<p>I may be needing surgical repair of a torn rotator cuff. Everything I’ve ever heard about it was that recovery is really awful, but I never paid much attention to the details. Now I’m worried about what it will be like. Anyone who has experience with this, I’d like some idea of how bad it is, and if you have any tips on how to make it less awful, that would be really appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>Sorry about your need for surgery. I didn’t exactly have this, but … my doctor thought my rotator cuff was torn. He did an x-ray, which showed nothing (of course. You need an MRI to correctly diagnose the problem.) He gave me an epidural shot in the joint and said it should start to feel better. It didn’t.</p>
<p>I did not want to have an MRI and suffered with this helpless shoulder for a year. Finally, I went to a convenient care place and they diagnosed the problem, “frozen shoulder”. (Found out later this rather common for diabetics.) I had to have lots of physical therapy, but eventually I could start to lift my arm.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, be sure to include PT as part of your recovery. Mine wasn’t awful; it definitely made a difference.</p>
<p>My cousin had a shoulder done a few years ago; he was a college swimmer. He just did a Half Ironman triathlon a couple of weeks ago, so he seems to have recovered alright. The Half I think you swim over a mile, bike 50 miles and run something like 13 miles.</p>
<p>Do you know if it’s arthroscopic or full open cut surgery?. The down time from arthroscopic is a lot less. I’m no doctor but I’ve had full open cut surgeries done on each shoulder due to full thickness tears at different times. The last one was about 8 yrs ago so there may have been advances since then. I’m not gonna lie and tell you it was an easy recovery. The PT is a necessary evil…sorta the no pain no gain thing. You actually come to appreciate how important the PT is and hate you therapist at the same time…w/o them there is no recovery. A good physical therapist is a must and adhering to the prescribed rehab exercises is imperative. The only advice I can give is immediately following the surgery itself. Make sure you have a comforable place to be able to rest/sleep with plenty of pillows and plenty of ice…I found that laying on a couch where I could put my head on the arm of the couch and support the repaired shoulder against the back of the couch (laying on your side) worked better than my laziboy recliner…You’ll more than likely have to find a way to sleep in a quasi sitting up position for a while which is why the couch comes in handy. Best of luck. There is light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>Darladog, my doc said I wouldn’t be able to drive for weeks, and would be doing exercises at home by myself. Is that what you did, or did you work with a PT each day?</p>
<p>As I recall, I didn’t start PT until about a week after the surgery. Following the Dr’s instructions they set up an exercise schedule for me to follow at home in between visits. I saw them 2-3 times per week after that.</p>
<p>Timely post, recovering from shoulder surgery now. Honestly it isnt any fun, and the recovery (for me anyway) is longer and more painful than I anticipated. I prob had unrealistic expectations based on how I bounced back from surgery in the past. Or I was an ostrich and didnt listen to info prior to. But I will tell you that PT is essential. I did three months of pre hab for frozen shoulder and to strenghten the muscles for post. I did at home Pt starting the day after surgery. Was braced for 6 weeks, sling for two more. At 6 weeks started at the PT office and will be going for months. Its just what you have to do to heal and regain the movement and use. </p>
<p>For aid after surgery, pain meds as prescribed, lots of ice. Finding a comfortable sleeping resting option is important (this was a challenge). Figure out what you can wear and manage one handed. Sweats, button down shirts, etc. Everything is a challenge but you will adapt quickly. I couldnt drive for 8 weeks.</p>
<p>My surgery was arthroscopic but had more done than just the rotator cuff tears repaired. They did tell me that the longer you wait to have a tear repaired, the worse the damage gets. I nursed this darn shoulder along for over 10 years…just saying…</p>
<p>Wow, sistersunnie. I hope you start to feel much better soon. I also had frozen shoulders (yes, both at the same time) and had several injections in each. Oh, that was “fun”. And I’m now doing PT at home prior to surgery. I don’t know the details of how the surgery will be done, I’m kind of squeemish and don’t want to know too much until I really have to know. Hopefully it will be arthroscopic, from what I’m reading online the recovery is a little less horrible.</p>
<p>Have you had a lot of pain during recovery? How is the recovery pain compared to the pain before surgery?</p>
<p>I’m glad you mentioned about having the right type of clothes to wear, I don’t have ANY shirts that button down the front, so I have some shopping to do. I do, however, have a ton of flexible ice packs.</p>
<p>At this point, I’m looking for the best surgeon I can find, since I had a less-than-wonderful experience with surgery in the past. I want someone who’s done this a gzillion times. Trying to get an appointment with someone at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. Hopefully I won’t have to wait months to see someone.</p>
<p>* I nursed this darn shoulder along for over 10 years…just saying…*</p>
<p>ok you motivated me- as soon as I get back from my trip to Vancouver, I am calling the dr. I have a frozen shoulder, had it for about 7 months but I haven’t gone in for injections cause it wasn’t top of my list to get repaired.
