Rotator Cuff Injury/Shoulder Injury/Shoulder Freeze

[Bluerocket]

I think I have a hurt/torn tendon in my right rotator cuff. I have called my Dr to have him make an appt for me with an orthopedist. In the mean time -- wondering if anyone on this board has had experience with this.

Specifically torn tendon/rotator cuff injury and with shoulder freeze.

Anyone?

I know my uncle-in-law has had problems with some of this -- he had surgery for it. (Jerry Hughes)

JJay

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Not me but a friend of mine had what they call frozen shoulder after a fall on the ice. Her rotator cuff was not torn just stretched but it froze her arm to the point where she couldnt put her coat on by herself. Very painful.They did not do surgery instead she wore a sling for what seemed like several months but probably was more like 8 weeks and went to physical therapy as well her shoulder is fine now but it did take time before it was better like I said not me but maybe the info helps. The sling imobilized the shoulder and let the cuff return to a normal place.

 

[laughingllama75]

I hope you didn't do all that damage......I had to have surgery for mine. Torn rotator, torn bicep, broken corociod bone and fractured collarbone. the healing time and P.T. was the killer for me.....I didn't have the surgery for the longest time, but in the end I needed too. there was too much lingering pain and I couldn't do much with that arm, dropping things, couldn't rake, couldn't put my arm over my head to shave armpit... day to day stuff like that. Good luck to you..... and do what the doctor tells you to do....no procrastinating!

 

[River Wood]

I have a possible rotator cuff injury...am doing physical therapy also had the cortisone (sp) shot that I don't think I'll EVER do again

 

[Bluerocket]

Connie -- know what you mean about the cortisone shot -- I also have carpal tunnel and they gave me one for that -- they said I could only have one more --- I said why would I EVER want one more? It did not work for long on my wrist.

Alicia -- yours sounds much worse than mine --- how long did it take you overall to recover?? I plan to do exactly what I am told -- excepting that I am not wanting surgery if I can do pt and get it right again. I will not do the shot either. I am fairly pain tolerant and willing to do whatever I need to to get it working well again.

Nita -- the frozen shoulder sounds awful -- a friend here at work told me about his wife's experiences with that. She got so she could not move the arm/should at all. They had to put her under and then physically work the arm to make it release -- said it was a horrible thing and very painful before and after.

I appreciate all your responses.

Jjay

 

[Hosscrazy]

I have torn my rotator cuff twice in the last year and had a shoulder freeze with the last one. I have not had surgery yet - just a whole lot of physical therapy. Right now I'm trying to keep up with the exercises that are specific for my rotator cuff, am taking Platinum Performance to see if that helps. Everything feels "heavy" to me right now - so I'm hoping that the exercises will help build strength back.

Glad you made an appt. with a doctor -- don't want to scare you, but if you need an MRI done, you might want to ask for drugs in advance. I am NOT the claustophic type at all but...the MRI machine was not good...

Good luck - keep us posted!

Liz R.

 

[Sonya]

Not really a shoulder injury...but a very bad broken collarbone...it's been a month now and the two pieces of bone are still about 2" apart and perpendicular to each other...almost stacked. I've done very welll in using my arm/shoulder even though it hurts like he!!. My doctor made sure he told me to not get shoulder freeze and to use it even though it hurt and I did. Looking at probable surgery here and already in a month everything has compacted...muscles/tendons, etc...you can look at me and one shoulder is about 2 - 3" shorter than the other with a bone sticking up through my neck. The pain has lessoned, but the mobility is not much better...I can only lift my arm about half way up...can manage to shave and put deoderant on and that's about it and it causes tears..can't wash/brush my hair with it...need help putting on clothes. Not anything I'd wish on anyone...I can't start physical therapy because the bone hasn't come together at all...kinda in limbo right now. Doctor told me today that I no longer have to wear that dang harness (felt like a straight jacket)...as it wasn't doing anything anyhow. I must say I'm very happy about that and just grinned ear to ear when he told me to not bother wearing it anymore.

Years ago my mother had surgery for rotator cup. I have a friend that also had the surgery a few years ago...they both recovered well with no side effects...neither had physical therapy either.

Wishing you the best. Take care of yourself.

