Looks like my left rotator cuff is damaged. I have been trying to exercise it away. No luck. Seeing a guy on Thursday. I broke my other shoulder last year in an accident so I probably over did thing with this one for a while.
Anybody else been through it? Can it heal by itself. I am not wild about the surgery idea. DanT
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Three years ago I slipped down some steps while carrying my screw gun in my left hand, and not wanting to drop it, caught myself on the bannister with my right, and tore the rotator. Had open rotator cuff surgery because it was completely torn so I couldn't lift my right arm more than 1/3 of the way up from verticle.
If yours isin't that bad, they may be able to do it with microsurgey. Small tears can heal themselves with PT and meds. You'll need a CT scan to tell.
If you have to have surgery, figure on at least 6 months of rehab before you get 50% of your strength back. A year for 80%. Of course, this depends on your age and over all condition. I was 57 when it happened, and I've gotten 95% back, but I still have to be careful picking up sheet goods with my arms extended.
Hope you have a good easy chair, 'cause it's difficult to sleep laying down for the first week. I had PT 3 times a week for 3 months, starting 3 weeks after the operation. Then I did PT at home three times a day for 6 months.
It's a PITA, but you can get over it. Just don't injure it further by denial like I did.
Yes. I tore my rotator cuff about 12 years ago. Had an MRI then and the surgeon said that it wasn't damaged enough to have to have an operation, but having the operation would be the best thing to do. Trouble was, it meant being down for about 6-8 weeks. I opted for the first. Through those 12 years I exercised, ate right, took vitamins etc etc and the 'bad' shoulder eventually subsided and went away.
Then this last winter I fell off a scaffold and re injured it. I let it go for a while, and finally the pain was so bad that I went in for another MRI. This time, I went to a shoulder specialist and he showed me where the shoulder had it's tear, and because of the weakened area, the shoulder was very inflamed and that was what the pain was. He set me on a treatment of very deep cortisone shots. He told me that there's a good chance of arthritis down the road. Great.
That was 4 months ago. The tenderness is still there and I am somewhat limited in the use, (can't do the pushups I used to), but I'm able to get along fine. Some days it is a little painful.
At this point I think I might go back in to see if it's the inflammation again (it's starting to come back), and if it is do the shot thing again. Really though the best remedy is not to do the type of repetitive heavy work that I have been doing over the past 3 decades. It's time to slow down and push a few more pencils. The body will heal itself in most cases if you let it.
My advice...if the doc says operate, then bite the bullet and do it. If not, then take care of yourself and pamper your shoulder with preventative medicine. Do the right thing.
Me: "Doc, it hurts when I do this."
Doc: "Don't do that."
Dan
I've had one on my left shoulder, scope surgery - not cut wide open.
I was back to work in about 6 weeks. The key for me was the physical therapy, do it!
I was told to start immediately the next day, I thought they were nuts but it came to be that they did know what they were talking about.
I realized that when I'd go in for PT that what was a hard thing for me to do was what the therapist was going to have me work. If it was hard to lift my arm a certain way he would give me some exercises to do that would work that area, wasn't to long that I figured out how to do my own PT! But it worked.
I've known others that have had rotator cuff surgery and they took the PT lightly, one had to have it redid because he ignored most/all of the therapists advice.
It's really not all that big a deal unless maybe they're planning on cutting you wide open, then I'd guess that to be a bigger deal - a little more difficult to deal with!
Doug
Edited 9/19/2007 7:14 am ET by DougU
Edited 9/19/2007 7:14 am ET by DougU
Thanks so much for the advice. As I mentioned my right shoulder (I am right handed) isn't as good as it once was after being broke but it is consistant. But to have both with issues at the same time has been a bit frustrating. I guess it is off to the Dr. and follow the plan. Thanks again! I do the massage thing so I will start there. DanT
Edited 9/19/2007 8:41 am ET by DanT
Dan,
Yes.
No surgery , my massage therapist was able to locate the area of the tear and with repeated visits and deep massage was able to reduce the area of scarring in the muscle tissue .
The scarring if left unattended will always cause more minor tears in the area of the original tear is what she told me.
After 6 weeks of 3x week massages just for the scar tissue and then follow ups for 1 month after I am fine and have had no further problems.
