Sore Shoulder

Health and fitness is my main priority in life. I CrossFit like crazy and I am fairly diligent about eating healthy. A couple weeks ago, I arm wrestled a friend and my shoulder started hurting. It was stupid, I know. Especially because my shoulder had been hurting on and off for months.

It didn't get better, so I saw the doctor. He said that it was probably a torn labrum, so I would need an MRI. I got the MRI done and it turned out that there was not a tear in my shoulder. I got a second opinion and he said it was bursitis, which is basically inflammation. That was really a close call.

After seeing the first doctor, I started thinking about what this would mean. Pain, couch, upset, etc. You get the point. I had even started planning when the surgery would be. It was crazy.

It made me think that I really have to listen to my body. The ACL tear was out of nowhere, but I sometimes kick myself because I did not take my leg exercises seriously. With the shoulder, I got upset at myself for being too competitive and pushing through pain. It is absolutely not worth it. Being fit or in shape does not mean to be stupid. Proper nutrition and preparation will help reduce the risk of serious injury. Taking days off is part of that equation.

Now I am resting my shoulder until the pain is completely gone. I have the urges to do overhead exercises, but I have to think long-term. If the ACL surgery taught me one thing, it is that being patient makes everything a lot easier.