Shoulder hurting, how to look after it?

[adamangler]

if its an injury it needs seeing to but it maybe just that your muscles arent used to the workload an they need strengthening.

I had bad neck pain for months a few years ago and i went to see the physio, he suggested going to the gym to work on the area. B/O rows Lat pull downs and military presses/shoulder exercises sorted it out in no time, in my case it was just a case of strengthening the supporting muscles in the area of the spine.

 

[slippy]

I do some really awkward Windows, stupid angles of to the side n over conservatories, I have a shoulder injury n it really screams pain at me. I have an slx, but really want or need the extreme. I ha e converted to a tank n what a difference not lifting barrels in n out all day, have felt less exhausted. I do use a backpack on a little trolley for awkward.As suggested, massage, stretching tight muscles n strengthen shoulder joint, but really have to watch your form when using weights, as could cause more injury. My shoulder injury came from doing lateral pulldowns on a tehnogym machine, the style of machine just did not suit my body style, even though I had used different machines before. Lovely lump of scar tissue, took months to get rid of pain in normal use n still painful when ly on it, such fun

Just looked at the xtreme, maybe I should get a 22ft one. My 32ft Ionics grafter is ok (I got it because it compacted down and fits easily in a car). I have had it for a year! But it is heavy. Does not doing any customers with big conservatories or difficult windows which involve really straining when holding pole sound like a wise move? How should I explain this on a quote as you cant always see the conservatories when you knock on a door when canvassing. I really need to keep my shoulder in good condition if I am going to make more and more money from wfp.

My injury isn't horrendous and I can work on it, but it aches when I pick up my baby etc days later.

 

[slippy]

hi slippy,you'll probably get the pain in the other shoulder given time,you really need to see a sports physio not an osteopath,check out your local gym for one,i go once a month simply just to keep on top of things,my rotator cuff issue has gone now thanks to the physio and the electric reel/lighter poles and other changes i made has made a whole world of differencei agree a new bed takes some time for the body to get used to but i think the topper has just highlighted the underlying problem you have had for a while

lifting a trolley in and out of a van all day and water butts won't help either,consider a small tank and use the trolley as a van mount?

I have a car- I guess lifting 25 litre barrels isn't going to be great for the shoulder and body. Until I get a van maybe I could fill barrels in back of car and then use an electric hose, pump etc to pump water out while working and get an xtreme pole then just do easy windows- ones which are directly above. Does that sound like a plan? I should be able to carry on window cleaning shouldn't I?

I guess this is a question for a physio, but is it the heavy lifting or the pole work which is probably aggravating the shoulder?

 

[kevinc250]

if i were in your shoes,i would be looking at the slx 18,they reach most windows over conservatories/lighter than a 22 and if you need more height in the future you could always get a 22 or an extension for the 18,its pointless carrying extra weight for that one window you clean once a month,(90% of my work can be done with an 18).

the weight saving over the ionic pole should be at least half and you may find yourself going quicker/in turn paying back the cost of the pole sooner,

leave the trolly in the car and get a clover style hose reel-many guys on here will have a s/h one kicking around doing nothing so it might be worth asking?

the clover reel because if you upgrade to a van later that reel can be retro fitted to go electric

only my thoughts slippy,any of the above suggestions will ease the pain and i'm sure others will suggest other methods too

 

[slippy]

if i were in your shoes,i would be looking at the slx 18,they reach most windows over conservatories/lighter than a 22 and if you need more height in the future you could always get a 22 or an extension for the 18,its pointless carrying extra weight for that one window you clean once a month,(90% of my work can be done with an 18).the weight saving over the ionic pole should be at least half and you may find yourself going quicker/in turn paying back the cost of the pole sooner,

leave the trolly in the car and get a clover style hose reel-many guys on here will have a s/h one kicking around doing nothing so it might be worth asking?

the clover reel because if you upgrade to a van later that reel can be retro fitted to go electric

only my thoughts slippy,any of the above suggestions will ease the pain and i'm sure others will suggest other methods too

The SLX 18 hey, wouldn't the xtreme 18 be even lighter and therefore better (or does the xtreme have other issues)?

I will post a thread asking if anyone is selling a clover style hose reel.

If I fill and empty the barrels in the car, it would be best to be pulling from two barrels at the same time anyone know a twin pipe thingee I could buy?

And I guess just use my basic pump and rechargeable battery pack or trolley to pump the water to the house, will place outside next to car incase water leaks, sound like a plan?

 

[Poles Apart]

The SLX 18 hey, wouldn't the xtreme 18 be even lighter and therefore better (or does the xtreme have other issues)?
I will post a thread asking if anyone is selling a clover style hose reel.

If I fill and empty the barrels in the car, it would be best to be pulling from two barrels at the same time anyone know a twin pipe thingee I could buy?

And I guess just use my basic pump and rechargeable battery pack or trolley to pump the water to the house, will place outside next to car incase water leaks, sound like a plan?

I clean 90% of mine with an slx 18 and get the 22 out when required some people advocate using a 22 for everything or even a 25, I think you should use the lightest pole for the work you are doing, lifting weights isn't going to fix injuries best policy is to prevent injury if you're in pain when doing a window then you really shouldn't be doing that window with the method you are using.

 

[Marko067]

To help keep the boot of my car dry I use tarps. Lidl and Aldi sell them and poundstretchers. Any spillages are mopped up quickly.

I noticed in one of your earlier posts you mentioned rinsing off the glass. I found this caused me problems with my shoulders. I learned to rinse on the glass wherever I can, just guiding the pole with my hands and lifting one side of the brush a little and letting the other take the weight, then when sweeping back in the other direction lifting the opposite side of the brush, always keeping one side on the glass. This helped a lot and I've done it ever since.

