Rotator cuff surgery

[crock239]

Had my left shoulder done in 2019. The recovery from shoulder surgery truly sucks. The recliner sleeping sucks, the sling sucks. I did my PT but was one of the unfortunate few to not regain full range of motion even a couple years later. Still have to stay on top of my PT.

That said, in 12-16 weeks I had basically recovered strength back to 100%.

Listen to your surgeon and physical therapist, do your PT, and very likely you'll be good as new in a few months.

 

[Tradewind]

I have had 3 of them. all done during Feb. first few months are slow, then rehab and progress picks up as fast as
you want to push it and can stand the discomfort. I'd say abt 80% by summer then progressed to be stronger than the other side
by the following year.

once the slings come off ( and you will wear one on and off for abt a month) I would stand in front of a wall and put the
hand of the repaired shoulder on the wall and walk my fingers up the wall as much as I could get the shoulder to tolerate.
Once you can get your hand up to your shoulder, I would work on trying to put it behind my back. that takes a while.

Once the shoulder block wears off after surgery, you will pay hell if you do not have ice on it constantly for the first 40 hr or so and good drugs already in your system.
Very difficult to catch up and override the pain once it gets going.

stretching daily is the key for the next year or 2.
good luck

 

[lastlight]

I had a complete tear in my labrum, rotor cuff and bicep tendon. Took a chance and went against the surgeons advise and flew to Texas to receive stem cell treatment. After 4 months or so of easing back into lifting weights and a little PT my shoulder is 100%. Couldn’t be happier that I didn’t go through surgery and that long/painful recovery. If you have the money I highly suggest people to look into stem cells, it friggin works like a miracle.

 

[targetpanic]

I had 2 full thickness tears in my rotator cuff. Recovery was SLOW and PAINFUL. Had surgery Nov 14 2018. Was in the sling for 5 weeks. Sleeping sucked. Ice machine will get used constantly. Follow the PT and do what you can at home for strength/stretching (but not more than is allowed). Had a few setbacks throughout PT. Ended up being out of work for 7 months and didn't get back to full strength for a year. Range of motion is 90% of what it was before the injury.
SHOULDERS JUST PLAIN SUCK!

 

[tjones]

How about getting back to shooting a bow after recovery? The doc wasn't very optimistic that I could shoot my Mathews at 67 pounds ever again. I have talked to a friend that had the surgery on a right arm and he had to bump back to 40 pounds after surgery and worked his way up to 55 pounds. He said it wasn't easy.

 

[Coop]

How about getting back to shooting a bow after recovery? The doc wasn't very optimistic that I could shoot my Mathews at 67 pounds ever again. I have talked to a friend that had the surgery on a right arm and he had to bump back to 40 pounds after surgery and worked his way up to 55 pounds. He said it wasn't easy.

Graduating PT school in May, so hopefully I can give you some insight. Not going to sugar coat it, rotator cuffs can be one of the tougher rehab processes that we see. Not because they are hard to rehab, but because it takes time and can be uncomfortable throughout the process. The shoulder has more motion than most joints in the body, so the biggest things for you are going to be to push it when under the supervision of your PT, but to resist the urge to test limits or push it too hard with other activities. I am under the belief that if my patient has a goal to pull 67lbs. again, barring any big setbacks, we will likely be able to reach that goal. Rehab takes time both post-surgery and when treating conservatively because tissue healing, and muscle building takes time. In the long run though, several months of focusing on rehab will be beyond worth it.

 

[Tradewind]

How about getting back to shooting a bow after recovery? The doc wasn't very optimistic that I could shoot my Mathews at 67 pounds ever again. I have talked to a friend that had the surgery on a right arm and he had to bump back to 40 pounds after surgery and worked his way up to 55 pounds. He said it wasn't easy.

I think you will get there but it will not happen until the 2 year

 

[Robert N]

Had my right wing done some 30 years ago...and need to get it looked at again. At 53 years of age, I don't want to wait for it.

Having said that, assuming you are right handed...

Electric Toothbrush
Wet Wipes or a Bidet (wiping your butt off-handed is an exercise in humility!)

DO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY!!

 

[targetpanic]

How about getting back to shooting a bow after recovery? The doc wasn't very optimistic that I could shoot my Mathews at 67 pounds ever again. I have talked to a friend that had the surgery on a right arm and he had to bump back to 40 pounds after surgery and worked his way up to 55 pounds. He said it wasn't easy.

I would expect you would be able to shoot a 60lb bow around 8-9 months later

 

[tjones]

Had my right wing done some 20 years ago...and need to get it looked at again. At 53 years of age, I don't want to wait for it.

Having said that, assuming you are right handed...

Electric Toothbrush
Wet Wipes or a Bidet (wiping your butt off-handed is an exercise in humility!)

DO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY!!

Right handed yes and son of a,,,,,,,

Never thought about this part.

 

[Carnage2011]

My dad had this surgery about two years ago now. He also had a torn labrum so his recovery was almost 6 months. He was fairly miserable but after the first couple months he was rolling on PT and was able to start swinging a golf club around 3-4 months.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

How about getting back to shooting a bow after recovery? The doc wasn't very optimistic that I could shoot my Mathews at 67 pounds ever again. I have talked to a friend that had the surgery on a right arm and he had to bump back to 40 pounds after surgery and worked his way up to 55 pounds. He said it wasn't easy.

Just get a crossbow

 

[targetpanic]

Had my right wing done some 20 years ago...and need to get it looked at again. At 53 years of age, I don't want to wait for it.

Having said that, assuming you are right handed...

Electric Toothbrush
Wet Wipes or a Bidet (wiping your butt off-handed is an exercise in humility!)

DO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY!!

My wife made me practice wiping my butt off handed for a month before my surgery...I'm ambidextrous LOL

 

[Tradewind]

My wife made me practice wiping my butt off handed for a month before my surgery...I'm ambidextrous LOL

friend of mine broke both wrists a while back...You find out how strong your marriage is

 

[Zach]

What were all your guys symptoms?

I'm guessing I need to have my left shoulder evaluated....

 

[targetpanic]

What were all your guys symptoms?

I'm guessing I need to have my left shoulder evaluated....

No strength lifting your arm straight ahead or off to side, Shooting pain trying to get your hand behind your back, dull achy pain all the time, shooting pain trying to raise arms from side, drop you to your knees/see stars pain if you have a jolting movement etc

 

[Zach]

No strength lifting your arm straight ahead or off to side, Shooting pain trying to get your hand behind your back, dull achy pain all the time, shooting pain trying to raise arms from side, drop you to your knees/see stars pain if you have a jolting movement etc

Well, I'm only half way there....

 

[tjones]

No strength lifting your arm straight ahead or off to side, Shooting pain trying to get your hand behind your back, dull achy pain all the time, shooting pain trying to raise arms from side, drop you to your knees/see stars pain if you have a jolting movement etc

Yep this, the ache below my shoulder is a killer. Also, strange as it sounds it takes both hands to put my truck in park. Putting on any pull over shirt, getting my right arm though the sleeve hole is one thing I dread every day.

 

[300stw]

friend of mine broke both wrists a while back...You find out how strong your marriage is

i did that at 16, talk about getting friendly with my father, would have rather it of been my 1st wife that put up with me,,,

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Been thru it twice. Both times beat the recovery time by 50%. The key is get a cold therapy machine that provides cold and compression post surgery. I really didn't need pain meds due to using it. Once you start PT, do the work at home, it will help immensely and they will see your recovery accelerate quite a bit.