GatewayRedbirds.com

One day I moved my right arm across my body and felt pain. I waited until it was my appointment with my doctor to ask her about it. She asked me to move my arms in several ways and then told me I might have a problem with my rotator cuff. I returned to her office this morning to get a cortisone shot and she gave me referrals for an X-ray and physical therapy. She talked about getting an MRI but didn’t say anything about surgery. But any baseball fan knows that the words “rotator cuff” strike fear into your heart.

I might have a R.C. issue too. Been so bad lately that it's been keeping me awake some. I get a pretty sharp pain inside my shoulder in a very specific spot when I raise my arm in certain directions. I had a nurse practitioner tell me it could be the R.C. but just yesterday a pain doc I was visiting mainly for my back told me the shoulder could be an impingement.

I've had shoulder impingement before, and a few weeks of physical therapy cleared it right up. The shoulder is one of those complicated areas where, if one part gets injured, the body overcompensates and problems begin to cascade.

I also learned exercises to make sure that I strengthen a greater variety of muscles in and around the shoulder, so the issue hasn't returned.

I sincerely hope impingement is all both of you are dealing with, because it is quite treatable. Takes time, though.

You guys have Paletta's number?