Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Opportunity to train around my ouchie


About 12 years ago I injured my right hand when I hit a tree coming down a snowy hill riding a sleigh. My hand hurt for years and I resigned myself that it would always hurt. I had to modify my karate training and train around my ouchie by favoring my left side. It eventually healed after a couple years and, in hindsight, was a blessing in disguise because I spent more time in the dojo working my left side and it became better.

Almost 10 years ago I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a karate accident. I still remember the excruciating pain to this day the moment I fell to the ground screaming in agony. I knew something serious had happened. After surgery, physical therapy rehabilitation, and countless hours in the gym on my own, I was able to get close enough to my pre-injury self and resume training as I trained before the accident. Again, in hindsight, the injury was a blessing in disguise because I had to train around my ouchie. It opened my mind to training modalities that I might not have ever considered.

So now, I’m sporting a nuisance sore right shoulder despite being very proud of how good my shoulders have felt the past couple years as I shared in this past blogflection: My shoulders feel great

The catalyst of my sore right shoulder, I believe, was resuming bar dips after a lengthy absence and performing them with on a bar dip station with slightly wider hand placement than normal, compounded by continuing to perform overhead work as if all was fine. I don’t think there is anything seriously wrong with my right shoulder but it does need rest and recovery. Rather than sit idle and do nothing, it’s another opportunity to train around my ouchie.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

2 comments:

Charles Long said...

Yeah. I've been having to do that since I hurt my knee. It doesn't seem to be getting better but it will eventually.

Pierini Fitness said...

Wow Charles, I didn't know your knees were still hurting.

When mine did, I went on a thrice weekly self-PT workout of light weight and high rep exercises (using machines) of single-leg extension, single-leg curls, and the adductor/abductor machine that women use, trying to work all the stabilizing muscles. For me, it helped.