Post by dalesnfellfan on Sept 16, 2014 13:11:19 GMT -1
It's almost 6 months since my accident and I was still getting quite severe nerve pain on and around my shoulder blade that painkillers numbed but didn't stop, a friend suggested I go to see an osteopath she had found to be good, so last Wednesday I had my first session. She took my history and examined me and said that with broken ribs if either a pneumothorax, collapsed lung or pleurisy is involved, when the ribs mend they often mend in slightly the wrong place because the lung isn't able to inflate properly and keep the broken ribs where they should be.
I had all three, (well if your going to do something you may as well do it properly), and the top 2 ribs, which sit under the shoulder blade, in particular, had healed in the wrong place and were sitting where the shoulder blade was trying to sit and trapping nerves and causing tissue damage. A couple of the other ribs lower down had healed so they were pushing on my sternum at an odd angle which was impacting on my breathing and making me collapse through my ribs on my right side, I knew I was doing this when riding but I couldn't correct it, it was also affecting my use of the core muscles and making me unstable. This explains why I was feeling so insecure while riding, I had thought it was just lack of muscle tone and needing to gain more fitness.
She said she could do something for me but not as much as she would have been able to do had I come to her before the ribs had properly healed, it was painful enough as it was, I could not have stood it before the ribs had healed !!! She worked on me for about 45 min, pulling and poking and prodding and pushing and that night I was pretty sore, but over the next few days the pain gradually subsided and the nerve pain has almost disappeared and I feel more flexible. Yesterday I was able to wear a bra for the first time in nearly 6 months, it was just too painful where it touched my shoulder blade, and I have more energy and am able to do more before getting tired. Best of all I haven't had to take a single painkiller now since Sunday.
Sam noticed the difference in my riding on Saturday, I am now sitting up much better, can get my shoulders back and down more and I feel much more stable and confident. I think part of my lack of confidence was because I didn't feel stable, and Em obviously feels the difference too because she is responding much better, she is not having to try to work out whether I am giving her a weight aid or just wobbling/tipping forward and them correcting myself.
I have another session tomorrow and I'm now really looking forward to seeing what more she can do.
that's brilliant!!! I'm so glad you were able to find a great osteopath to set you on the road to complete healing. 
