Rotator Cuff Torn

[mas2]

Pretty sure I did mine last year and feel like it's getting worse.
A little reading online suggests physio can help but surgery is the only real fix.
If anyone has torn it did you just live with it or get surgery?
What were costs and recovery time like?
Cheers
MAS

 

[The Reverend]

Sorry to hear this.

As always with these things it's down to so many factors.
Your health, age, the extent and type of damage. Is it ligaments and tendons, or just muscles, how's the labrum?

With mine it was about 10 months before I could ride a bike on a trail (nothing rad either).
2 weeks in bed unable to do anything (including sleep comfortably)
4 weeks in a sling all day and night.
Very light movement after that just letting the arm hang without any forced movement.

After that it's just lots of painful physio.

If you don't work for it, you will struggle to achieve range of motion and that will be difficult. People get frozen shoulder as a result of the inactivity.

Get an MRI, see an orthopaedic surgeon you trust and get what they recommend done.

 

[Jabubu]

Sorry to hear this.

As always with these things it's down to so many factors.
Your health, age, the extent and type of damage. Is it ligaments and tendons, or just muscles, how's the labrum?

With mine it was about 10 months before I could ride a bike on a trail (nothing rad either).
2 weeks in bed unable to do anything (including sleep comfortably)
4 weeks in a sling all day and night.
Very light movement after that just letting the arm hang without any forced movement.

After that it's just lots of painful physio.

If you don't work for it, you will struggle to achieve range of motion and that will be difficult. People get frozen shoulder as a result of the inactivity.

Get an MRI, see an orthopaedic surgeon you trust and get what they recommend done.

I have nothing but respect for people that fight for their health for that long.

 

[rockmoose]

Get the MRI, then go see a physio that specialises in rock climbers. They will tell you whether it can be rehabbed with physio, or if surgery is required.

If you go to a surgeon first, they will always say it requires surgery. You can't really blame them for that.

 

[The Reverend]

Get the MRI, then go see a physio that specialises in rock climbers. They will tell you whether it can be rehabbed with physio, or if surgery is required.

If you go to a surgeon first, they will always say it requires surgery. You can't really blame them for that.

This is why I suggest seeing a surgeon you trust.

I had an injury and wanted them to operate and he wouldn't. Said the outcome would not be optimal and be wary of anyone recommending it can be done.

 

[Scotty T]

I tried to rehab with physio but after the 7th dislocation physio sent me to get the MRI, saw the (very reputable) surgeon, and never had it pop again. Rotator cuff was torn, and some tendon was loose, so the surgeon cleaned up the cuff, and stapled the tendon to my bone.

The post op physio was super important and I believe is partly why I have not had a recurrance, also I now do strength excercises 2 times a week which inevtiably involves some arm and shoulder work.

 

[RastaRuss]

My wife has had 2 full shoulder reconstructions, (she's a very a competitive knitter) with great results.
The key is to find a sports surgeon or even better a Franchise Surgeon, they do all the main stream sports.
Her's had a physio in his rooms.
I'm serious about the knitting, she's never done a sport in her adult life.

 

[mas2]

Thanks everyone for the replies. It is only self diagnosis at this stage but I will book a GP visit this week.

I first hurt it playing touch football last year when I dived to get someone and the arm I didn't land on just went limp for a bit. Then after my big crash end of last year I think I hurt it a bit more. I've put off seeing someone as it hasn't been hugely impacting my life but I tried just skimming a rock yesterday at half strength (2 skips not 4) and was in pain straight away. If I lift my right arm out to the side I can feel it hurt and can't support it for long.

I've been burnt by physios before who just seem like they want to set you up with an indefinite weekly subscription plan.

 

[Freediver]

First thing to do is get a diagnosis. The rotator cuff is made of four muscles and their tendons. Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor. If it isn't one of these it isn't a rotator cuff injury.
Do you have weakness or pain when raising your arm sideways for the first 10 t0 15%. If so it's supraspinatus.
With your elbow at 90 degrees like you are carrying a jug does it hurt to rotate your arm inwards. If so it's likely subscapularis.
If you hold your arm out to the side and the pain is in bringing it back down then it's likely teres minor.
If the pain is on external rotation and and it doesn't hurt pulling down then it's most likely infraspinatus.
Any good physio will be able to give a proper diagnosis. If it isn't a complete tear or separation of the tendon from the bone FFS stay away from surgeons because they all want to put you under.

 

[The Reverend]

if it isn't a complete tear or separation of the tendon from the bone FFS stay away from surgeons because they all want to put you under.

It seems like I found the only orthopaedic surgeon in Australia who doesn't want to operate at any opportunity.

And for context with my shoulder reconstruction I had:
Full thickness tendon tear of the long head bicep tendon
Fully torn infraspinatus and supraspinatus
Partially torn labrum.

I literally couldn't do anything with my arm so surgery was the only option.