If you're going to leave your trolley next to your car, what about making a small pump box instead. Depending on the size of battery you're using this could be really light. I've seen these made from old plastic tool boxes that have built in handles. Backpack pump plus battery combined could weigh as little as 2.5kgs. Plastic toolbox weighs very little. Might be worth a go.

 

[Poles Apart]

I hate rinsing off the glass but I have to because I turn water off and clean sills with the brush that's where all th **** is.

 

[Poles Apart]

To help keep the boot of my car dry I use tarps. Lidl and Aldi sell them and poundstretchers. Any spillages are mopped up quickly.I noticed in one of your earlier posts you mentioned rinsing off the glass. I found this caused me problems with my shoulders. I learned to rinse on the glass wherever I can, just guiding the pole with my hands and lifting one side of the brush a little and letting the other take the weight, then when sweeping back in the other direction lifting the opposite side of the brush, always keeping one side on the glass. This helped a lot and I've done it ever since.

If you're going to leave your trolley next to your car, what about making a small pump box instead. Depending on the size of battery you're using this could be really light. I've seen these made from old plastic tool boxes that have built in handles. Backpack pump plus battery combined could weigh as little as 2.5kgs. Plastic toolbox weighs very little. Might be worth a go.

What are Tarps?

 

[kevinc250]

I clean 90% of mine with an slx 18 and get the 22 out when required some people advocate using a 22 for everything or even a 25, I think you should use the lightest pole for the work you are doing, lifting weights isn't going to fix injuries best policy is to prevent injury if you're in pain when doing a window then you really shouldn't be doing that window with the method you are using.

totally agree with the above comment,to ease a few pains during the day you can try "cupping"-no,its not a new sex position or involving going near car parks or woods during the dark hours,turn your palm upwards and form a cup shape/use your palm again in the cup shape on the bottom of the pole and use your opposite ie other arm or fore arm to rest the pole on and clean as normal,its difficult to describe and easier to show someone,this technique uses a different set of muscles and is ideal for higher and larger windows and eases the other muscles

 

[kevinc250]

come to think of it,i use that technique a lot during the day,if you stood up straight and with your arms by your side,move your hand so it is on your stomach,thats a 45degree angle use that inner part of the elbow to make a fulcrum to rest/slide the pole when cleaning those hard to get to windows-if you slightly press against it when on the glass the brush will splay and your arm is just used to slide the pole up and down etc,try it or other variations its suprising how you can adapt to varying situations without wrenching your guts

 

[Marko067]

What are Tarps?

It is like a kind of woven plastic tarpaulin or sheeting usually very tough and waterproof. Often dog owners use them to keep their cars clean

 

[slippy]

View attachment 7480 This is the cheap £50 pump. Would this work? One side connected to the barrels in car and other to microbore reel going to pole. Could place it outside next to reel on pavement with one side of hose going into car and into the barrels inside.

 

[slippy]

Spoke to GP and he said he thought my shoulder problem was a acromioclavicular joint problem. He gave me naproxen and some exercises. Wouldn't refer me for pysio. Said the issue could be connected to a broken collar bone (about 8 years ago). He said the osteopath's diagnosis of tendonitis was wrong. The GP seemed arrogant in his dismissal of the osteopath's diagnosis.

 

[Dave B]

View attachment 10639 This is the cheap £50 pump. Would this work? One side connected to the barrels in car and other to microbore reel going to pole. Could place it outside next to reel on pavement with one side of hose going into car and into the barrels inside.

That's what i used to do and i believe @Posh does it that way with a hose reel

 

[Marko067]

View attachment 10639 This is the cheap £50 pump. Would this work? One side connected to the barrels in car and other to microbore reel going to pole. Could place it outside next to reel on pavement with one side of hose going into car and into the barrels inside.

Looks good. That's the sort of thing I had in mind.

As far as your GP and Osteopath are concerned they are both trained in their field, but in my experience where our skeleton, muscles ligaments and tendons are concerned I trust my osteopath more.

One of our local GPs told my wife she had a frozen shoulder and planned to give her and injection in the shoulder. It was all booked in and in the meantime we went to an osteopath to see if there was anything he could do to alleviate the pain. Within minutes he had ruled out a frozen shoulder and said we should get it checked out properly. It turned out she had advanced Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and it had gotten into the bones in her arms and legs and a lot of other places. She's in remission now thankfully having had all the treatment. But I do wonder where we'd be if we had just accepted the GPs diagnosis. There were other signs but he just didn't pick up on them.

I'm absolutely not dissing GPs as they work very hard, maybe too hard, and on an earlier occasion another GP picked up on something serious real quick and got my wife seen to very quickly. But we have to use our own noddle sometimes and if we're not happy get another opinion. And if something hurts real bad when we use it, try to find ways as you are to work round it. I've done this a number of times in the past and in a few weeks suddenly realised it's healed and not hurting anymore.

 

[Posh]

That's what i used to do and i believe @Posh does it that way with a hose reel

Yes @daveyboy exactly that

 

[slippy]

Yes @daveyboy exactly that

Contacting John Hewitt now to get a hose reel for microbore. Getting one which I can convert later to electric. Hopefully that basic pump will pump the water through 100mm of microbore! What reel do you use by the way?

Also, did you put the pump outside/inside your car?

 

[Posh]

I have 2 25 litre drums in the van.

The pump is inside the van.

I just drop the hose in it. The other hose is connected to my hose reel of which I have 130ft of hose which in turn is connected to my pole.

My hose reel is just a wind up one

@slippy

 

[Dave B]

I have used mine in the past with 60m or more of microbore and hose reel

Wouldn't recommend it for such a small pump but enough hose to go round an average semi will be fine

 

[Alien Human]

Best thing I've done to relieve shoulder pain is to invest in a high quality pole (e.g lighter) and stand further back.