Thank you so much. Let's see....

1. Could you give me 1 example of an eccentric exercise I could do? That would give me an idea of whether or not I'm on track with what I'm doing.

2. Planks are done by lying face down, then resting on forearms and toes (or, on knees) and holding body in a straight line from feet (or knees) to the head, while supporting the body with the forearms, and holding for seconds to a minute (I hold for 5 seconds, and repeat several times). Sideways plank is doing this on one side, then the other. I'm unable to do a sideways plank on this arm for longer than 10 seconds without pain. The PT believes that the sideways planks are key to getting the humerus head to sit lower. [Prior to onset of this problem, I was doing sideways planks for almost 1 full minute on each side, and a full plank (face down on forearms) for 1 minute.]

I forgot to mention that I get manual therapy during each appointment, after a hot pack and several minutes on the "arm bike" machine.

3. With respect to having the space checked out for bony spurs: Do you mean to have that done arthroscopically? or how else can the space be checked out? I've had 2 different sets of x-rays; the ones requested by doctor #2 were much more complete (from different angles) than the first.

4. In my activities of daily living, my dominant arm is the troubled one, and I sometimes forget and use it a little more than I should or move it in a direction it doesn't like ----- but, 98% of the time I am very careful. Perhaps I should not be using it at all(??), but I'd just be sitting and doing nothing at all, or letting it dangle at my side ---- perhaps this is what I should be doing!?? I also drive a car with a manual transmission, and have been looking after my mom while she was in the hospital during the holidays (doing my best to hide my shoulder problem from her and not lifting anything heavy).

One more bit of information that may prove helpful: 5 years ago when we bought our car with the manual transmission, I noticed that when I shifted away from me I felt a mild but sharp tearing/prickly type pain in the spot on the front of my shoulder. At that time, it was so mild that I didn't even consider going to a doctor. However, that same pain is one of the pains that has flared up and worsened since starting PT, and I feel it even when not driving.

While searching the internet, I found the website of an orthopedic surgeon with an article about Wikipedia reference-linkrotator cuff tears; on this page he wrote "In most patients, these exercises initially increase pain. However, if they are performed regularly, they appear to result in symptomatic relief in 60 to 70% of patients. It has been our opinion that patients with hooked acromions are less likely to respond to an exercise program than those who have relatively small curves in their acromions." In my x-rays, my acromion appeared flat.

I won't give up! However, I do feel very frustrated, and feel like my life is on-hold. Thank you for offering your advice and suggestions --- I appreciate it very much.

Finally --- I'm very active and my activities are currently very restricted. I am not afraid of surgery, but I am afraid of making the wrong choice. If surgery is needed, I'll do it. Needles -- OK, but I don't want to get a shot, then wait weeks (again), and try something else followed by more weeks of waiting, and finally end up with surgery when it might have worked months earlier.