( I feel like a car)</p>
<p>emeraldkity4, I agree with sistersunnie about getting it taken care of sooner than later. I’ve been going to doctors for my shoulder for going on 2 years, and finally it got bad enough that surgery is being considered necessary. I had injections done in 2 different ways. One was just “stick the needle in and feel your way around”, and the other was with ultrasound guidance. If you can find someone who does ultrasound guided injections, I recommend it. Not as painful, and they (and you) know the injection is in the optimal place. Best of luck with it, and enjoy your trip!</p>
<p>I’m not sure what the difference is b/tw a frozen shoulder and a rotator cuff tear. I know you can have a partial tear and it’ll hurt when you use it but you can use…the problem in my case is that I continued to use it without doing anything about until the tear went all the way thru and I couldn’t use it at all…and this happened to both shoulders at different times…you’d think that I would have learned after the 1st…I just didn’t want to go thru the process a 2nd time (so soon after the 1st) until there was no other choice…not smart…The moral is…the sooner you get it taken care of the better…plus you stand a better chance of arthroscopic if you catch it early…much better than the open surgery. The good news is I now have 2 bionic shoulders.</p>
<p>from about.com:</p>
<p>“Frozen shoulder” is also known as adhesive capsulitis. Normally, the shoulder joint allows more motion than any other joint in the body. When a patient develops a frozen shoulder, the capsule that surrounds the shoulder joint becomes contracted. The patients form bands of scar tissue called adhesions. The contraction of the capsule and the formation of the adhesions cause the frozen shoulder to become stiff and cause movement to become painful. </p>
<p>The rotator cuff is the group of four tendons and muscles that surround the shoulder joint. Often confused with other names, the proper word used to describe these muscles and tendons is the rotator cuff. When the rotator cuff is injured, it’s the tendons of the rotator cuff that are injured. It is these tendons that connect the rotator cuff muscles to the bone. When the tendons are inflamed or torn, they cannot function properly. </p>
<p>If you’re interested, here’s a 45-second video that helps explain it:
[Rotator</a> Cuff - Tearing the Rotator Cuff Video](<a href=“http://video.about.com/orthopedics/Rotator-Cuff-Injury.htm]Rotator”>http://video.about.com/orthopedics/Rotator-Cuff-Injury.htm)</p>
<p>I know it is often a career ending surgery for baseball pitchers, but for the “average joe” it is quite repairable, with plenty of PT afterward.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not exactly a career-ender anymore… but then again not many injuries are anymore…</p>
<p>Right, hops_scout, hence the word “often” rather than “always” or “exactly”.</p>
<p>Well I had the frozen shoulder, two full thickness cuff tears and a bicep tear. There was some joint damage as well as collar bone involvement. So it was a lovely basket full of ailments. Had the shots for several years till they wouldnt give me anymore, then several rounds of PT for management. I had a sick husband and little help so couldnt go one armed for the recovery period. Waiting is not a method I recomend unless you have no choice. </p>
<p>Anyway to answer your question about the pain axw, the pain was pretty severe for the first three weeks, it improved after that. At 6 weeks it was slightly worse than before surgery. Once I started PT at the clinic the pain intensified, but it was a different “discomfort”. I came out of the brace/sling all together at 8 weeks and things improved rapidally after that. I’m at 10 weeks and using my arm regularly. Its weak and my range of motion is limited, not supposed to lift or do any resistance stuff like pull. Sounds like I’ll be in therapy till Christmas… </p>
<p>I’m glad I had it done and very happy to be on the other side of the surgery. One piece of advice I got and glad I followed- was to find a surgeon who does this for athletes. He was current/knowledgeable and very experienced. I felt his approach (it was conservative )and the PT he ordered are geared to get me back up to speed and “in the game” of my life strong. </p>
<p>Yes button up shirts, make sure they are loose. I had good luck with loose, stretchy v neck t shirts too. If you wear a bra, a front fasten sports bra is a life saver. Slip on shoes/slippers. Pull on pants like yoga pants or sweats, but forget tying drawstrings for awhile. Get a good haircut or resign yourself to letting it go natural. Maybe you’ll be better but I couldnt style mine. You get really good with your one unaffected arm/hand but still operating at half capacity! I was alone most the time, it is easier with someone else there to help tho. </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>I’ve got an appointment for a 2nd opinion, in October, so I’ll wait till then to make my decision about what and where and when. I’ve had surgery before, but this one is making me pretty nervous.</p>
<p>When I had my most recent knee surgery, (actually now I have had 5 over my lifetime) I went doctor shopping. Not just who was an orthopedist or not just who my insurance carrier used. I specifically shopped for a doc that focused on sports injuries. I selected one that also serves as official team doc for a local professional sports team.
For me, it was a great choice. I feel his specific focus and experience was better than just an average ortho. My knee feels like it’s 21 again!
I’d suggest OP consider same path, given this particular injury.</p>
<p>Thanks younghoss. What is it about being a team doctor that makes someone necessarily “better”? Is it just that the teams find the best docs to begin with? The one I’m going to see in October is physician for a major league baseball team.</p>
<p>I don’t have documentation of course, but it was my feeling that a team doc would have far more experience on knees, and knees that need to finish better than knees for an “average joe”. Plus, everyday ortho work on hip repl, neck fusion, disc surgery among their specialty. My reasoning was that a team doc had 2 things better than an everyday ortho
- Higher expectations(of the team) for higher success and
- more practice on knees than on hip replacement.
If I needed a hip replacement, I’d seek a doc who’s practice focused more on the elderly, because they need one more often than someone 40(for example).</p>