Shoulder Issues -- Therapies, Surgeries, Etc.

[danlalane]

Yes to cardio. I have been doing the stairstepper instead of the bike - feel like i get more burn, and i can go at a pace that doesn't bother my arm.

Sleep is still tough - I go from 11-6 or so propped up on pillows, ambien makes me depressed so stopped that after one try.

Toughest thing in all of this is my wife and kids, they are over me.......

[drak]

SIX days left to wear this damn sling! Can't wait to stop wearing it, healing a rotator cuff tear and reattach is a long slow process, but I do notice minor improvement every day so that is very encouraging. I am religiously doing my PT and twice daily stretches/exercises.

[maratsafin5]

Originally Posted by Spittle

[This is a little long-winded. Thanks in advance for reading! ]

Hello! I've used the 'search' tool extensively and haven't found anything that seems to fit my problem. I'm hoping someone here will have encountered the same pain and issues I have and will have some input!

I am a 37 year old right-handed 5.0 tennis player with a fairly strong serve. After taking a break from tennis for a few years (work), I dove back into it by playing 3-4 times per week and doing some minor strength training on a home gym. I had also changed from my old heavy Head racquet to a newer, lighter Wilson racquet (very stiff frame with stiff Polyester strings).

About six months ago, I started having pain on the outside of the shoulder/upper arm which I could reproduce by holding my palm downward and raising my arm upward from the side of my body. The ortho doc said I had an inflamed bursa that was impinging the tendons in my upper arm and gave me a cortisone shot. This shot masked the pain for perhaps 2 weeks. During that time, I tried more rest and some exercises geared towards folks with rotator-cuff problems. There was no change in my condition and it eventually became more painful.

At that point, I decided to try physical therapy. After two months of PT 3 times a week, my condition is worse than it has ever been. For the first two weeks, I assumed I was supposed to work through the pain and that probably made it worse. Now, I have even less mobility in the arm (can only reach a certain amount across the body - like if you wanted to scratch your back) and tennis serves and strokes hurt to the point of a stabbing pain at any point my arm is above my shoulder. It has completely ruined my game and has me very frustrated as I was finally getting back into tennis and enjoying myself.

I recently had an MRI and an arthrography done on this shoulder and no tears were apparent with only slight tendinitis. The doc noticed a small cyst on my shoulder bone that could indicate a chronic rubbing of a tendon against that area. The only two options that seem to be available to me are another cortisone shot with more PT-type exercises (the previous 2 months didn't help any, so I'm dubious) and bone decompression via shoulder arthroscopy surgery (which I'm leaning towards - they'll shave a bit of the bone away to give the inflamed tendons more room).

Has anyone here had these symptoms and gone through similar steps to the same result? Do you think that my racquet choice (stiff and light) and string choice might have contributed to my shoulder problem? I'm considering going to a more flexible racquet and string - even if it means changing the way I play. Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am hoping to call the surgeon this coming week.

Many thanks,
Ray

Wow, I have the exact same thing lol....however, my doctor said it doesn't affect my shoulder and he said that my shoulder problems were not a result of it, however I have shoulder pain too, and can't go long in tennis playing pain-free until the pain kicks in.

[basil J]

Cortisone shot didn't help me out at all. My shoulder is worse now than it was 2 weeks ago. This sucks because at my wife's request, I postponed surgery until July, so now I am limited to minimal activities. Bummer..

[basil J]

I have to have acromioplasty and bicep tenodesis procedure done. Anyone have realistic rehab time for these 2 procedures. I am thinking I will be off the courts for 4-6 months?

[danlalane]

What do they have you doing? You seem to be much better off than I am.
I do pendulums, shrugs, and stretch my arm up.....

Do you still have pain throughout the day? How are you sleeping?

[drak]

Originally Posted by danlalane

What do they have you doing? You seem to be much better off than I am.
I do pendulums, shrugs, and stretch my arm up.....

Do you still have pain throughout the day? How are you sleeping?

About 6-8 different passive stretching/range of motion exercises. 30 minutes twice a day. My PT told me I am doing well and only need to see here once a week now. No real pain at all, sleep getting almost back to normal.

[danlalane]

Drak - I am assuming that you had less done to your shoulder or I am just a very bad healer for someone 20 years your junior. While I am very happy for you I get discouraged reading your posts as I am well behind you. Still in pain most days, but refuse to take anything stronger than tylenol. Sleep is still tough. And I am doing therapy 2 times a week with no end in sight. I am coming up on 4 weeks this Thursday. I can't imagine no sling for me.... I must be the 6 weeks on the 4-6 week range.

I called dr today to do a sanity check and ask for something less than oxy but more than Tylenol. Waiting to hear back.....

For those considering surgery, you could be lucky and have a quick recovery with minimal pain or you could be me. Just be warned.

[drak]

Danalane, I had two screws inserted to reattach a fully torn rotator cuff tendon. I had two different areas where impingement was a problem and they has to shave the bone, I had an area where a lot of arthritis was removed, and finally a SLAP tear that required "trimming". Not what I would call an "easy" surgery! lol

Maybe I am just very lucky but unless I do a movement I shouldn't the pain is just not an issue, sleep is still the hardest but is not really that much of an issue.

Note that I was NOT in any pain or any sigificant discomfort before surgery unless I tried to serve or hit an overhead or lift weights above shoulder level.

[Kaptain Karl]

Everybody heals differently. Don't focus on your gaps compared to others. Focus on your weekly ... monthly ... six month goals.

- KK

[Spittle]

Aye, try to not get discouraged, danalane. There were times I'd wonder why I'm progressing slower than others. It probably took me 5 months to get 95% range-of-motion. And it was sloooooow progress. This last 5% is probably going to take ANOTHER 5 months...

