Well, I must have had a sore shoulder for at least a year now, so even I have finally had to submit to the 'it's not actually going to get better all by itself or by magic, is it' great realisation and go get it sorted out.
So went to see the very nice Mr Duncan Tennant at Parkside (who seems to be known as Thomas by BUPA, but who cares as long as they cough up) and who said I have a 'superomedial scapular impingement and trapezius spasm' – very long words for what I had thought – a sore shoulder.
But he then sent me on to see the Parkside physio who I have to say gave me the best full-body once over and set of questions I have ever had from a medical professional. The most surprising ones that I'd not thought about being related to my shoulder being, 'do I get numb hands and feet' – yes. 'Are my ankle joints stiff in the morning going downstairs' – yes. And 'have I had neck problems in the past' – yes. Although when I ended up answering yes to a whole bunch of stuff which made me feel like I am totally broken, I did then think, ok this could go either of two ways:
1. Even if the answer is 'yes I've got that' to a bunch of stuff, actually none of it is particuarly serious and she's just being thorough
OR
2. Hmm, have I been ignoring this, not putting two and two together and sticking my head in the sand because quite frankly I've got enough crap to deal with and don't want to even countenance the fact that there might be even more waiting for me.
And as ever the answer seems to be WHO BLOODY KNOWS! So I am sticking to the former unless the latter truly comes to bite me in the face.
Anyway, lovely to get a damn fine shoulder rub and am back to see her on Friday. I may even one day actually have an upper back that moves…. although that might be too much to hope for, but till then, here's hoping x