Torn Rotator Cuff

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mo650chopper
mo650chopper Posts: 19
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been dealing with the pain from a torn rotator cuff off and on for the last 5 years. Going to see the ortho on Tuesday and I am concerend on my options. I'm still lifting weights and working out, riding my motorcycle almost daily and don't want to loose the muscle fitness gains I've made. Being I'm turning 50 next month the muscle will be gone pretty quickly if I cant lift. I would enjoy being pain free and able to sleep all night in comfort.

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  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I've been dealing with the pain from a torn rotator cuff off and on for the last 5 years. Going to see the ortho on Tuesday and I am concerend on my options. I'm still lifting weights and working out, riding my motorcycle almost daily and don't want to loose the muscle fitness gains I've made. Being I'm turning 50 next month the muscle will be gone pretty quickly if I cant lift. I would enjoy being pain free and able to sleep all night in comfort.

    welcome to my world. I went to Sports Medicine orthopedist at the recommendation of my doctor last year. He took one look at my xrays and laughed. I said "What?" he said, "I'd guess you've torn your rotator at least twice in the last 5 years". I said "Um, any way to fix it?" he said "sure, but it's only about a 60% success rate, and you'll be out of commission for about 18 months. I said "forget it, I'll deal with the pain". He assured me that it probably won't get any worse since my shoulder is so full of scar tissue that it would be difficult to tear again.
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
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    I tore mine in college. I have found that regular PT exercises at home have helped tremendously. I asked my doc for information and also went to a therapist for about a month (a few years ago). He walked me through exercises that I could do at home, and gave me a printout to take with me. I now do the exercises about once a week and it is enough to help me.

    *FYI: I doubt I am lifting as much as you, but still something to think about/ talk about with your doctor.
  • mo650chopper
    mo650chopper Posts: 19
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    I hate waiting to find out because my mind has too much time to think on the negative side. If I got the same diagnosis you got I'll probably live with it as I have been for the last 5 years or so. The bad pain comes and goes. The last time was for about 3 weeks which got me to this point in the process.
  • mo650chopper
    mo650chopper Posts: 19
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    I tore mine in college. I have found that regular PT exercises at home have helped tremendously. I asked my doc for information and also went to a therapist for about a month (a few years ago). He walked me through exercises that I could do at home, and gave me a printout to take with me. I now do the exercises about once a week and it is enough to help me.

    *FYI: I doubt I am lifting as much as you, but still something to think about/ talk about with your doctor.

    That's kinda what I'm hoping for. Modify my exercise routine to not make it worse and possibly decrease the amount of pain episodes
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I tore mine in college. I have found that regular PT exercises at home have helped tremendously. I asked my doc for information and also went to a therapist for about a month (a few years ago). He walked me through exercises that I could do at home, and gave me a printout to take with me. I now do the exercises about once a week and it is enough to help me.

    *FYI: I doubt I am lifting as much as you, but still something to think about/ talk about with your doctor.

    That's kinda what I'm hoping for. Modify my exercise routine to not make it worse and possibly decrease the amount of pain episodes

    Yeah, I went to a great PT after that specialist. He really helped me out. I'll never get back 100%, and there's still pain, but it's neither as bad, nor as long lived as it used to be.
    Although my "above the horizontal plane" lifting will never be as effective as it was. Simply because the pain increases before the dorsi muscles fatigue. That sucks, but it's life.
  • da1128
    da1128 Posts: 212 Member
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    Husband recently had his badly torn rotator cuff surgically repaired via 5 small incisions approximately 6 weeks ago.. Keeping his arm and shoulder immobilized is what's driving him up the wall since he can't stand being inactive, but the severe pain he was in necessitated the surgery. (Bowling season starts soon and he's not about to miss out on that!) Next week he will start seeing a physical therapist and will finally be able to raise his arm above his head. As horrific as his condition was, (an old motorcycle accident and a nasty fall last December) the surgeon believes he will regain even more strength and mobility than he had previously. He 'has' been doing limited exercising and he can't wait to go the full nine yards with PT.

    Frankly, his muscular stature has improved...since he was in good shape before surgery, he has healed well and not lost muscle mass, and I have to add that he is in his early 70's but looks and acts nowhere near his age. He also still works full time and plans to resume work when given the green light. He IS able to sleep all night without pain now.

    For him, the surgery was beneficial and I suspect that, given you are in good shape and active, rotator cuff repair will be beneficial to you as well, plus you are 20+ years younger and may heal even more quickly. You will have to endure the boredom of keeping that arm and shoulder immobilized for awhile, but in the end, it will be worth it.

    Just throwing in my two cents here.

    Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do!
  • mo650chopper
    mo650chopper Posts: 19
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    Husband recently had his badly torn rotator cuff surgically repaired via 5 small incisions approximately 6 weeks ago.. Keeping his arm and shoulder immobilized is what's driving him up the wall since he can't stand being inactive, but the severe pain he was in necessitated the surgery. (Bowling season starts soon and he's not about to miss out on that!) Next week he will start seeing a physical therapist and will finally be able to raise his arm above his head. As horrific as his condition was, (an old motorcycle accident and a nasty fall last December) the surgeon believes he will regain even more strength and mobility than he had previously. He 'has' been doing limited exercising and he can't wait to go the full nine yards with PT.

    Frankly, his muscular stature has improved...since he was in good shape before surgery, he has healed well and not lost muscle mass, and I have to add that he is in his early 70's but looks and acts nowhere near his age. He also still works full time and plans to resume work when given the green light. He IS able to sleep all night without pain now.

    For him, the surgery was beneficial and I suspect that, given you are in good shape and active, rotator cuff repair will be beneficial to you as well, plus you are 20+ years younger and may heal even more quickly. You will have to endure the boredom of keeping that arm and shoulder immobilized for awhile, but in the end, it will be worth it.

    Just throwing in my two cents here.

    Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do!

    Thanks for sharing a positive experience / outlook. I know the ortho I'm going to is good he did my wife's knee replacement so I've had some one on one interaction with him. I generally try to always look for and strive for postive thoughts / outcomes.
  • mo650chopper
    mo650chopper Posts: 19
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    Ortho doctor didn't think it was anything serious. Possibly tendonitist. Got a cortisone shot. If it still continues to be an issue he thinks some minor orthoscoptic clean up will fix it.

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