Rotator cuff woes

Okapi42

Hoping someone might have some useful advice/exercises for me!

Since I had surgery a few years ago, I've had trouble with my right shoulder, especially the rotator cuff, and have a reduced range of motion/strength in that arm. My accessory nerve was nicked during an operation on my neck, and fortunately recovered, but only about halfway.

I really felt it badly today, had to cut fencing practice short, even though it hasn't been playing up in a while. It's weak, sore, and I can't lift my arm much above parallel to the ground at the moment. I've recently gone back to wearing a backpack (rather than a messenger bag on the other shoulder), which might be part of the problem.

Anyway, since it will take about 3 months to get a physio appointment, does anyone have any ideas what to do in the interim?

Rose_bee

Ice to reduce inflammation. Heat to relax/calm tight muscles.

Gentle stretches, to preserve the range of motion you still have, and perhaps improve it some. If the stretching goes well, I'd add in some resistance bands (not hand weights or anything).

My guess is that your shoulder wasn't strong enough to deal with a backpack. Hopefully a physio (physical therapist?) can help you strengthen the shoulder & restore your range of motion.


I break easily, and have been to physical therapy many many times. Good luck!

ElizabethKalmbach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ7l85g7EBQ

Those are very similar to the exercises prescribed by my chiropractor for my rotator cuff injury. In addition to just using the movements as stretches, I was eventually assigned gentle resistance against the movements for strength building. I imagine the stretching might not hurt you while you wait for an appointment, but you might want to wait for the doctor's go before you try any risistance training.

Okapi42

Thanks. I'll try some of those. I'd really hoped it would have just gone away by now. Phooey.

IIISpartacusIII

My poor, mangled rotator cuff weeps for you. I'm in recovery too. Here's some exercises I've been using as a warm up before any pressing exercises and at least 3 times a week followed by some painful stretching to restore range of motion:

http://www.pamf.org/Orthopedics/mountainview/handouts/rotator_cuff.pdf

When I first started I'd take some Advil to reduce inflammation before my workout. Now I'm trying to lay off the Advil but it does still get quite sore after training. It's been slow to heal for me but I've definitely made progress. 6 months later I've restored about 75% - 85% of my range of motion and greatly strengthened my lateral arm movement. Good luck.

2aycocks

Hoping someone might have some useful advice/exercises for me!

Since I had surgery a few years ago, I've had trouble with my right shoulder, especially the rotator cuff, and have a reduced range of motion/strength in that arm. My accessory nerve was nicked during an operation on my neck, and fortunately recovered, but only about halfway.

I really felt it badly today, had to cut fencing practice short, even though it hasn't been playing up in a while. It's weak, sore, and I can't lift my arm much above parallel to the ground at the moment. I've recently gone back to wearing a backpack (rather than a messenger bag on the other shoulder), which might be part of the problem.

Anyway, since it will take about 3 months to get a physio appointment, does anyone have any ideas what to do in the interim?

I have had 3 shoulder surgeries, including a full shoulder replacement. I FEEL your pain!!! The replacement surgery was 1-1/2 yrs ago, and I still only have about 1/2 range of motion back. But I'm working on it.

If you have had rotator cuff repair before, I would surely take it easy on that shoulder. You don't want to re-injure it. Have you been back to your shoulder doc? If it really hurts and you can't move it much after resting it for a week, I would go back asap. They can tell if you have injured it or if it's just sore, swollen, or inflamed. You may also have scar tissue build up which keeps the range of motion lower.

I would take something for inflamation in the mean time, either RX that you may have, or some NSAIDS. Ice packs will also help with inflamation and pain. I would definitely rest it a few days.

Once it doesn't feel so sore, do slow easy range of motion exercises, like you did in PT after surgery. If it's not hurting, then start the strength training, slowly, like resistence bands. If you feel any sharp pain, STOP!

Good luck and let us know how it turns out please.
Kay

phjorg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ7l85g7EBQ

Those are very similar to the exercises prescribed by my chiropractor for my rotator cuff injury. In addition to just using the movements as stretches, I was eventually assigned gentle resistance against the movements for strength building. I imagine the stretching might not hurt you while you wait for an appointment, but you might want to wait for the doctor's go before you try any risistance training.

good gawd, please don't do this. rehab 101 is NEVER stretch strains or sprains. OP has loss of range of motion. Thats serious. This could very easily make it worse.

