In the summer of 24 at the age of 52 I was seriously considering retirement on disability. My left shoulder had been diagnosed with tendonitis about 15 years previous. Although my range of motion was restricted somewhat at that time, I was still able to perform my duties as a truck driver and enjoy some golf, fishing, and baseball. As my condition gradually worsened over the years, however, my job was becoming unbearable and I had to sacrifice or reduce those other activities. Simple actions like donning a jacket or reaching back to tuck in my shirt became a challenge, but I adapted to avoid the pain.
At its worst in the spring of 24, the pain was constant and interfered with all my activities. I was unable to lie on my left side, had great difficulty finding any comfortable sleeping position and would jolt myself awake several times during the night with a slight arm movement. On the job, I would cradle my left arm between the armrest and my waist to minimize the pain while my right arm took up the steering duties along with shifting.
X-rays showed calcification of the rotator cuff and my doctor sent me off to physiotherapy. After 3 months there was very little improvement, in fact the exercises seemed to aggravate my condition. At this point I was desperate for some relief when a friend told me about the Laser Therapy.
Within the first few visits the constant pain had diminished to a minor discomfort. Over the next few months I began to regain the use of my shoulder, only experiencing pain if I happened to aggravate it somehow. I got a bit discouraged at times when my recovery would plateau and felt that that was as good as it was going to get. These periods were short-lived, however, I stuck with it and my condition has since improved dramatically.
I'm now cranking the steering wheel, enjoying sports and recreational activities that I had given up and sleeping comfortably through the night. My undying gratitude goes to Drs. Rob Skleryk and YY Ng at LaserHealth® Solutions in Surrey, BC. The laser treatment truly has 'improved my quality of life'.
Don B.
Condition(s):
Arthritis
Shoulder Pain and Injuries
Injuries (Burns, Cuts, or Trauma)
