So, my appointment with the physical therapist was quite interesting. She was fabulous, very gentle, took me seriously (unlike the doc I saw a couple of weeks ago who could barely be bothered to sit down), offered to document anything and everything she found.She found way more than I was expecting.
I figured it was just the nerve damage in my thumb, right? A little leftover damage in my wrists from the cuffs that flared up with so much writing. Well, there is that. There are also, which I hadn't really thought of, "stuck" and flared nerves and muscle bundles in my neck and shoulders (bundles which travel through the shoulder and down the arm into, you guessed it, the wrists and thumbs). This would explain the pain in my shoulders (my rotator cuff and supraspinatus are particularly tender) and arms and why they fatigue so quickly. There are cervical spine vertebrae that are stuck (C-7 in particular, in case you're counting). The right biceps tendon is irritated. And, one of the nerve/muscle bundles in my neck (where the bundle ends at the inner right collarbone) has pulled my right first rib out of whack.
Yikes!
So, there are injuries not just from the cuffs themselves but also from the being handcuffed, the stressful position I was in for two hours or so. And because all these vertebrae/muscles/nerves are connected, my wrists/thumbs can't fully heal until all the rest of it does, too. She was not surprised by any of this, although it did overwhelm me a little.She did some treatment...barely, barely moving things around. I mean barely. Taped up my shoulders. Some e-stim and ultrasound. I was SO SORE and exhausted afterwards, even though, I am telling you, she hardy moved my body at all.
The good news is, it's all fixable, and it's all great for my case. The nerve damage is healing already. More good news: In addition to the PT treatment, I should get massages to help release the muscles. Be gentle to myself (what a concept...and thank God my last paper is shorter...).
The bad news...well, except for continuing to be sore for a while as stuff gets worked out, and not being able to do yoga for a while, there isn't really any bad news. Which is good news.
I'm thankful for my friend who set up the visit, and for the PT for seeing me and for being so gentle, and for y'all for your concern.
