Seeing the doc this morning, start PT next Thurs. Hoping the pain I'm having now is just normal due to no using.
Seems like a wide range of PT timing, some start at 3 weeks, maybe age related.
Rotator cuff surgery
- Thread starter tjones
- Start date
Seems like a wide range of PT timing, some start at 3 weeks, maybe age related.
BrentD
Well-known member
I wish I'd had one or even two of these BEFORE surgery.
But I have one now. I take it in a cooler with bottled ice and strap it on in the parking lot immediately after therapy. Makes a huge difference.
But I have one now. I take it in a cooler with bottled ice and strap it on in the parking lot immediately after therapy. Makes a huge difference.
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Durango Mike
Well-known member
The pain is typically centered on the jostling the nerve bundles get during the surgery, that's why the nerve block is so effective. When it wears off stay ahead of pain with medication, I had great success with a combination of vicodin and gavapentin (specifically nerve pain focus). I have had both shoulders and a torn bicep tendon and the pain was far greater than any ortho pain I have experienced (replaced knee, hips, plate in ankle, and about 7 other knee surgeries). The circulating ice pack deal is also very effective at dealing with inflamation. Good luck and be religious with PT, keep the sling as it will keep reminding you NOT to use the arm, like when you lunge to catch something that is falling off a table!
mdcrossbow
Well-known member
PT Fight through the pain. My shoulder were both worked on over 30 years ago. Work had to get maximum rotation and build muscle and keep at it. Over 30 years ago I had my surgerys. Now at 69 still going to the gym to avoid another surgery.
OpenSeason
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A lot depends on how dedicated you are to your Physical Therapy. My buddy had a similar injury and I had a torn labrum. PT helped tremendously.
I see my PT guy tomorrow. 2 days post surgery. I think we aren’t doing much except going over a plan. I have taken very few pain meds with very little pain. Hell mine hurt worse driving to the surgery then it has after.
Everyone is different and I keep expecting the pain bomb to drop. So far so good.
I have been hooked up to the ice machine most of the time. 4 frozen water bottles that swap out seems to work.
I did get some pretty cool pic inside of my shoulder of the procedure although admittedly I don’t know what I’m looking at.
Everyone is different and I keep expecting the pain bomb to drop. So far so good.
I have been hooked up to the ice machine most of the time. 4 frozen water bottles that swap out seems to work.
I did get some pretty cool pic inside of my shoulder of the procedure although admittedly I don’t know what I’m looking at.
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The Hedgehog
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What season are you on? 1 and 2 pretty slow, 3 is great, 4 and 5 best seasons of any show ever put on TV.
Finished up1.Moving on tonight.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
If it wasn't for wives we would all be up chit creek dealing with shoulder surgeries. After I tore my biceps tendons in my right arm, I could not do basic hygeine or fill my dinner plate and had very limited range of motion. I still owe my wife for putting up with all the crap she did during my recovers and I had three of them, rotator cuff on each arm and then torn biceps tendon for last surgery. Not fun.
Agreed.
When I scheduled my MRI, Feb 2022, was dreaming, thought I'd get the surgery, rest a week, maybe, then operate easy equipment like our excavators. Wife spent all fall prepping, stuff I never thought of like this laptop now tied into my office.
Along with the moving furniture, recliner is my new bed.
Long road, glad she was with on this trip.
I'm trilingual to hold out a little longer before becoming the bionic man, need to burn my son's WY elk points first! I can barely lift my arms above my head for more than a minute without them going numb. Have really no strength when lifting over my head. Can only sleep in like 2 positions right now. Seperated both shoulders playing college football about 20 years ago and they've been bad ever since. If I pick up something heavy amd let my muscles relax, it feels like my shoulders pop out of socket. I think I also need to get an elbow looked at, sometimes I straighten it out and hear a pop, and it feels like hitting my funny bone. I also need both knees looked at, blew an ACL in football, and had to have all the cartlidge removed, so now I wore out my other knee, and it's getting pretty painful. Maybe I'll get lucky and it's not all surgeries and just some PT?
Hunting Wife
Well-known member
@tillicant @BrentD @tjones So many on the disabled list at the same time! Geez. At least you’ve got buddies to commiserate with here. And it’s winter so hopefully you aren’t missing out on too much.
Wishing you all smooth recoveries so you can get back out doing the fun stuff.
Wishing you all smooth recoveries so you can get back out doing the fun stuff.
BrentD
Well-known member
It is pretty amazing how many shoulders are in the repair shop these days. There are 4 days left of pheasant season left - and 3 wks left in Nebraska. All of which, I will miss. I've hunted Closing Day in Iowa for 31 yrs in a row. But not this time.
How is your knee? Close to 100% yet? I would guess you are still doing some PT for it. How does it feel?
Thanks, milestone: Work boots on and tied by myself today, lol.
Wishful thinking, waited just 2 months last year before the MRI, thinking it may have just been sore, although I did feel the snap.
Must have missed it, I take it you are scheduled for surgery.
Get it over with, next year is already here
, not sure if that makes sense.
BrentD
Well-known member
Mine was 28 Nov. I'm looking at Week 6 right now. Doc wanted to do it in July, but I put it off as long as I could. I'm glad I did. Now I just have to avoid slipping on the ice an wrecking everything he did.Must have missed it, I take it you are scheduled for surgery.
Get it over with, next year is already here
Hunting Wife
Well-known member
Nope, not 100%. Still a ways to go. Doc said probably a year before it will feel 100%. But they gave me one more fancy low-profile athletic brace so I’m trying to just get out and do normal stuff, even if it’s a little more of a struggle than usual.
Post holing in crusty drifts makes it apparent that it is still weaker than the other leg. Balance and proprioception is getting better, but still room to improve. Deep bending with weight like squats or kneeling on it still hurt. But range of motion is 100%. Continuing with PT to work on strengthening, balance, and want to start on some agility. But like people told me, it lets me know how far is too far. It swells and gets sore if I push too much, then I’ll have to take a day off.
I’ll get there. You will too
Ahh, yes, ice feels good for the shoulder, as long as its in a pack. Good that yours is moving along, I start therapy next Thurs.
Met Doc this week, asked him about operating equipment, he actually said "anytime", but he then reiterated what he told me a week afrer surgery, " approximately 30% of surgery patients are back".
Lucky its winter and I have good employees
I backpacked a cow elk out Saturday before my surgery. 6 days later first round of PT 2 days post surgery had me feeling like a total wimp.
Crystal clear full moon night I should have been calling coyotes, instead I was hooked to the ice machine.
What is absolutely incredible is the lack of pain. My shoulder hurt way worse on the drive to surgery then it does now. And no pain meds.
Good work HW sounds like you are making great progress.
And for the rest of the guys on the IR list good luck.