That said, because you have range of motion loss, it makes anything said VERY tricky. If it's muscular, then a proper rehab template WILL include active movements that work all 4 rotator muscles. Rest is actually far worse than doing work.

If it's a sprain or tendon tear, then that changes things a lot, then you have to rest, and possibly have surgery. And loss of range of motion is normally one of these.

If you do want to try some sort of rehab, then get elastic bands and do the normal planes of motion for rotator rehab. Start very light, to basically just be doing ROM stuff. If at ever you get sharp pains at all in any part of the motions, then you're reached a point of going to far. If you get sharp pains at any point just not using weight at all, then you best wait for your physio appointment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKVkIxLIFO8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x44CmqKFuMQ

jalloggio

My rotator cuffs always give me fits after my chest days. Google some rotator cuff strengthening exercises and get yourself a foam roller.

AmyMgetsfit

I injured mine last July. I was in PT for 3 months. The day I started PT, I was in such sad shape, my range on motion was in the single digits when he took my measurements. My husband had to brush my hair because I could not raise my arm. For some odd reason raising the good arm caused extreme pain in the injured arm too. I had to take my script pain meds before my therapy sessions, they were so painful. After about 6 weeks of therapy I was able to quit the pain meds. In therapy I did resistance bands, over the door pulley thing, exercises with a broom handle swinging it side to side front and back, taking a 1lb weight bending over and moving my arm in circles clock and counter clock wise, like a pendulum, and finger walking up the wall. At home I just used the wall, at therapy they had a finger ladder. When I started I was only on the number 5 rung, 29 was my full stretch. You can probably find similar exercises online. I had to stop PT before I was fully healed because of insurance. I was probably 85%. I had to finish the rest on my own. I still have trouble putting my arm behind my back. Everything else is healed. I am even lifting weights now, taking it slow and using light, but still doing it.
I would be leary of doing anything without seeing a dr or therapist. I do understand though the wait is so long to see a dr. I injured mine in July and had my first PT appt Nov 1st. After you jump through all the hoops and then have an MRI, you are just getting worse and worse. If I could have started PT in September, I would not have been in such bad shape.

Okapi42

. If it's muscular, then a proper rehab template WILL include active movements that work all 4 rotator muscles. Rest is actually far worse than doing work.

If it's a sprain or tendon tear, then that changes things a lot, then you have to rest, and possibly have surgery. And loss of range of motion is normally one of these.

Unfortunately, it's neither of those. I had surgery on my neck to remove a lump (benign, fortunately! Whew!) and in the process, they damaged the accessory nerve, which controls the whole shoulder. It wasn't severed, fortunately, but parts of it are permanently cut. So the signals just aren't getting through to a large part of my shoulder muscles and other muscles are having to take up the slack. So it's a matter of finding the balance between strengthening those and never doing stuff that the remaining muscles just can't do alone. At the start, the shoulder was so weak I had to hold the bottom edge of my jacket or carry my hand around in my pocket because the shoulder couldn't lift the weight of my arm. It's a lot better, but if I do too much (eg carry a heavy backpack all day, which really interferes with my hiking), it just goes all weak and floppy again and takes weeks to get its range of motion back.

The trouble is also that it's not painful, so I never know whether to stop or just keep pushing it, because there's no warning signal.

angieleighbyrd

I tore my rotator cuff and the tendon that attaches your colar bone to your shoulder about a year ago. When I did it I didn't think I broke anything....My arm was just hanging there and limp and I was in A LOT of pain....I thought I just dislocated my shoulder. I was out of commission for a while. A year later I still have issues. Some days are better than others. Some days I'm ok, some days I want to curl in a ball and eat vicodin out of a pez dispenser. Rotator cuff injuries are one of the hardest to heal. My cousin broke his ten years ago and is now having surgery. I'm still on the fence about surgery. There is no guarantee that the surgery will even work and the healing from the surgery is rough. If you see a physical therapist they will show you some exercises to help strengthen it but it's a long battle. My doctor wanted me to get cortisone injections but I would have to get them once a month maybe more depending on my pain level and I don't have insurance. Right now I just kinda deal with the pain....I listen to my body and if i'm working out and the pain is just too much then I stop.