My recovery was probably longer than most as the surgery was more involved than most.

I think you've heard enough to know what to do. Good luck, and I hope you get it solved!

 

[mas2]

1. No. Starts hurting if I lift it above 45 degrees.
2. No. Can feel it hurt if I rotate outwards/away from body.
3. No. Pain backs off on way down.
4. Do we have a winner?
I can give you my medicare number if you bulk bill.

1. Do you have weakness or pain when raising your arm sideways for the first 10 t0 15%. If so it's supraspinatus.
2. With your elbow at 90 degrees like you are carrying a jug does it hurt to rotate your arm inwards. If so it's likely subscapularis.
3. If you hold your arm out to the side and the pain is in bringing it back down then it's likely teres minor.
4. If the pain is on external rotation and and it doesn't hurt pulling down then it's most likely infraspinatus.

 

[Freediver]

It seems like I found the only orthopaedic surgeon in Australia who doesn't want to operate at any opportunity.

And for context with my shoulder reconstruction I had:
Full thickness tendon tear of the long head bicep tendon
Fully torn infraspinatus and supraspinatus
Partially torn labrum.

I literally couldn't do anything with my arm so surgery was the only option.

My recovery was probably longer than most as the surgery was more involved than most.

I think you've heard enough to know what to do. Good luck, and I hope you get it solved!

That needed surgery.

4. Do we have a winner?
I can give you my medicare number if you bulk bill.

No, just a likely candidate so far.
Is the pain low at the back of your shoulder and radiating down the back of your arm?

 

[mas2]

No, just a likely candidate so far.
Is the pain low at the back of your shoulder and radiating down the back of your arm?

I would say yes. If I put my other hand around just past my armpit I can feel a sore lump on my shoulder blade.

 

[Freediver]

I would say yes. If I put my other hand around just past my armpit I can feel a sore lump on my shoulder blade.

Find yourself a good remedial masseur and talk to them about the possible causes, at a guess it's most likely the way you sit at a computer because that's what it seems to be for everyone who has a thing with a muscle these days.

 

[mas2]

Find yourself a good remedial masseur and talk to them about the possible causes, at a guess it's most likely the way you sit at a computer because that's what it seems to be for everyone who has a thing with a muscle these days.

Will do. I really it's nothing major.

 

[mas2]

Thought I would post a follow up to this.

I went to a physio twice and followed about 4 weeks of recommended exercises for my right shoulder. They downplayed the need for a doctors opinion and that they knew what it was. The exercises changed nothing. Went to a remedial masseuse and it was back to normal straight away. Should have listened to @Freediver straight up

Since then though my left shoulder has been popping out at random times, causing pain, and not being able to move my arm. Had an MRI and it says I have a Chronic Bankart Lesion with disruption of anteroinferior labrum. I also have a minor intrasubstance tear in the anterior third of supraspinatus 8mm long.

Unrelated but I also have high Ferritin, high liver markers, but no syphilis which is great news.

 

[johnny]

Thought I would post a follow up to this.

I went to a physio twice and followed about 4 weeks of recommended exercises for my right shoulder. They downplayed the need for a doctors opinion and that they knew what it was. The exercises changed nothing. Went to a remedial masseuse and it was back to normal straight away. Should have listened to @Freediver straight up

Since then though my left shoulder has been popping out at random times, causing pain, and not being able to move my arm. Had an MRI and it says I have a Chronic Bankart Lesion with disruption of anteroinferior labrum. I also have a minor intrasubstance tear in the anterior third of supraspinatus 8mm long.

Unrelated but I also have high Ferritin, high liver markers, but no syphilis which is great news.

Congrats on the syph diagnosis.

Never trust a physio to give a diagnosis. I had one work on a muscle for six months before I got a scan to find out that the muscle had been completely torn from the bone (actually took bone with it...).

I'm booking in for an MRI myself to check that I didn't do anything in my recent stack. It's too easy to live with bad injuries that won't ever heal. Hope your injuries are fixable!

 

[kten]

Congrats on the syph diagnosis.

Never trust a physio to give a diagnosis. I had one work on a muscle for six months before I got a scan to find out that the muscle had been completely torn from the bone (actually took bone with it...).

I'm booking in for an MRI myself to check that I didn't do anything in my recent stack. It's too easy to live with bad injuries that won't ever heal. Hope your injuries are fixable!

Best advice ever right there

 

[mas2]

Apparently the syphilis test is because it can affect memory loss. Had a ct scan today to test for any dain bramage.

 

[Jabubu]

Congrats on the syph diagnosis.

Never trust a physio to give a diagnosis. I had one work on a muscle for six months before I got a scan to find out that the muscle had been completely torn from the bone (actually took bone with it...).

I'm booking in for an MRI myself to check that I didn't do anything in my recent stack. It's too easy to live with bad injuries that won't ever heal. Hope your injuries are fixable!

Well that's good to hear... is that a recommendation to get an MRI then?