I Look Fine, But I Still Cannot Move That Way ーThe Challenge of External and Internal Rotation October 1, 2026 (Thursday) Day 35 of my R8 hospital stay

Recently, people have started saying things like,

"You look well."  
"Your arm is moving much better now."

And yes, my arm can definitely move better than before.

I can raise it much higher now.  
I can also extend it sideways much more than I could at the beginning.

But I know my own body.

There are still movements that I simply cannot do.

The most difficult ones are external rotation and internal rotation of my left shoulder.

Turning my arm outward is especially painful.

It is even more difficult when I keep my elbow close to my body and try to rotate my forearm outward.

If I move my elbow away from my body, I can rotate it somewhat more.

But my therapist says that practicing external rotation with the elbow close to the body is important.

That made me think.

It is not simply a matter of whether my arm can move or not.

It matters how I am moving it.

Internal rotation is also still difficult.

I can somehow bring my hand up to my chest.

I can also use a towel to wash the upper part of my body in the bath.

But when I try to reach toward my armpit, I notice something.

My shoulder rises.

So my therapist has taught me to check myself in the mirror:

- Is my left shoulder rising?
- Is my right shoulder also rising?
- Is my wrist bending?

I only have 30 minutes in the bath, so I cannot spend the whole time watching myself in the mirror.

Still, I try to check at least once or twice.

---

## My Wrist Was Bent Like a Little Mountain

Yesterday, my therapist pointed something out to me for the first time.

When I use my left hand, my wrist bends upward in a kind of mountain shape.

I had not noticed it at all.

The therapist explained it in a very simple way.

The front and back of my shoulder are still stiff.

When I try to extend my arm while the shoulder itself cannot move enough, other parts have to help.

The muscles between my elbow and wrist also become involved.

Eventually, extra stress may be placed on my wrist.

"Ah, so that is why my wrist bends."

It made me think about how connected the human body is.

It is not just a problem with the shoulder.

If the shoulder cannot move properly, the elbow, forearm, wrist, and fingers can all be affected.

And perhaps the opposite is also true.

As the movement of my shoulder gradually returns, the movement of my hand and fingers may also change.

---

## My Grip Strength Is Slowly Returning

Yesterday, I had my grip strength measured again for the first time in a while.

My left hand had previously measured around 6 kg.

Yesterday, it was around 10 kg.

My right hand was around 9 to 10 kg, with little change.

My left hand is still not the same as my right.

But going from 6 to around 10 is encouraging.

The numbers show that something is gradually coming back.

My therapist did not seem particularly concerned about my grip strength itself.

For now, the plan is simply to continue rehabilitation.

---

## Clay and Pegs for My Fingers

Yesterday, the movement of the fingers on my left hand was also somewhat awkward.

The occupational therapist brought out something that looked like modeling clay.

Later, I looked it up and found that materials such as TheraPutty are commonly used for hand rehabilitation.

I kneaded it.

I squeezed it.

I used my fingertips and then my palm.

I moved it around in my hand.

The other tool was a pegboard.

It was a board with holes, and I had to pick up small pegs and place them into the holes.

I used my thumb and index finger.

Then my thumb and middle finger.

I put the pegs in and took them out repeatedly.

I thought,

"I did not even know there were tools like this."

Occupational therapists really have an amazing variety of tools and exercises.

When I watch them working with other patients, sometimes they are doing things that look almost like cognitive tests.

Every patient has different needs.

I am beginning to appreciate how much thought goes into each person's rehabilitation.

---

## The Stiffness After a Fracture Can Stay Until the End

One of the things my therapist explained yesterday really stayed with me.

It was about the stiffness and contracture that develop after a fracture.

Of course, it is important for the bone to heal.

But around the bone are nerves, muscles, tendons, and many other tissues.

After a fracture and surgery, when a person cannot move normally for a period of time, the surrounding tissues can become stiff.

In my case, rehabilitation also started later than ideal, so that stiffness has remained.

My arm can now move much higher.

It can extend sideways much better.

But the movements that remain particularly difficult are:

external rotation and internal rotation.

And because my shoulder is still stiff, my body seems to compensate by raising my shoulder or bending my wrist.

My body is simply trying its best to find another way to move.

---

## Now It Is Not Only About Moving - It Is Also About Strengthening

Recently, strength training for my left hand and arm has become part of my rehabilitation.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

I pull forward.

I pull backward.

Some of the movements are quite painful.

But I keep thinking,

"I am sure this will help somehow."

Yesterday, two therapists worked with me on exercises to strengthen my left hand and arm.

Raise the arm.

Move the shoulder.

Use the hand.

Use the fingers.

Build strength.

Connect everything to everyday activities.

I am realizing that rehabilitation is not simply about making a body part move again.

It is also about learning:

How can I move in a way that allows me to live my everyday life without putting unnecessary stress on my body?

---

People say,

"You look well."

And yes, I am doing well.

I can walk.

I can eat.

I can talk.

My arm can move much better than before.

But,

looking well and being able to move freely are not the same thing.

There is still a part of my left shoulder that simply does not move the way I want it to.

Especially external rotation and internal rotation.

Those are my major challenges now.

I will not rush.

But I will keep moving forward, little by little.

One small movement better than yesterday.

And perhaps one more tomorrow.

Step by step, I want to regain the movements I have lost.

---

🎧 🔊 👍 👎 ⬆️ ⋮

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