Subluxation -- Part Two: Leukotape

Working in concert, the therapists have been addressing the subluxation during both my physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions. They use a multidisciplinary approach -- addressing the subluxation from several different angles and using a variety of methods, all with a common goal: to restore joint integrity.

Ultimately, we will rebuild and strengthen the atrophied muscles in my shoulder and upper arm. Until the muscles are strong enough to hold the humerus in place, however, Mike and Kristen, my tag-team OTs, have been taping my shoulder.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, there was much talk of the tape many athletes were sporting – Kinesio® tape. Kinesio tape does more than look fierce stretched across bulging muscles in swaths of bright colors. It’s used to support joints and muscles to prevent strain, damage, and injury to the taped area.

Leukotape, the tape Mike and Kristin use on me is similar to the Kinesio tape the Olympic athletes wore, but Leukotape is much more rigid and provides more support. This high-tensile tape is used to realign my shoulder, and keep the joint intact and in place, while I work to strengthen the muscles in my shoulder and upper arm. Essentially – training wheels for my shoulder.

It's amazing, the difference Leukotape makes. For the first time, in as long as I can remember, my shoulder feels like it's a part of me. It feels solid. It feels whole. Since my shoulder is sitting in the correct place, it's not always uncomfortable, so I don't need to ask someone to move my arm as frequently. Best of all, my shoulder hurts substantially less. In fact, I'd go so far as to say sometimes it doesn't hurt at all. Bonus!

Read Part One of Subluxation

"Subluxation" is not nearly as fun as it sounds

As I've mentioned, one of the major obstacles that complicates therapy and hinders my progress is my subluxated right shoulder. Subluxation is a partial dislocation of a joint. Shoulder subluxation is typically, as it is in my case, caused by weakened muscles and connective tissue around the glenohumeral (ball and socket) joint. When the muscles are too weak to hold it in place, the head of the humerus bone slides out of the glenoid fossa (the concavity in the head of the scapula that receives the head of the humerus to form the shoulder joint).

At this point, the gap between the head of the humerus and the shoulder socket in my right shoulder is about the width of two fingers. In my specific case, what might've been a slight subluxation was exacerbated by years of people pulling on my arm when using it to move me. The frustrating part about that is I've always known, and been quite adamant about, that no one can lift me under my arms to move me or my shoulders would dislocate. I did not realize, however, that the force applied to my joint in that situation would be substantial enough to do damage. Apparently, it is. Myopic foresight makes for grueling hindsight.

More frustrating than knowing I could've prevented some of my current situation is that much of it could've been avoided if someone had taken my concerns about it seriously. I have for years been telling anyone who would listen that there was something wrong with my shoulder -- it felt loose, it didn't sit right, and it hurt all the time. I was always told either it was fine, or there was nothing that could be done for it.

This is a perfect example of why I love KKI and the fantastic therapists at the ICSCI. When I went in for my evaluation in May, it was the first thing they noticed. While palpating my shoulder, the PT and OT discussed the discomfort I was having.

"There's something wrong with it, isn't there?" I asked them. "It's not where it's supposed to be, right?"
Both therapists confirmed my suspicions. The difference, this time, was that they said, "We can fix that!"