Torn Rotator Cuff recovery

A

archeryelkaholic

Guest
I had surgery last Monday and have been doing PT every day. This is some painful stuff.

This was a complete seperation of one tendon and a major tear in another. It happened in a Mtn. Bike wreck. There was no choice but surgery, and I have to keep it strapped to my side for 6 weeks other than PT.

I have bowhunted hard all my life in many states and for several species. This is my question.

If you have had this surgery or know someone that has and can let me know how they recovered. Good or bad.

Any feedback appreciated,

Archeryelk
 
Archeryelk:

I feel your pain! Back when I was a young strapping lad (about 20 years ago :)), I pitched for a minor league ball club. Well that endeavor eventually led to a torn cuff as well. I had the surgery and after a hard battled therapy, I was able to pull my bow back in about 4-5 months. Mind you, I had decreased the poundange to about 45 pounds and eventually worked my way back up. I was to full poundage about 6 months after surgery. I'm sure my younger age helped me in recovering. However, todays surgery techniques may increase recovery time as well. Just let the therapist know you shoot archery, as there are special excercises you can do to increase recovery time. Stick with your therapy and you'll be drawing back on a big buck by next archery season. Good luck.

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
Thanks. I am still pretty young and in great shape so I hope to be back in the game. I am working my butt off to get it back.
 
Having had the same surgery, my first advice is this- do EXACTLY what your PT and Doc say, and nothing more. The last thing you want to do is reinjure the cuff, cuz the second repair is much more painful.

Secondly, realize that it will be at least a year until it feels 'normal'. It took me two until I could comfortably pull a bow at 50 pounds. I used to be able to pull 56 during hunting season, but I haven't yet been able to get to that.

Just chill for a while, be glad there are such things as percocet and tylenol 3!! :)
 
I didn't have rotator cuff, but instability. It would dislocate nearly everyday. The doctor had to basically tighten up my shoulder. Which led to some loss of mobility. It took me a month just to be able to pick up the remote for the T.V. I figured I'd never bowhunt again. Well that was just the depression. I had the surgery in January (after the duck hunt was over). By mid July I was able to really start shooting again. But due to the loss of mobility I had to learn to draw my bow a bit different and a new ancor point. I also had to shoot 60 lbs. instead of 70 lbs. Killed a 5 point bull in September. I pushed my rehab to much, and actually set me back some, hurt the tendon that had to be cut to fix my shoulder. Only do what the PT tells you as predator says. I have to say the worst thing I have ever had to go through, but it beats popping my own shoulder back in ever other day.
Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
 
I had a torn rotator, and labrum. Had the surgery last december. I was shooting again in July. Probably could have shot sooner, but like everybody said, don't push it to much. After the rehab, I think it was easier to pull my bow back then it used to be, but it hurt to release. That is something they can't really rehad for. That instant release of pressure. Follow what they tell you, and use ice a lot. I used to think that ice was just for after the initial wound/surgery. I found out that ice was still working 4 months later to help recover.
 
When did the pain stop? I am 5 weeks in with theraphy and still have some pain. Right whre they put the anchors in my soulder to tie everthing back to.

How fast were you pain free?
Did you have to wear the big box pillow for 6 weeks?

Tell me were you are now

Gary
 
I also have a ton of neck and shoulder problems from having this brace on 24x7. No pain where the surgery was but bad pain in the top of my shoulders and neck. I hope this goes awawy next week with the box.

Gary
 
It gets easier, just stick with it. Like I said, lot's of ice. I had pain for a few months. Use the ice, don't try to over do it, and rest when you get spasms. Those spasms can do a lot of damage. Alot of the pain you have now is due to the stiffness from the block. You are pretty much imobile, then you are forced to move it, then back to imobile. Once you are able to keep it out of the sling for extended periods of time, you will get to feeling better a lot quicker.
 
Been there done that. Back in 1988 I did the same thing to my shoulder. I agree that it was painful and the therapy hurt at first but I was water skiing about 3 months later. I work out with weights regularly and do anything I want. But it took awhile to get full use again. Maybe a year and a half. My shoulder took two surgeries and I still have a 6" peice of wire in there. Its amazing what they can do nowadays. But do not over do it and try to use your shoulder too soon. fatrooster.
 
Doing exactly what they tell me. Did you have to wear a sling/pillow for 6 weeks without any movement?

Archer
 
Because they did not let me move my shoulder for 6 weeks I have very little range of motion right now but it is getting better every minute. Did anyone else here have that problem and if so how long did it take to start getting close to normal?

Archer
 
I have a buddy who had rc surgery last August. He shot a lefty bow with a chew strap during hunting season and had a blast.

He's now back to shooting full time. He's still on lower poundage and has to ice his shoulder when it flames up from shooting too much, but things are working really well 7 months after the surgery.

I'm a big fan of agressive PT when it comes to recovery. Much of the pain associated with joints is due to not going at the PT hard enough to get your mobility back quickly.

While I've not had major rotator cuff issues, I've had 14 broken bones and have pretty good idea of what it takes to get 100% mobility back.

Pain, ice and advil are your best friends, in that order when it come to getting mobilty back. You can either have the pain for the rest of your life or you can work most or all of it out in the first 15 weeks after you start PT. It's excruciating work, but worth every second down the road.

Good luck with it.

Cheers,
Pete
 
The PT wipes me out. I feel pretty good going into it but after 2 hrs. of killer PT I am dead and in terrible pain the rest of the day. I know this is expected the first few months.

