Rotator Cuff Torn

[The Duckmeister]

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!

I wouldn't say "never", but be wary. Maybe I lucked on a better than average physio when I fucked up a knee 20-something years ago. Sure, he didn't pick up everything wrong with it, but got the bulk of it right. The surgeon he recommended (had to go to a GP for formal referral) and the sports injury specialist the surgeon sent me to for a third opinion found more of the underlying issues, but didn't contradict what the physio had diagnosed.

 

[mas2]

I asked the physio whether I should get a GP or any scans and the main reason they recommended it was because the doctor can give a referral for discounted physio sessions.

 

[rockmoose]

Any good physio will ask for scans for anything extraordinary. Unfortunately, like any industry, quality, knowledgeable practitioners are rare.

 

[johnny]

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

Indeed it is.

 

[mas2]

Update time.
Doctor sent me to the physio and surgeon. Physio gave a couple of exercises and showed that I had very limited movement in the shoulder. Surgeon said I had both instability and a frozen shoulder which have conflicting treatments so you cant fix either. Just had a CT guided cortizone injection in it to loosen up the shoulder. Was in so much pain trying to stay still during it that I kept moaning lounder and louder and thought I was going to cry. My other shoulder is pretty sore too so I couldn't even push myself up just laid there face down while I wiggled my legs around and off the bed so I could stand up. 3 days they reckon till the cortizone works then restart the physio to see if we can fix it without surgery. Back in 3 months for a surgeon checkup but he has put me on the hospital wait list to get ahead of the delay just in case.

 

[ashes_mtb]

Update time.
Doctor sent me to the physio and surgeon. Physio gave a couple of exercises and showed that I had very limited movement in the shoulder. Surgeon said I had both instability and a frozen shoulder which have conflicting treatments so you cant fix either. Just had a CT guided cortizone injection in it to loosen up the shoulder. Was in so much pain trying to stay still during it that I kept moaning lounder and louder and thought I was going to cry. My other shoulder is pretty sore too so I couldn't even push myself up just laid there face down while I wiggled my legs around and off the bed so I could stand up. 3 days they reckon till the cortizone works then restart the physio to see if we can fix it without surgery. Back in 3 months for a surgeon checkup but he has put me on the hospital wait list to get ahead of the delay just in case.

I’ve just developed frozen shoulder from a fairly innocuous should strain and am waiting on the cortizone. Been told to expect 12-36 months for recovery with 18 months about the average.

 

[Jabubu]

Frozen shoulder sucks. I'm doing weekly physio now and I have gained some mobility which is encouraging.

 

[mas2]

I’ve just developed frozen shoulder from a fairly innocuous should strain and am waiting on the cortizone. Been told to expect 12-36 months for recovery with 18 months about the average.

My worry is that as my shoulder loosens from the cortizone, even with physio, it will start to subluxate more and be more painful then lead to surgery then a long recovery. The local is wearing off and the pain is gaining again.

Do you need to get it done under a CT scan? Staying still face down for that long sucks.

 

[Minlak]

My worry is that as my shoulder loosens from the cortizone, even with physio, it will start to subluxate more and be more painful then lead to surgery then a long recovery. The local is wearing off and the pain is gaining again.

Do you need to get it done under a CT scan? Staying still face down for that long sucks.

I have had them with just a ultra sound and with a CT depends on what the doctor asked for and where they intend on putting it - if they need to be super precise it’s CT in something like the Bursa etc it’s often Ultra sound

 

[mas2]

I have had them with just a ultra sound and with a CT depends on what the doctor asked for and where they intend on putting it - if they need to be super precise it’s CT in something like the Bursa etc it’s often Ultra sound

Did they take a few days to work for you? How long it last?

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Frozen shoulder sucks. I'm doing weekly physio now and I have gained some mobility which is encouraging.

M'lady's frozen shoulder took 18 months to come completely good with regular stretching exercises. No cortisone...

 

[Minlak]

Did they take a few days to work for you? How long it last?

Ok pure facts about cortisone
It is supposed to reduce inflammation - the inflammation is some what hindering your movement and causes pain
If done properly they normally give you a chart to record your progress over the next week (they don’t always do this) the reason for that is it takes time to work.
It is not an instant relief thing the most relief you get is from the local when they put it in.
Over the course of the next week if it worked you will start to get relief

For full transparency and something doctors don’t usually discuss is somewhere around 30% of the population cortisone had no effect on. This however does not mean it won’t have an effect for you.

How long it lasts is super individual - reports of up to 6 mths are not unusual- you can however only have so many shots in the same zone - so the idea is to relieve the pain to allow the rehab

I have had 6 cortisone injections (in recent years) at the insistence of trying this first as it’s less invasive and they do not work in me at all.

 

[mas2]

Ok pure facts about cortisone
It is supposed to reduce inflammation - the inflammation is some what hindering your movement and causes pain
If done properly they normally give you a chart to record your progress over the next week (they don’t always do this) the reason for that is it takes time to work.
It is not an instant relief thing the most relief you get is from the local when they put it in.
Over the course of the next week if it worked you will start to get relief

For full transparency and something doctors don’t usually discuss is somewhere around 30% of the population cortisone had no effect on. This however does not mean it won’t have an effect for you.

How long it lasts is super individual - reports of up to 6 mths are not unusual- you can however only have so many shots in the same zone - so the idea is to relieve the pain to allow the rehab

I have had 6 cortisone injections (in recent years) at the insistence of trying this first as it’s less invasive and they do not work in me at all.

Thanks, good to know. Got a chart to record pain and was also told that relief ranges for everyone from a few weeks up to a year for some. I'm interested to see how mine goes. The local felt like it did nothing for the pain.

 

[Minlak]

Thanks, good to know. Got a chart to record pain and was also told that relief ranges for everyone from a few weeks up to a year for some. I'm interested to see how mine goes. The local felt like it did nothing for the pain.

Well a local is just that local - they would have just hit the nearest spot closest to the injection site - if you have multiple issues I would surprised if it helped over all

 

[ashes_mtb]

For full transparency and something doctors don’t usually discuss is somewhere around 30% of the population cortisone had no effect on. This however does not mean it won’t have an effect for you.

That explains why the three I had into a tendon for another shoulder injury about 18 years ago did absolutely nothing. Doesn’t bode well.

Do you need to get it done under a CT scan? Staying still face down for that long sucks.

Not sure until I see the Dr. The shoulder injury I mentioned above required either CT or MRI scan with a contrast injected into the shoulder. Was unbelievably painful - felt like my shoulder was being broken from the inside out as they injected it in.

 

[mas2]

Went to bed still in pain and made sure not to sleep on that side or use my arm much. Woke up and it felt so much better. Pain feels all gone and shoulder is relaxed and got a lot more movement back. Still hurts from the other injury but time to start physio again and see what we can do.