I saw the orthopedic doctor Friday and though I didn't have an MRI done (that would have bumped us up into a higher level of insurance company red tape), he was very confident that my injury was merely some inflammation rather than a tear. I first noticed the pain in the shoulder as I did a recovery paddle the morning after the race at Bayou Teche two weeks ago, and the doctor said that if I had torn something in the race I would have known it immediately.
And that was my main purpose for going to the doctor: making sure this isn't something serious that would require surgery or some other aggressive treatment. It turns out it's most likely not, and that's a good thing. I'm always a little disheartened, however, at how little understanding of athletes the typical orthopedist seems to have. This doctor, while no doubt an expert in the human skeletomuscular system, didn't seem all that interested in sharing insight on how my injury might have developed, how I might get back to full strength as soon as possible, or how I might prevent the injury from reoccurring. He gave me a cortisone shot and prescribed an oral anti-inflammatory, and told me to take a few days off from paddling until I felt better.
And in fact I am spending a few days out of the boat. With seven weeks before my next race, some rest won't hurt. And I'm still doing my strength routine in the interim. But I'm going to look for ways to rehabilitate this ailment so I can paddle again soon without recurrence.
All of the issues you have with a medical doctor can be addressed by a rolfer. Hope you read the article I sent you.
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