I have posted many questions in this forum in the past on a particular injury that I suffered about 2 years ago (upper trap/ scapula region). I have based my whole training philosophy on the advise I have gained here at T-Nation since 2008 and I have has fantastic results, so I figured this was the best place to look for some answers.
After many posts I had lots of people willing to give advise and try and help. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work (lacrosse ball work/ deep tissue message/ foam rolling/ rotaitor cuff rehab/ no training for weeks/ crying in the shower, nothing worked). I continued to try and train the best I could and failed miserably. I loved to work out but my lifts were decreasing and my pain was increasing. After a few months of this, I began to skip the gym all together just to get some relief from the pain. Over the past 4 to 5 months I have slowly drifted back to being a slob eating crap and drinking beer most of the week and not training at all plus chronic pain from said injury.
I finally got enough money from an appointment with orthopedic doctor here in Dallas.
He was a complete joke! Not only did he not even do x-rays, he actually had a conversation via text while I was explaining to him my issues. He diagnosed me with a pinch nerve and basically instructed me to keep lifting and take some ibuprofen for the pain and maybe surgery would help. After this experience I was ready to give up on one of the only things I have passion for.
Today, I had an appointment with a new orthopedic doctor to get a second opinion. He was amazing! Not only did he do x-rays, he explained my issues almost before I even told him. He had seen this a lot in other patients. Apparently my ribs have been slowly and slightly dislocating over time and it has contorted/locked up my whole right side and I have been lifting with crooked form. He was very confident that 5/6 sections of physical therapy would elevate a lot of my pain and I would be able to get back in the gym again. It was refreshing to meet a doctor and a physical therapist that “got it”. Lifting with pain was/is not acceptable to them and neither is just not lifting.
I guess my whole reason for writing this long shit is to inspire you guys to never give up hope for your goals, get a second opinion, don’t turn into a slob again like me cause it feels like shit. Do something about ailments, don’t let them get out of hand like I did. And just because T-Nation doesn’t have all the answers, doesn’t mean that there is no answer and it doesn’t mean T-Nation doesn’t know their shit!
Thanks