Archer
 
Like I said, your second two best friends for a while will be ice bags and Advil :)

Once you can have free mobility all day, you can keep it moving just out of the painful range. This will help keep blood flow going and get rid of the junk you free up doing PT that then sits in the joint and needs to be broken up again the next day.

I'd highly recommend you push your doc to see if you can keep it moving all day. I think your brace is simply a precaution and not actually conducive to the most rapid recovery.

If you look at the constant motion machines they use for knee surgeries, you'll get what I mean. They put people on those the day they come off the knife.

Movement inside your existing range of motion is benefitial to clearing the joint. Using ice is hugely benifitial to preventing the swelling that limits blood flow and new tissue growth. Anti-inflamatories are nice to make you comfortable in the mean time and also help reduce the swelling in the joint.

Work on getting that contraption off and/or ask for some second opinions on PT philosophies.

Cheers,
Pete
 
Archer, glad to hear you are doing exactly what they are telling you. My range of motion took some time, mostly because my arm looked like Popeye's for several months. The PT that you are doing is mostly designed to get that range back, but again it takes a long time.

My only goal for 3 months post surgery was getting to the point that I could do up my bra behind my back instead of in front.....I know, I know.....I figured it might make you laugh a bit! :)

The shoulder joint is a biggun, and full of sensitive stuff that gets real annoyed when fiddled with; sounds like you are being patient, I know it gets frustrating, but things will come along in time. Concentrate on the range of motion for now, then worry about the strength. Like I said before, it was about a year and a half before mine felt 'normal'. That being said, now that my right one is fixed, I can tell my left one is impinged! That's how much better things are when it's all healed up!

Pred
 
Going down to work it out for about an hour right now. I try to do this 2-4 times a day on the off days I don't have PT.

I have tried to not take any of he pain meds they gave me because they all have side effects but have been taking Aleve.

Anyone else try this?

Archer
 
I had surgery in September to repair my rotator cuff impingement and damage as well. The most important thing you can do is make sure you stick to the PT as oulined. My case wasn't as bad as yours and I was fortunate when they got in there and could do the majority of my work from the back. My doctor told me that if he had to cut and do a major repair from the front It could add 8 - 12 weeks on my recovery. You will get through it and you're a young man compared to me so you probably will have a better end result when fully healed. I did everything they told me and I shot a bow last week for the first time. I did not touch a bow until I got the green light. I really have laid off the archery for about 6 months. My platform wasn't as steady as I would have liked but that is a conditioning function as well. I shot ok and can tell you that I have complete confidence that I should be shooting well in about 4-6 weeks. There was some pain but nothing compared to what I was experiencing prior to the surgery. Now here's a little food for thought, I had another friend that didn't follow the instructions and he didn't follow the plan and shot before the doctor told him to go ahead and he had his surgery about two years ago and can't shoot very well at this point. The point above about a shoulder being a complicated joint is correct especially when coupled with the fact it has the least amount of support compared to other joints. They can tell by your progression in the pt how quickly you are healing. Keep up the work and keep stretching those bands and exercising and you will like the end result. Good luck and keep with it.
 
Not even allowed to do bands yet. I will do EXACTLY what they tell me and know it may take a year or more.

I have very little ROM and don't suppose to move it much but today was my first day with no real pain.

Archer
 
You've got the right attitude about it and it will get better. Those PT guys are really nothing more than legalized torture machines!! Just kidding, but they do seem to like their work. Without them we would be totally lost in our recovery and wouldn't have nearly the range of movement. They were able to do my surgery orthoscopically I had six small incisions and that facilitated a quicker recovery. I was lucky and got one of the shoulder guys for the Diamondbacks as my surgeon. Good luck in your recovery and just keep the faith and don't hit the PT guy, he can inflict a lot more pain than you can!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-29-05 AT 08:34PM (MST)[p]i have had roto cuff surgery and i feel your pain x3 yes i have had three on the same shoulder and i cant shoot a bow no more it took me a long time to adjust my rifle skills to shoot a rifle so it would not distract me
 
Man, 3 times. That would be TOUGH!!!

Can you gives some more details about why you had to have it done 3 times?

Archer
 
it was a major tear of the right rotor cuff and two tendons were retracted down in my back the sewed it back up then pushed pt to quickly and pow sewed it back up again then my employer was trying to rush me back to work and pow so dont let them push you beyond what you can do
 
They had be pushing PT to the limit since a couple of days after surgery. They have NOT let up and I only expect it to get harder. Initially my mind told me it was too much but now that my arm is starting to respond I feel he is doing everything in his power to get my arm back. I have not done anything beyond what they recommend to push myself. Maybe more cardio than they expect.

I am lucky to have a job that does not require me to really use this arm.
 
Anyone got any other suggestions on how to get bad sholders stronger? I screwed mine up back when I was in college and never went and had anything done with it. That was 10 years ago and it still killes me to do things like throw a ball or anything over my head. Any suggestions would be great.
 
Depends on what you mean by bad. If you have major tears you can't fix that. Partial tears can be worked around and I have done that for years.

All you need is a couple of bands and some weights in the 3-10 lb range depending on your strenght. The secret is not to use much weight so you use the muscles and tendons in the rotator cuff and not the other large muscle groups.

Here are some links:

http://familydoctor.org/265.xml

http://www.aafp.org/afp/980215ap/980215a.html

May be worth the investment to take 3-4 session with a good PT guy to get you started.

Archer
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I will start on them today so that I can crank my bow up a little more and be able to pull it back with out pain come hunting season.
 

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