Injury happened 16 years ago.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
It probably depends on the type of tear. I asked about alternative treatments and was told that wear it was torn, there was no way it would ever heal itself and the fragments lift in the joint would do nothing but cause pain and larger scarring.
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Dan,
I had my left shoulder done earlier this year. I'm 50. I had twinges, but worked through the pain. Moved a Grand Piano, paddled 16 miles in a conoe, set some old telephone poles for piles for a cabin - it wasn't just KILLING me, but I knew something was wrong. It just didn't get better.
I went to the Orthopedic guy and he didn't think I had a torn Rotator Cuff. He said I would have been in more pain. He twisted and turned it, then sent me to P.T. about three times a week for about 6 weeks. I worked it hard at home, too, after they showed me the exercises.
At the end of that time, I was still hurting. We never did an MRI, Doc couldn't see any reason. When I went in for surgery, he still didn't think it was torn, just needed to have a look to see what was going on.
In recovery, he told me I had a WHOPPING tear, that it should have been killing me. I recovered real quick - I only missed two days of work - and I brought the ice recirculating thing to work with me much earlier than he knew. Power inverter in the pickup, and I was good to go. Ice is your friend !
Hope it goes well, I'm glad I did it. I'm six months out, and it feels great.
Did I tell you I'm 50 ?
Greg
Thanks to all for the info and encouragement. I too am 50. Not sure what that will do for me or against me but either way. I can still work. Just not overhead and I can't put my own belt on or scratch my right arm. So....have an appointment with my massage guy Thursday. I really trust his opinion. So I will see where it goes from there. Thanks again to all for sharing. It is a big help knowing it can be helped, other go through it and the fix is available. DanT
or scratch my right arm.
Dan
If you get the surgery that aint the only thing you wont be able to scratch for a day or two!
Doug
"Did I tell you I'm 50 ?"And all downhill from here....LOLI am shocked that he didn't do an MRI first. That tells them so much! Even with the MRI, my doc was surprised to find as much damage as he did once he got in there with the camera. 'Course I might have made it worse in the few weeks between the MRI and the scheduled surgery....Being active and in good shape, you may have been compensating for the injury with alternate movements and muscles, so that it did not appear all that bad.
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Mine is damaged, I have "Impingement Syndrome" whis is basically that the tendon is maybe torn a little or swollen, and therefore rubs when extending while lifting past 90 degrees. I did PT and ice 3x a day for around 6 weeks, got it to about 95% recovery, then stopped doing the exercises, as I was pain-free. Then, after a week of carrying 4x8 sheets of SR up 3 flights of narrow, twisting stairs, I awoke Sunday morning unable to lift my arm. Dr. says not torn, just re-aggravated. Surgery would require 6-8 weeks of no work (read: no income), so I'm back to the exercises and ice, now it's rapidly (after 2 weeks) recovering. Went in yesterday and got a cortizone shot, which Dr. says will allow me to work. Prognosis is that if I'm careful (beware of heavily loading the shoulder while extended and raised), and continue with the exercises (which are pretty quick and easy), I can avoid surgery.good luck, and DO THE EXERCISES!!
Update. Went to my massage guy. He has been able to fix about anything over the years including getting the scar tissue in my hands from my accident to thin out/dissolve.
He said "sorry buddy, your whole torso is turned out of center 2" which is probably what caused the shoulder issue. You need a doctor to take some pictures. Get it fixed and then I can work on getting the twist out of the torso." We talked for awhile about it and he simply said I had such a collision with the ground that it would be a couple of years before everything comes to the surface and gets settled.
Not what I hoped to hear but I appreciate honesty. And I trust him. So off to the doctor I go. I will keep you informed. DanT
I always knew you were twisted.;)
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your whole torso is turned out of center 2" which is probably what caused the shoulder issue.
This is why a chiropractor was so much help for my problem...........she worked on my whole alignment which in her opinion was what led to the shoulder injury in the first place.
BTW it sounds like you have a good massage therapist!
Ed
Completely tore thru my right rotator cuff 3 years ago, could not even move or raise my right arm. If had not had surgery on that, stil would not be able to move arm as there was nothing left connected to heal. See last paragraphs on partial tear.
Open shoulder surgery, good as new 3 years later. Took 9 months to heal completly, was ot supposed to drive for 3 months, but did after one. Arm in sling for 3 months though.
