Shoulder Issues -- Therapies, Surgeries, Etc.

danix

Semi-Pro
OK, first of my updates typed very slowly.
It is now Wed, had surgery around 48 hrs ago.
First off - there are many different shoulder injuries, and repair of these varies so dont compare your recovery time to someone elses unless you had the exact same work.
I had done:
- debridement
- deburrment
- mumford
At least as I understand it. Doc said the tendon was highly inflamed but in good shape, everything went smoothly.

Day 1: hurt quite a bit, spent most of the day sleeping and popping vicodin.
Day 2: moved around a bit, actually went for a walk around the block, removed sling and let my arm hang so I could do "pendulum" exercises as recommended.
Day 3: removed bandage, took shower. Surprised at how small the incisions were (only 3). Pain is manageable, only took 1 pill today.
 

Kaptain Karl

Hall Of Fame
... I have a problem with my shoulder "popping.... My doctor says its due to my deltoids being too strong relative to my rotator cuff so apparently my scapula or shoulder or something isnt moving in tandem.
I really recommend you start with conservative approaches ... and gradually go more drastic if each conservative step fails.

Get a 2nd opinion from a different discipline: See a Doctor of Chiropractic. (One with a specialty in Sports Care.) Maybe you will get a very different diagnosis. More information means you make a better decision.

In my opinion surgery should be a last resort.

Would the best way back be just to work on my rotator cuff muscles?
How about this ... how do you like my topspin forehand? (My point is, don't ask complete strangers on a forum to diagnose or prescribe treatments for you.)

I gave physiotherapy a miss ...
What's this mean? (I must be too old.) I don't get this....

... cause my arm healed pretty quickly each time it happened so I assumed there wasn't any problem with it.
Each time what happened? Stop posting in CODE!!!!

- KK
 
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dtd82

Rookie
Danix, great to hear things are going well - sounds like yours is moving back to OK as fast as mine did. I was all geared up for horror, but within a few days, I had range of motion and very manageable pain....just keep things slow...! Amazing the size of the incisions....I've got no scars at all!

I'm now two months out, and things are good, but still definitely in recovery....I'm hitting the gym regularly to get in shape and gently strengthening the shoulder. Its surprising how much strength is lost with the injury and the surgery, though I'm sure if I keep at it all will comeback.

Keep us posted.
 

danlalane

Rookie
My turn.....

Okay so I posted a while back that I was having surgery 1/6, well it has moved up to 12/11...... I had some mandatory work stuff in January I couldn't move.

Couple of quick questions to you folks who recently went under....

1.) Were you able to sleep in bed the first couple of nights? what position? Did any of you forgo the pain drugs? or, are they really necessary....?
2.) Are you doing any strength training of your off arm?
3.) how soon do you feel you can run?

I have been working out 5-6 times a week since I was 17 (34 now).... being laid up drives me nuts.

Thanks All.. wish me luck.
 
Okay so I posted a while back that I was having surgery 1/6, well it has moved up to 12/11...... I had some mandatory work stuff in January I couldn't move.

Couple of quick questions to you folks who recently went under....

1.) Were you able to sleep in bed the first couple of nights? what position? Did any of you forgo the pain drugs? or, are they really necessary....?
2.) Are you doing any strength training of your off arm?
3.) how soon do you feel you can run?

I have been working out 5-6 times a week since I was 17 (34 now).... being laid up drives me nuts.

Thanks All.. wish me luck.

1) You should be able to sleep the first night as you will still have anaesthetic effects and strong pain killers. it is more at home that people seem to struggle. Most people end up sleeping upright in a recliner or popped up on pillows.

I would recommend the pain killers to control pain if you have it. Most shoulder surgeons use a nerve block (depending on operation you having) which will make your arm numb and pretty much paralysed for about 2 days. when it wears off the pain may kick in at which point you will be glad you took the painkillers from the hospital.

2) By all means you can keep training your other arm - follow surgeons advice for operated arm though. if in doubt, ask the surgeon what you can do for the other arm or if there is anything you should avoid. Who would be better to answer that question for you?

3) You should be able to run once the sling is off and you have full movement in the arm. Anywhere from 4 weeks (again depends on the operation performed and the protocol of the surgeon doing it.

Hope this gives some idea
 

danix

Semi-Pro
1.) Were you able to sleep in bed the first couple of nights? what position? Did any of you forgo the pain drugs? or, are they really necessary....?

Yes, I was able to sleep pretty well. Facing straight up, arm slung to my chest. By day 3-4 I would let it lay at my side.
I'm now about 2+ weeks out and only now able to sleep on my side and somewhat on my belly.
I don't think you can skip the drugs. I went every 4 hours for the first 3-4 days, then started stretching it out, then switched to nighttime only.

