shihtzulover

Does anyone out there ever strained a muscle in your shoulder and having a difficult (painful) time cutting fabric or ironing seams? i strained my shoulder about a weeke and half ago and now every time I go to cut fabric or iron the seams, my right shoulder kills me and ackes something fierce. The doctor is sure I only strained it...I was afraid I might have torn my rotary cuff.

Any suggestions on what I can do that might help eleminate the pain when I cut or iron? I'm hoping time will heal this.

charity-crafter

Yes! I've been fighting my problem since before Christmas. I went to the PT and she gave me some exercises to do and I'm to use ice frequently. It's slowly getting better but when I cut it starts hurting again. Ice your shoulder after you cut, that may help the inflamation.

Try getting a new blade for the rotary cutter-a good one. Change the table level, maybe do you cutting on a slightly lower table....or better yet, tell all your quilting friends you're having problems and one may come over and cut for you. I belong to a charity quilting group and when I said I couldn't cut because it hurt, the next time I had several people give me bags of squares and strips.

Good luck,

Prism99

You know, there is a famous quilter out there (sorry, can't remember her name offhand) who does not press seams as she goes and teaches her students to do the same. Someone posted on the old board that they tried a block both ways, and it was just as accurate not pressing! Might be something to consider trying, in order to cut down time at the ironing board.

Would turning a crank aggravate your shoulder? Now might be a good time to invest in an Accuquilt Go!

My concern would be that periodic re-irritating the shoulder will delay healing. Gentle exercises would be good, but not tasks that cause the pain to flare up again.

Hen3rietta

I've had that problem on and off for a number of years. It is not rotator cuff for me either, merely muscles that tighten up and forget how to relax. It's in my shoulder, across part of my back and sometimes into my neck. I got hooked up with a massage therapist that specializes in sports pain and deep tissue massage, not the day spa variety, who has really helped. The returns are not instantaneous, but it is non-invasive and non medication, both of which appeal to me.

Diana

QuiltE

Sometimes one just needs to take a break and let things heal!

ITA ... it could be that you have an ongoing problem ... it might be a good idea to learn how to "stretch" your muscles more regularly, before, during and after a sewing/ironing session to minimize problems for the long haul.

gigi712

I fell a few weeks ago and broke my shoulder blade and 2 ribs. Believe it or not, I can cut on a good day. Not many of those, tho. I'm fortunate that my sister has an Accuquilt Go and she will cut the longer pieces for me.

I was told not to do anything that makes it hurt. Of course we're talking about bones here compared to muscles, etc. Best of luck in whatever you decide. I feel your pain.

Bicycle Hobo

Why suffer with pain when the above comments offer so much good advice. Along with the above, I make sure my muscles & joints are kept warm by wearing sweaters & wrapped in my quilts/blankets during cold spells even in Southern California. I don't use over-the-counter pills (like Advil, Tylenol, and the rest) very much except at bedtime-and generally rarely taken at that. I do use and prefer the topical applied cremes and lotions more often. The brand I use is JointFlex (along with http://www.jointflex.com/faqs.html).I use it during the day when physically operating machinery (like bike riding and sewing machine use) or when performing repetitive activities (like cutting with scissors) as needed.

dunster

About 12 years ago I had a shoulder injury that I think was caused by working out improperly on an exercise machine. It got so bad that I couldn't raise my left hand above my neck, so even trying to comb or wash my hair was an effort. We moved to a farm about this time, and there was a lot of work to do and horses to play with and so I wasn't able to give the shoulder much rest. This went on for about a year, the doctor suspected a bone spur but wasn't sure, and finally I had surgery. It healed quickly and completely and since then I've had no problems.

yngldy

I have something going on in my shoulder too. My back goes out sometimes. I take glucosamine when I think about it and it really helps. When my back would go out I would go to the chiropractor and one treatment would do the trick, but my chiropractor retired (he was a cracker) and the new one only wants to use the thumper. It doesn't do anything for me. Most of the chiropractors here won't take you if you don't have health insurance, so I will have to keep looking.

BellaBoo

My grandmother had very bad shoulder pain for years. She couldn't lift her arm very high. She said it was bursitis but was never officially diagnosed. A retired Dr. to her to take two teaspoons of concentrated cherry juice every day. Her shoulder pain went away in a few months and never came back unless she forgot to buy cherry juice. It's hard to find concentrated cherry juice in the stores now. Most health foods have it. She mixed it with a small glass of water. It certainly won't hurt you and it may work.