Tore it taking one of my dump truck tires off the rim by hand, tire iron slipped - actually 3 times, probably would not have torn it thru if I had discontinued the effort.
Very sharp tearstabbing very short pain at time of the tears (3 in a row, pretty dumb, but still thought I was indestructivbe at 60.
Also, breaking a branch off a tree with left arm last spring, felt the same type short sharp paint in left shoulder when the branch snapped. Noticed a decrease in left arm strength the next day. Have babied the left arm for 4 months and it seems to have healed without any sling or surgery, but was very careful for 3 months on what I did with left arm.
Your Doc and an MRI can assess the damage.
If you have surgery and have a high pain threshold, tell the doc you do not wnat the drip tube pain killer - ins. usually does not cover and was a pain to dispose of. Also was prescribed oxycontin for pain, but never had any pain, but did take one oxyc on doctors advise - withdrawal form just one was very bad flu symptoms, would not touch that #### again unless in near unbearable pain.
I had zero pain after surgery, doc said he had never heard of that.
Fixed a couple of pulleys to ceiling of bedroom and living room to lift arm for therapy, never went in for therapy, did it all DIY (per instructions) and have full range of movement now.
Same thing I did. Finished the cabs in that kitchen and it finished the tearing. Had a big lump where my tricept is. That was the muscle.
The PT is to prevent "adhesions," which are scar tissue that builds up in the muscle around the injury and incisions. The doc had to staple all that tissue back together on me. Put a "patch" the size of a silver dollar in too.
Bionic shoulder....
Not being an MD or even a "diy-er medic" I have no correct answer for you. I "pulled" -strained/sprained as distinct I guess from tore - my rotator cuff and after a week of self-prescribed meds(you know, those super powerful, cure anything, high power continually TV advertised cure-alls) that provided no relief I finally tried a chiropractor. Used a gizmo that applied an electrical current to the area. Sounds a bit like the occult but it worked!
Best wishes for a speedy, uneventful recovery. These injuries are a real pita.
Surgury, do you or don't you? i don't kow if any of this info might help, but here's my story
I've had both shoulders done. i call it a roto-rooter. Both of my rotator-cuffs were almost torn right through due to bone spurs. They both were done arthoscopically and one have to be cut wide open because of the bleeding during surgury. I also had bone spurs removed and the end of the clavical removed due to this(mumford procedure)
When I 1st started to complain to the doctor, he sent me to a PT and after a month of "but when I do this exercise, it hurts more"/injuries, the PT recommended to the doctor to have a MRI done. He didn't like being told what to do by a PT(with a masters degree). After telling him that if he didn't, I'd find a doctor that would
The first MRI didn't show anything until they injected me with contrast dye.
5 years later, they need to be done again. As seen of the latest MRI
As for the 1st 5 years, it was needed but since then I have had increased pain ,due to the surguries? Physical therapy is a must and the one person I used Post surgury might have caused some of the later damage, but I don't know for a fact. Insurance only authorized a small amount of PT for Post OP. Total movement has never returned
Another thing is that some symptoms of shoulder pain can be due to neck problems. I know this is the case with me also. I can turn my head a certain way and it will send pain down my shoulder.
Good luck with your endevor
Seems like you need a good diagnosis first then you can figure out what to do.
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and there is also other soft tissue in the AC joint that can be damaged by too much compression (working hands overhead a lot).
I had an injury there and went to a PT (a friend of mine) , an orthopedic surgeon and a chiropractor. I was diagnosed with a slight tear to the soft itssue. The surgeon was off the wall ("see if it gets better and if not come back and we'll inject cortisone"). The PT gave me simple exercises and the chiropractor was great : 5 or 6 visits once a week and the problem went away.
Ed
Edited 9/19/2007 5:18 pm ET by edlee
No, it won't go away.
I had my left rebuilt 22 months ago. It is stronger now but still has regular massive pain just liewk before the surgery, but at least I can use it.
I think a percentage of the continuing pain is that I am not a good patient sop I was not religious about all the physical therapy and was out using it too soon. Another portion of the continuing pain is probably because he also discovered that my biceps tendon was nearly severed from overuse all those years.
I now have a bionic shoulder with a few pins and pulleys and a re-attached tendon.
But before the work, I could not lift with that arm other than at the elbow. The shoulder was worthless.
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