Up until a few days ago, I was still waking up at 3AM with shoulder pain, but since I'm back to work, and also because the vicodin causes me dizziness, I am not taking any more.

2.) Are you doing any strength training of your off arm?
3.) how soon do you feel you can run?

These are related so I will combine them. As I've said, what level of pain you have depends on what you're having done. In my case, the first few days I had trouble walking without pain. You don't realize how important balance is, and how you use those shoulder muscles even when walking. I was able to stroll around the block on day 3 and have been building from there.
Today at day 16 I still don't think I could run without pain but I've been walking more and more.

This might as well serve as my update post. I am still working on the 3 exercises the doctor gave me (let arm dangle and make circles; raise your arm straight up, reach behind you). They cause considerable pain but I'm not taking any more drugs, just tylenol or advil as needed and ice. This doctor isn't big on PT and says if I do what he tells me, I won't need it. We'll see.

If you think of me standing with my right side facing you, and pretending I'm a clock going counterclockwise, I can take my arm from the 6 up to the 2 (my left arm could go past 12 to maybe 10, just for comparison). The only other way I can describe this exercise is the motion made by a former German dictator (being vague so I don't offend anyone).

Good luck with your surgery.
 
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My experience with post-op pain and recovery is in-line with princemidplus and danix. First few days post-op are the worst, after that, you slowly regain movement and function.

I was able to sleep on the shoulder I had worked on about two weeks after the surgery. I could run around then too. You can always hit an exercise bike probably one week after surgery to stay active.
 

danlalane

Rookie
Post op.....

Had Surgery Thursday morning -- it is Sat night....
Things done:
Torn Rotator Cuff
SLAP Tear
Bone Spurs _ AC joint
Bursa was in bad shape, cleaned up

Day 1:Groggy - recovery room blows.. sore throat. Had block so arm was numb
Day 1Night/Day2 PAIN - some of the worst of my life. Took Oxycontin and the last hour before i could take my pills was unbearable> Had tocall dr to up the amount i could take - 2 pills evry 3 hours instead of 4 hours.
Today: better - pain more manageable..... regretting procedure (iknow it is early but jeesh) sorry left typing tuff.....
 

dtd82

Rookie
Danlalane, good luck, things will get better....your rack of work sounds alot like mine. I'm coming up on 3 months out, and looking forward to starting play in January....once you get past the first few days/week, you should see some noticeable improvement...I'm pretty sure the worst of the pain problems I had stemmed from the bone spurs - if yours is like mine, once the pain from the bone cutting/scraping wears off, you;ll feel much better and movement will be much easier.

Good luck, keep us posted.


Danix - things sound good - have fun in PT!
 

drak

Hall of Fame
hey danalane we are twins, had pretty much same surgery on 12-11. they had to reattach a rotator cuff tendon, had slap tear as well, and bone spur impingement and significant arthtitis. i guess i am lucky, pain has not been bad - have taken no pain killers since surgery, perhaps best thing i did was get the game ready ice/compression recovery device - its been awesome and i started it immediately and use it constantly and i think it has helped immensely. got my first pt appt tmmorrow, hope you are better.

drak
 

danlalane

Rookie
Thanks guys - bit better today. Didn't help that the night following surgery lost power for two days to an ice storm. so ice machine wouldn't work....

Tylenol during day now - oxy at night. Sleep still tough.

Been doing pendulum etc......
 

drak

Hall of Fame
hang in there amigo, patience is going to be huge for us. i have had 3 knee scopes and combined they were easier than the first 3-4 days after this shoulder surgery. bandages off and a shower tomoorrow, that will be nice. when's your first pt session?
 

danlalane

Rookie
follow-up

5% better today. Dr appt on 12/24, PT starts after that. My dr is adamant about no moving the shoulder for at least 2 weeks because of rt cuff tear - only pendulum.....
 

basil J

Hall of Fame
Dan, after talking to you yesterday, I postponed my shoulder surgery until late spring early summer.. I am getting a cortisone shot on wednesday to see if it will alleviate some of the pain I am currently dealing with. My doctor seemed too eager to cut me open instead of trying other options first and I don't want the "gold plan" if I don't need it yet. I spoke to a second doctor today and he suggested the cortisone before any surgery to see if the inflamation could be controlled without surgery. I am glad I talked to you because I was ready to go..
 

drak

Hall of Fame
good play, my cortisone shot and rehab did not work, then got an MRI which revealed a lot of damage so i had no choice.
 

danlalane

Rookie
Good plan Basil. You can always do it later. Besides not sure how many of you have young kids who had surgery, but it is a bear. They get freaked out and your wife just loves how useless you are, and needing some help yourself.

