Search Results for: blog why does my shoulder hurt

Why Does My Shoulder Hurt?

Shoulder pain can come from a number of sources. The two main causes of shoulder pain include: Injury to muscles and/or tendons from prolonged overuse — for example, performing a repetitive activity like painting for too long. Muscles and/or tendons pinched between bones or ligaments, also known as impingement. This may happen during activities with “power strokes” like tennis, swimming, or throwing a ball. Both types of injury can cause a steady ache in the shoulder with bursts of sharper pain in certain positions. A third possible cause of shoulder pain is a heart attack — pain can appear throughout … Continue reading →

Why is My Pain Treated Differently at Work?

I have a close friend who works all day behind a computer and has for over 20 years. During the past five years his hands, elbows, shoulders and neck have started to feel the stress. Over the last year the pain and difficulty has become progressively worse and the company Ergonomics department has actively attempted to make his work area a custom fit in order to reduce the stress. My friend earns a great living at what he does, and over the last five months returns home a little early in order to make out with a heating pad, take … Continue reading →

Pets Are Wonderful Month: My Tribute to Murphy, Mr. Meow, and Tabby

Did you know in addition to being Animal Cruelty Prevention Month it’s also Pets Are Wonderful Month? I already covered a couple reasons why I think my pets are wonderful in Bless the Pets Who Forgive Us Our Trespasses, but here’s some others specific to each of them: Why Murphy’s Wonderful • Because he’s so easy going and tolerant. • Because he’s one heck of a good listener. I can grumble to him or sing to him (my singing is horrible, maybe even worse than my grumbling), and he just sits there wagging his tail. • Because he’s so gentle … Continue reading →

Forgiving Those Who’ve Hurt Us

There are people in this world who cause great emotional destruction to others, and then dance proudly in the ashes. My life has taught me this. Forgiveness can be an arduous personal journey. When we have a child with a disability, people can be terribly insensitive. Sometimes they make ridiculous or cruel comments, either on purpose or just because they are ill-equipped to handle the situation emotionally. Perhaps they’re just uneducated and inexperienced. Sometimes good friends or family members fade into the background, suddenly becoming “too busy” to maintain a meaningful relationship. Perhaps they blame us for our child’s difficult … Continue reading →

How I Learned my Son has Juvenile Diabetes: Garrett’s Story

Garrett, about a year after his diagnosis It started with a passing thought that my son seemed rather thin. Garrett had just turned seven, and had always been a slender, active child. But as he was coming out of the bath one evening, his shoulder blades stuck out noticeably. A few days later, a friend commented, “Wow, he’s a really skinny kid, isn’t he?” I started making a conscious effort to be sure he ate his dinner and had plenty of helpings of dessert. But it didn’t make an obvious difference. Still, despite his low weight, he was happy, playful, … Continue reading →

Mothers: A Sorority of Complainers?

(Sweeter than a Dyson.) You are looking at one of the lovely Mother’s Day gifts I was presented with yesterday by my adorable daughter. As you can tell, it can’t be used to suck up strewn Cheerios from hardwood or carpeted floors, nor can it separate dust by cyclonic action and spin it out of the airstream with the simple press of a button. Also, it doesn’t rhyme with Dyson. Regardless, I love my card, especially the handwritten note scribbled in bright pink crayon inside. It will forever help me remember Mother’s Day 2012. The holiday has come and gone … Continue reading →

Dog vs. Yard

My dear Algernon beneath his rhubarb My dog loves her big new yard. One of the main reasons why is how many more encounters with the local wildlife she’s been able to obtain. Some of them aren’t so great. Others prove amusing. She’s had run-ins with a yellow box turtle wherein she’s been so perplexed by this strange new creature that even the slow reptile was able to escape during her investigations. That’s right: Chihiro spent the whole time of her turtle examination doing what I like to call her investigative dance: legs and shoulders hunched, head darting in and … Continue reading →

ABS Tubs and Showers

I grew up with porcelain and enamel tubs. They’re kind of the norm, and I never really thought about owning anything different until I moved into my current house, which has tubs and shower surrounds made of ABS. Now that I’ve experienced both and had the chance to form an opinion, it’s this: I much prefer the ABS. First of all, just what is ABS? It’s a heavy-duty plastic that’s lightweight, yet durable. Because it’s so light, it’s really easy to install, and it can last for years on end, if treated properly. Now, why do I prefer it to … Continue reading →

Recycling Old Socks

Okay, you may have read this blog headline and thought “ew,” but you can find a useful afterlife for your old socks. And how nice would it be to find a use for that sad little sock that somehow lost its mate in the washer or dryer? I know we always have mateless socks around this house. Here are a few things you may want to do with old, clean socks: Heating Pad I always read about how you can make a heating pad out of rice and material, such as a sock and I always think I will make … Continue reading →

Writing with a Wrist Injury

In case you’re worried — I’m not the one with the wrist injury. Thank goodness! I have a friend who has rheumatoid arthritis AND tendinitis, leaving her at the computer with only one hand for typing. So what happens when you can’t type (or do other hand-centric tasks) but you need to? I’d be up a creek without a paddle if I couldn’t find my way to tippity tap on the keyboard! My friend is struggling with her wrist-related restrictions. The way she sees it, she has a few options: Stay away from the computer and get no work done. … Continue reading →