 

[Roxy's Run]

A few years ago, my father tore his shoulder playing golf and he had the surgery. We were just talking about this the other day as we were talking about my possible torn knee. He said that the surgery was nothing, easy to tolerate, but the best thing that helped him out was the physical therapy after. He said it hurt like heck, but in the end it really helped him get better and back on the golf course. He wasn't sure of the amount of time from surgery to the golf course, but he thought it was about eight weeks.

I wish you the best and hope that your injury is not too bad. Hopefully just some rest or PT will help you mend.

Linda

Roxy's Run Miniatures

 

[Equuisize]

My Michael injured his rotator cuff/shoulder falling while

dragging new mats for the barn out of the back of the truck.

That was like 7 weeks ago.....Doctor tried a conservative

approach first....2 Aleve 2 x a day for 2 weeks.....and

gave him an exercise of of pointing your finger out and turning

your arm both directions, first one way then the other....in

ever increasing circles...but not raising the arm above the level

of the shoulder... He said it'd help dissipate the fluid/inflammation

in the shoulder.

It seemd to help for a little while but any sudden movement sent

him thru the roof, stops him in his tracks.

He went to the doctor today and starts PT the first of the week....

Hope you get a good solution to make yours feel better.

 

[Bluerocket]

Sonja:

Why did they not do something for your collarbone from the start? Is their a reason they want it to be this way? (2" apart and perpendicular to each other... almost stacked)??

Not really a shoulder injury...but a very bad broken collarbone...it's been a month now and the two pieces of bone are still about 2" apart and perpendicular to each other...almost stacked. I've done very welll in using my arm/shoulder even though it hurts like he!!. My doctor made sure he told me to not get shoulder freeze and to use it even though it hurt and I did.

I have broken my collar bone in the past and it was HORRIBLE!! I believe I have a high pain threshold -- and that was nearly unbearable. I can just begin to imagine what you are going through.

Glad to hear from the rest of you that the surgery is not a bad thing -- I am keeping everything moving in the mean time -- working slowly and extending/twisting my arm/shoulder everyway that the normal one can do --- can't reach up my back however (like hooking/unhooking bra with my own arms) - will have to ask hubby to help me move the arm that way. Waiting to hear when my appointment is.

JJay

 

[Slinkky]

I had the surgery in my 20's. It's been about 15 years now and I am sooo glad I did it.

I grew up riding horses and playing softball (fast pitch). I could get the ball to homeplate from outfield, so I was used quite a bit in the field, thus I made a lot of long hard throws.

One summer, my dad was playing catch with me and warming me up. We were throwing over the roof of the house to help build up my arm, when all of a sudden, it just slipped out of socket. My sholder looked like it was 3 - 4 inches further down my arm than where it should be. Overt he next few years, I would experience things like reaching up for something and my sholder falling out of place causing me to drop the thing (a bag of sugar!!!) stuff like that. I would never carry my kids on that side as I might could have dropped them.

I eventually had enough and went to the dr. Doctor took x-rays with me holding sand bags to put pressure on the sholder. He recommended surgery and had me mentally prepared for taking out part of my hip to use as new bone in the sholder. When he got in there, he discovered that my sholder bone was fine. All I had actually done was "over throw" my arm. I threw too hard and overstretched the muscles, much like overstretching a rubber band. Sometimes the muscles just don't go back to their original size.

Anyway, in my case my rotator cuff is not "built" correctly. A normal rotator cuff has a deep curve (think about an ice cream scooper). Mine is more shallow, like a teaspoon (not much curve). So when I over stretched those muscles, it allowed all the sholder parts to fall out their intended positions. So he left my rotator cuff alone and took the muscle back there, cut it and then braided it together and pulled it across where it should have been in the first place.

I was in a partial body brace (from hip to fingertip on that side) for 12 weeks. The arm I had surgery on was kept in an almost straight up position. I had to be careful where I walked as I would hit door frames with my hand, and riding in the car was interesting! Each week they would bring the sholder area down and over until I was carrying it in a sling in front of me.

Physical therapy was a pretty painful at first, but got better over time/with healing.

All in all it was well worth it.

 

[Sonya]

Sonja:
Why did they not do something for your collarbone from the start? Is their a reason they want it to be this way? (2" apart and perpendicular to each other... almost stacked)??

