shoulder. Driving
long distance with the affected hand on steering wheel used to produce
prolonged pain for hours. Shifting sides, turning the head on pillow, quickly
getting up with the injured hand as a vertical prop (support) – they all became
proscribed activities for a long time. The funny thing, yes, it is hilarious
now that the problem has been resolved, is still the hand performed most of the
movements even in this chronic injured state. Though grudgingly. Luckily, on
most painful days fomentation with a wet towel (just one minute microwave
heating is enough) and rubbing topical cream kept the problem in check. Only in
extreme pain, ibuprofen was used, that too in a very moderate dose (just 300 mg
once or twice a day). Would a prolonged intake of higher dose (600 mg of ibuprofen)
have cured?
Recovery
In the beginning, physical therapy (PT) was
prescribed. Though the subject went through all the drills of daily exercise,
hot packs, etc., it did not help. To prevent further deterioration of the
joint, PT was withdrawn. At that point, the only medicines used were: over the
counter ibuprofen and a prescribed topical cream (sort of muscle relaxant).
Daily application of Maha-Narayana Tailam (Dabur, Baidyanath) followed by
gentle fomentation was used with external massaging. It helped, but the effect
lasted only ten, twelve hours.
The big breakthrough came from the traditional
Yoga. Thousand salutations and prostrations to the great Patanjali, a
multifaceted rishi whom I consider as
my own great grandfather. The Sanskrit saying goes thus: “Faith yields fruitful
results”. So, with total faith in our traditional yoga, with no outside help
(or teacher), the subject did yoga1 exercises (Surya-nakaskaram)
twice a day. At first, these were the gentle stretching poses, facing the East.
No force was used. You lift the arm only as high as it allows. Everyone wants
rapid progress, but the body has its own natural pace of things. It all depends
on many factors – severity of the injury, general state of health, even the
mental equilibrium, etc. Slow recovery teaches us a sense of
humility, perseverance, and a great respect for the physical body. We value a
joint, a gland, or even skin only when it malfunctions. Till then, we take
everything for granted, not only that we even venture to abuse it.
Thus,
in this case, the subject used either singly or in combination the following
treatment techniques: During daily walking, placing hands on the back (for
example, look at old classic photos of Nehru walking on the lawn). Try forming
the following postures with hands clasped behind: shape of X, 4, or U. When
possible give the afflicted shoulder, mild exercises of Surya-nakaskaram twice
a day. At least once a day is needed for any noticeable improvement.
This
is the third or fourth time Yoga came to the rescue. Earlier, the gentle yoga
(particularly the Sarvanga-asana) helped bringing back the normal functioning
of a gland. Much of the present day hype and attention of yoga is unfortunately
catered to rich clientele. But the original yoga proponents were more
interested in preserving body and mental health through a properly controlled
stretching and breathing exercises. Instead of (mechanical) springs and weights,
yoga uses the body’s own physiology to correct the injury. It is much more
gentle than many physical therapy exercises. There is no need for expensive
yoga paraphernalia like special mat, sack, big books with colorful photos etc.
Nor is there any need for expensive teachers (coaches, gurus) with exorbitant
club fees; in the age-old Indian tradition, there was never any compulsory fee.
Neither for learning music, dance, or yoga; nor has any Ayurvedic (or herbal)
practitioner demanded up front payment for medicines. Erudite teachers rarely asked
money from indigent students – whether it is for Ayurveda, music, yoga, or
scriptures. The modern world has totally degraded this once glorious tradition,
a veritable treasure of holistic healing knowledge. How far things have
deteriorated in the name of commerce and global reach!
When
performing the whole body toning Sarvanga-asana was difficult, so the subject
opted for other asanas (ex: Dhanura-asana, Bhujanga-asana, Hala-asana). But
upon recovering fully (or about 90%), the subject resumed the Sarvanga-asana in
total earnest. Of course after full recovery the subject was able to do even
pull-ups on the horizontal bar.
This
write-up is no substitute for medical advice. Often in the real world, many patients cannot access
expensive treatments, surgeries, or costly specialists. Valuable lives are wasted
due to a frozen shoulder or a locked knee. Money alone cannot produce good
outcomes. Even with very minimal expense, one can get back a working shoulder.
Patience, daily regular topical massaging, and gentle yoga exercises will yield
remarkable progress. And such a progress is certainly more durable in the
longer time frame. It must also be remembered by all that health is a complex
issue; it has a strong psychosomatic component. But what matters finally is
happiness and a living that is free of pain.
Finally, each patient has to explore all
possible avenues and costs for a cure. For those who have the patience to heal
themselves, this information will help; it may present a ray of hope. I thank
my high school drill (PT instructor) master (Mr. Raju) for teaching yoga-asanas
to our class at a very tender age. I have also benefited from a Telugu yoga
book – a slim volume with all the asanas in black and white photographs. I
cannot recall its author or title now, but I must express my gratitude to my
cousin(s) for the invaluable book. That was decades before I came across the
English yoga books by Sri. B.K.S. Iyengar and Swami Vishnudevananda.
Copyright 2015 by the author
Copyright 2015 by the author
1.
Plates 1, 2, 3, 12, 24 in “Light on Yoga” by B. K. S. Iyengar, Schocken, 1994
2.
Surya-namaskarams are found in “The Completed Illustrated Book of Yoga” by
Swami Vishnudevananda, Pocket Books, New York 1972