BTW: Armpit cleaning is an issue. I have found that a washcloth folded over with antibacterial soap makes a big difference. Plus a little spray on deodorant :)

Every day gets better.... the ice machine helps a ton. I am off the hard core drugs, just tylenol, arnika for pain, 2000mg vitamin c and lots of ice.

Typing lefty one handed is such an ass chapper :)
 

Spittle

New User
Hola folks! Work has been busy lately so I haven't been able to keep up with the thread.

My recovery is coming along fairly well. I'm probably at 95% and have just about full mobility except for the extremes. Played tennis a week or so ago and had no pain whatsoever! I had decided, however, to skip serving and overheads. I'm sure I could probably do them just fine - but I'm being thoroughly cautious. :)

To those of you just recovering from surgery, good luck! It's definitely aggravating to do everything with your other hand/arm. But, that shouldn't last too long. As far as the overall recovery goes, the time will vary for everyone. Try to keep yourself occupied and don't push yourself too far!
 

drak

Hall of Fame
did all you guys get MRI's b4 deciding on surgery?(probably a dumb question )

yes and it showed a lot of damage, my surgery was necessary if i ever wanted to serve or hit overheads again

recovery going well, one week out and been doing exercises per my phys therapist's instructions from tuesday. no pain at all, just discomfort sleeping.
 
Hola folks! Work has been busy lately so I haven't been able to keep up with the thread.

My recovery is coming along fairly well. I'm probably at 95% and have just about full mobility except for the extremes. Played tennis a week or so ago and had no pain whatsoever! I had decided, however, to skip serving and overheads. I'm sure I could probably do them just fine - but I'm being thoroughly cautious. :)

To those of you just recovering from surgery, good luck! It's definitely aggravating to do everything with your other hand/arm. But, that shouldn't last too long. As far as the overall recovery goes, the time will vary for everyone. Try to keep yourself occupied and don't push yourself too far!

Excellent news, Spittle! Very happy to hear your recovery is progressing well.
 

drak

Hall of Fame
I am 53, just had my postop doc checkup yesterday, they said I am doing well, a bit ahead of schedule. Sling needs to be worn for me for 4 weeks then it's done. Had my 2nd PT session yesterday and it
is all easy passive stuff, and just very easy stretching/movement. On my own she has me doin about 2, 1/2 hr sessions a day.

Yes, sleeping with this friggin sling is a pain in da azz, I alternate between the layZboy and couch. I'm sleeping okay, but usually take an afternoon nap. no pain, just a lot of patience required. Hang in there.
 

danlalane

Rookie
Thanks Drak - you too. I prop up on pillows on the bed - sitting position and then sometimes rest laying on my good side with my bad arm propped into a strange somewhat neutral position. Glad you are ahead of schedule. I think I am on or slightly behind. My doc said my shoulder was really toast and recovery was going to be longer, I guess it all depends.
 

drak

Hall of Fame
Thanks Drak - you too. I prop up on pillows on the bed - sitting position and then sometimes rest laying on my good side with my bad arm propped into a strange somewhat neutral position. Glad you are ahead of schedule. I think I am on or slightly behind. My doc said my shoulder was really toast and recovery was going to be longer, I guess it all depends.

I am going to do everything mt PT and docs say, given how long a recovery it is and what a pain in the ass it is I am not going to rush it or do anythng stupid.
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
I used to see the title of this thread and think "Poor chap, thank God I am not him".
2-3 months back I had a discomfort in shoulder esp when takeback (forehand takeback).
Took a few days off, got busy elsewhere ... a month passed - no improvement. Then two. Winter set in and the pain just gets worse.
Not played for 2-3 months! Pain when putting on clothes/jackets.bathing/driving/ almost everything.

when i do any stretching or light strengthening, it pains more the next day. Maybe, i overstretched it.
 

drak

Hall of Fame
I used to see the title of this thread and think "Poor chap, thank God I am not him".
2-3 months back I had a discomfort in shoulder esp when takeback (forehand takeback).
Took a few days off, got busy elsewhere ... a month passed - no improvement. Then two. Winter set in and the pain just gets worse.
Not played for 2-3 months! Pain when putting on clothes/jackets.bathing/driving/ almost everything.

when i do any stretching or light strengthening, it pains more the next day. Maybe, i overstretched it.

