Thank you Steve Chapman

How an ‘unemployed’ carpenter permanently repaired my two dis-locatable shoulders.

I dislocated my left shoulder in the fog at Temple Basin in 1960. It was re-located many painful hours later by the Doctor in Darfield. There are many skiers who will recall that I was capable of popping this shoulder in and out at will. Gruesome party trick!

I dis-located my right shoulder whilst testing a surf-yak at Punakaiki beach in 1986. This shoulder was reassembled quite quickly at Greymouth Hospital.

So I now had two dis-locatable shoulders. WOW!

All went well until 5km from Pipariki. I slammed into a bluff that had zero buffer wave (undercut) and ejected with my right shoulder useless for swimming. Sitting waiting for help seemed like a bad idea. I found that the kayak bow effortlessly reset the shoulder.

Away I went – sticking as much as possible to side channels. Only two more re-sets needed along the way. Pipariki was achieved – keeping my team in the competition. The main problem I encountered was meeting-up-with-my-‘rescue’-jet-boat in the midst of that turbulent rapid just above Pipariki. That WAS problematic.

I received a prize for the Competitor-with-the-most-Tenacity – a first aid kit!

Three weeks later I am paddling Nelson Harbour in the dark and I bump (almost literally) into Steve Chapman doing likewise. I ask him not to raft up – and explain why. Steve offered to call by the next day with the promise to fix my shoulders.

True to his word Steve demonstrated several very simple isometric exercises – performed in a doorway. Three minutes per day.

Immediately things felt stronger and less painful. Further down the track my troublesome back settled down nicely.

Between October 1987 to May 2018, I Grahame Sisson, have never again suffered a shoulder dislocation.

Thank you Steve.

No surgery. No pain. Added strength. Bliss

Thank you again Steve

Testing – does anyone read this stuff? If you have loose shoulders and you desire Steve’s fix – email me. Love to pass to on. After three requests I will prepare a graphic and slam it into this post.

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