Hang in there, bud!

[dtd82]

Spittle, glad to hear things are nearly there....been a long haul, and produced a hell of a thread!

I'm hitting the courts tomorrow, first time since, well, forever it seems....roughly 3 1/2 months from surgery. Been doing an hour at the gym 4 days/week now for the last 2 months, mostly cardio on the elliptical, don't want to run on and push my ankle needlessly. Shoulder feels good, but it has developed a click when I raise it - hopefully it doesn't come with any pain...I'll know tomorrow. A cranky joint I'll live with (happily!), a painfull one would suck....

now to find a new racket......

[drak]

Originally Posted by dtd82

Spittle, glad to hear things are nearly there....been a long haul, and produced a hell of a thread!

I'm hitting the courts tomorrow, first time since, well, forever it seems....roughly 3 1/2 months from surgery. Been doing an hour at the gym 4 days/week now for the last 2 months, mostly cardio on the elliptical, don't want to run on and push my ankle needlessly. Shoulder feels good, but it has developed a click when I raise it - hopefully it doesn't come with any pain...I'll know tomorrow. A cranky joint I'll live with (happily!), a painfull one would suck....

now to find a new racket......

DT, can you just hit groundies initially or serve as well?

[danlalane]

Originally Posted by drak

Danalane, I had two screws inserted to reattach a fully torn rotator cuff tendon. I had two different areas where impingement was a problem and they has to shave the bone, I had an area where a lot of arthritis was removed, and finally a SLAP tear that required "trimming". Not what I would call an "easy" surgery! lol

Maybe I am just very lucky but unless I do a movement I shouldn't the pain is just not an issue, sleep is still the hardest but is not really that much of an issue.

Note that I was NOT in any pain or any sigificant discomfort before surgery unless I tried to serve or hit an overhead or lift weights above shoulder level.

Drak - my apologies. I did not intend to minimize your procedure. Just trying to figure out why I am progressing so slowly. Perhaps there is a clue in the pain. I could not put my shirt on , brush my teeth before hand without pain. Couldn't even pick up a racket for groundies never mind serving... Couldn't do a pushup..etc etc. I am hell cranky srry again. Thanks all for encouragement.

Not to be crude, but wiping your butt lefty is a DRAG!!!!

[drak]

Originally Posted by danlalane

Drak - my apologies. I did not intend to minimize your procedure. Just trying to figure out why I am progressing so slowly. Perhaps there is a clue in the pain. I could not put my shirt on , brush my teeth before hand without pain. Couldn't even pick up a racket for groundies never mind serving... Couldn't do a pushup..etc etc. I am hell cranky srry again. Thanks all for encouragement.

Not to be crude, but wiping your butt lefty is a DRAG!!!!

No worries amigo, hang in there. Sounds like you had a lot of pain before surgery where I had almost none in normal life, that's likely a very big diffference. My guess is that you will soon reach a point where you progress rapidly. Yes, the left handed wipe sucks! lol

[Kaptain Karl]

Acck!

TMI!!!

- KK

[basil J]

I am already starting to try to do everything I can with my left hand in preperation of my surgery coming up later this spring.And yes the left hand wipe is difficult, but trying to shave with the left hand is downright dangerous. I think I will be using an electric razor moving forward.
I may even try to hit some balls lefty or even go the Gambill route and try a 2 handed forehand.

[Kaptain Karl]

You guys think you have it rough.... This guy is about to have shoulder replacement surgery. Yikes!!!

- KK

[FastFreddy]

Looks like I am going to have a third rotator cuff surgery. This will be number two on the right shoulder. I will have a mri on the 15th next week. I had this shoulder fixed back in Dec 1996. I had a full tear 4x5cm off the bone and removed two osteophytes. I tore it playing ice hockey and checked a player in practice without my shoulder pads pretty dumb.

The 2nd surgery was to my left April 1999 shoulder from playing 12hrs of clay court tennis with my friend who played #5 for Duke. They say clay is soft on your joints but not your shoulder hitting all those high balls. I went to get a drop shot then I couldn't lift my arm. That was a 2x2cm tear and two bone spurs and degenerative changes in the cuff.

I never thought I would go under the knife for a third time. I was playing this past summer with a couple of D-1 budies doing some drills when I went to hit a two hand backhand. The ball was high and a little out in front of me not to much pace when I heard something pop in my right shoulder. Then I couldn't hit any more balls that day. I rested for 2 weeks and did my shoulder pt like I been doing since 1996. I hit a some balls with a D-3 friend and tried to hit a topspin lob with my two handback hand and the shoulder gave me pain and would give out. I don't even care about playing tennis any more since I been only playing 2-4 times a month and getting worse over the past ten years.

I know the mri might just show impingment like my 2nd mri or nothing then when the doc opened me up it was a 2x2 tear. The mri is only 3d not 5d. Both my past two surgery was open style because the retear rate is lower than doing the way with just three holes.

I know by what I felt over the past 5 months, and what I felt before my other two injuries over the past 13 years that this needs to be fixed and that I will need to go under the knife. My doc offered a cort shot but those are just masking the problem.

I refused the mri in the summer since it would cost me 800.00 since my insurance stinks, I figured no more tennis light lifting and doing my pt I would be fine by now but that just not the case. So I will fork over the 800.00 next Thursday and find out whats wrong now. Will post update on the mri as soon as I get the results. I hope they can scope it out and just remove some bone spurs but I doubt it.

[danlalane]

Yikes. GL Freddy. Make sure they do the MRI with resonance(dye).