02/15/2026
The other day I was talking to my good friend, Mike, about his shoulder. It had been bothering him; a nagging ache when he reached overhead. Then it turned into night pain. Finally he couldn’t even put his coat on by himself. Then his doctor told him, “You probably need surgery.”
He was really hopeful. He thought surgery would be the fix.
Instead, he woke up in more pain than he expected. Sleeping was miserable. Simple things like showering and getting dressed felt impossible. He wasn’t prepared for how stiff his shoulder felt, or how long recovery was taking.
Weeks went by.
He was frustrated. He couldn’t lift his arm normally. He felt weak. He worried something was wrong.
And what bothered him most? No one had really explained that surgery doesn’t automatically restore strength, mobility, and coordination. That it doesn’t necessarily restore function.
That’s when I urged him to try my physical therapist. She doesn’t just do the standard exercises, I told him.
She actually watches how your shoulder, neck, upper back, and even your hips are moving together.
He went. She adjusted his program based upon what his body needed. She listened, and he felt heard.
Slowly, things changed.
His motion improved. The night pain went away. He felt stronger. He got back to lifting, golfing, and playing with his grand kids without thinking about his shoulder every five minutes.
Here’s the part that stuck with me: He said, “I wish I had tried this first.”
If you’re dealing with shoulder pain — whether you’ve had surgery or you’re trying to avoid it — you deserve to know your options.
Surgery isn’t always the first step. And even if you’ve already had it, healing doesn’t stop in the operating room.
If this sounds like you, here’s Superior Physical Therapy’s number: 231-944-6541.
They will listen. They can help. You can also sign up for their free shoulder pain relief workshop. Here’s the link: https://www.thesuperiortherapy.com/shoulderpainrelief
