Question
Dear doctor:
An injury occured on my left rotator cuff a couple years ago when im out on the driving range hitting golf balls. I hit a lot of balls on that day and it was right after a heavy weight lifting workout. The next day i cant lift my arm and felt pain right in the armpit area. After 3 years the pain would come back when im careless and hit too many balls or swing the club too hard.

I try to do strength training 3 session a week but everytime i finished the 2nd day, the rotator cuff and lat muscle would not heal fast enough for the final day workout because of soreness, and i would wait a few more days and sometimes weeks for the soreness to completely go away. The more i procrastinate on working out the weaker the muscle get and the weaker the muscle the more prone for injury. Its just a never ending process for me this past few years.

Any suggestions?  
Thank you

Answer
Will:

Thanks for writing!

Shoulder pain in general can be a tough problem. They can be a direct injury such as yours or they can be a reflex from other areas of the body.

Given your description of the problem, I would say that you injured not only the shoulder but also the joint where the tailbone hooks the leg and the back and the hip together. That is called the sacro iliac joint and can be a real solution to shoulder pain and injury, even when one does not have pain in the sacro iliac.

The only solution is to get the sacro iliac corrected. This does not require drugs or surgery, just the right doctor who is educated in the actual anatomical and physiological facts about this joint and trained to put it together manually.

Even surgery on the rotator cuff would help only temporarily unless the sacro iliac is corrected. The shoulder is supported by the sacro iliac and does not have a stable footing to operate on. An unstable base throws unusual stress into the shoulde and tears it again.

If you wish, I can refer you to a good chiropractor in your area. Please let me know.

Dr. Rozeboom