I would suggest an MRI, I tried everything else and the MRI revealed it was all in vain, a lot of damage that only surgery could fix if I wanted to serve and overhead again.
 

danlalane

Rookie
BTW:I am replacing my ncode and no more poly for me. Doc says both were bad for my shoulder and elbow. I will miss their combined effectiveness, but not worth the shoulder issues.
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
I would suggest an MRI, I tried everything else and the MRI revealed it was all in vain, a lot of damage that only surgery could fix if I wanted to serve and overhead again.

^^ This sort of began when I moved to poly (although strung at 50lbs only) and also moved from a flat style to topspin. Loved it.
Moving to topspin meant I was suddenly able to swing a lot harder than before (while keeping the ball in), and this immediately began telling on my shoulder.

In my country, an MRI is frightfully expensive, will first check with a doc (been too busy taking care of ailing parents to get myself checked).

Thanks for the reply.
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
BTW:I am replacing my ncode and no more poly for me. Doc says both were bad for my shoulder and elbow. I will miss their combined effectiveness, but not worth the shoulder issues.
what is wrong with the ncode ? ( I use a PS 6.0 95, and sometimes an old Head Ventoris)

What are you intending switching to ? Something lighter or what ?
 

danlalane

Rookie
Ncode = stiff. Not sure on replacement, tennis is way way out for me. Like to be able to sleep lying down, raise my arm above my head etc first :) I'll be back in 6 months to discuss rackets :)

BTW: Sort of plateaued, pain minimal except at night. Sleep about 3-4 hrs a night. Seeing Dr tomorrow for first post op. Will report back. 2 weeks of sling down, 2-3 to go.
 

drak

Hall of Fame
Ncode = stiff. Not sure on replacement, tennis is way way out for me. Like to be able to sleep lying down, raise my arm above my head etc first :) I'll be back in 6 months to discuss rackets :)

BTW: Sort of plateaued, pain minimal except at night. Sleep about 3-4 hrs a night. Seeing Dr tomorrow for first post op. Will report back. 2 weeks of sling down, 2-3 to go.

The sling is the thing I want gone, mine is gone 4 weeks from surgery. I know it is very important to wear but its a pain. How is your PT going? Besides pt i have now done some moderate cardio the last 3 days and feel a lot better for doin that - just riding the recumbent bike for 30-40 minutes. Happy Holidays!

Drak
 

sosutennis18

New User
Hey everyone i thought I would go ahead and give some of my shoulder experiences. I first irritated my shoulder at the end of my senior year in high school, no surgery just PT three times a week for three months. I then started to play college tennis and have been playing ever since then. The past two or three year I have had shoulder problems still but they kicked back up again in Oct and I decided to get an MRI and see a shoulder specialist.

When I went to my dr. he couldnt see anything on the MRI, but everytime I would move my arm in a circle motion it would pop and grind, but nothing on the MRI! He did some tests and each time my shouder would pop out. So he gave me the choice for surgery or wait till after surgery next May so I can finish out the season.

Since the MRI showed nothing I figured nothing too bad would be wrong, so scheduled surgery for a surgery. I had my surgery four week ago yesterday. Turns out I had no ligaments in the front of my shoulder and thats why nothing showed up on the MRI( I hear its weird not to have ligaments :S),also a posterior labrum tear, he shaved off some bone,and took out my burisitis. Oh they took my supraspinatus and subscapularis and sewed them together to make somewhat a ligament in the front of the shoulder.

I must agree with everyone else that sleeping in the sling in the worse part! I have to have mine on for atleast 2 more weeks and hopefully not longer. I also have not gotten to start any physical therapy. Well just dangling down my arm, and im terrified that Im going to get a frozen shoulder. Im really hoping to play competively tennis by mid march, but I dont even know if I will get to do that!!

Well Merry Christmas Eve everyone!! =]
 

danlalane

Rookie
PT starts Monday for me. Post op was fine, saw a fellow though because it was christmas eve. Before and after pics are a hoot.

I am going to try some cardio Friday.

Gave me ambian for the sleep......
 

drak

Hall of Fame
PT starts Monday for me. Post op was fine, saw a fellow though because it was christmas eve. Before and after pics are a hoot.

I am going to try some cardio Friday.

Gave me ambian for the sleep......

Good stuff. I am starting to go heavy on the cardio and getting close to an hr on the stationary bike at a good fat burning level. Having to be so limited physically I need that workout to keep sane! Plus wih a lot of snow on the ground for the last week I cannot go for a walk at all - the risk of slipping is too high. Finally sleeping pretty good and in my bed, so far so good.
 

danlalane

Rookie
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

Hall of Fame
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.
 
[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

Hall of Fame
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

Hall of Fame
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

Rookie
Drak?

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

Hall of Fame
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

Rookie
Nice

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

Hall of Fame
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

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

- KK
 

Spittle

New User
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!
 
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