Dr. claims they will eventually reach each other but it's going to be in over 6 more weeks (already been a month) before the bones even touch..he said yes, it's not going to be straight and that bone coming out of my neck will always be like that. He went on to say that they rarely do surgeries on collarbones and it's usually months after the injury because there is still pain even though the bone did heal. (thats reassuring)..Dr. (just family dr) is sending the xrays onto a specialist to take a look at them and see what a specialist says...would love to go talk to the specialist myself, but that's one of the downfalls of an HMO. The pain has lessened alot but it's still there and he said it will be for a couple months until that bone totally joins.

Right now I can use my arm, but it's limited and sometimes I actually have to lift my arm up and put it where I want it to use my hand for something...like typing on a keyboard. Going back to work today and not looking forward to it at all!

 

[Just Us N Texas]

J.J., Jerry said hang in there. Try to get into Dr. Dome at UK Sports Medicine. He was Jerry's surgeon, and Jerry really liked him. Of course Jerry waited too long, and he will never be completely normal, but he can use the arm without pain, and he got most of his range of motion back. He still can't lift it overhead, so he takes the other arm, puts that arm where he wants it, and does all kinds of things.

It could be torn badly, or just barely. Sometimes PT will take care of it, other times it takes surgery. If Jerry hadn't had to wait so long on his foot to heal, his may not have gotten as bad. He had to have it to use crutches to walk, and that didn't help a lot!

 

[JennyB]

I think I have a hurt/torn tendon in my right rotator cuff. I have called my Dr to have him make an appt for me with an orthopedist. In the mean time -- wondering if anyone on this board has had experience with this.

Specifically torn tendon/rotator cuff injury and with shoulder freeze.

Anyone?

I know my uncle-in-law has had problems with some of this -- he had surgery for it. (Jerry Hughes)

JJay

[SIZE=14pt][/SIZE]JJay hi,

I am sorry for your injury and hope you can find help soon. That is the key to getting you better. I had both shoulders go bad. My right shoulder the rotator cuff was torn and had to have that one operated on. The left shoulder was just pulled muscle damage, both froze up on me and the key to getting them better is make a correct diagnose first quickly and have either have an operation and/or lots of physical theraphy. Keep up with the theraphy and stretch, stretch, stretch those muscles. I would also advise a deep tissue massage therapist after it heals some. You will never be 100% in that shoulder which is hurt, but you can get to "your" 100% of what it will feel like when it heals.

...really the deep tissue massage therapist was what really saved my bacon shoulders when I needed it. I went to her about 2-years after I hurt my shoulders, but would not advise taking that long... Good Luck!...I know how much you hurt

Jenny

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[Marty]

UGH that sounds so bad!!!!!

JJ you got to be much more careful than that!!!!!!

 

[GREENWOODMINIS]

Jjay...I have had the rotator cuff surgery 9 months ago and, getting ready to have a second one on the same shoulder...have been through three rounds of PT, 2 shots of cortizon (sp)...so I am really feeling your pain...Jenny is right...get in there and have it checked out...He most likely will have a MRI done on you to see whats really going on and check your range of motion. Also, you might find that all you need is to strengthen your shoulder through PT...to avoid any surgeries.

You could also have whats called an impingment...which can be fixed by surgery as well...but, don't wait...get your bisquits in there and get checked out

good luck

lis

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I don't have any answers for you JJay but wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about this. Hope you're better soon!

Leia

 

[pinck43]

I also have a torn rotator cuff. Did it while we were on a group drive with the horses. I did physical therapy, had an MRI, and did exercises at home. It is not perfect, but very useable. The doctor said the tear is minor but not to wait 10 years to have surgery. It gets stiff in the mornings but I don't have much pain anymore. It was heck in the beginning. Hard to curl hair, get clothes on and off etc. It's my right arm and I am right handed. Don't put off getting your xrays. Good luck, dionne

 

[Sanny]

Years ago I was thrown from my Arab in a horse show -- at the hand gallop in a hunter class -- and as I was flying through the air I realized I was headed full speed face first toward the ground and to save my face from getting smashed up (go ahead and laugh if you like, it is funny to me now too) I was Mrs. Minnesota at the time and was scheduled to leave for the Mrs. America Pageant within a few weeks and in the split seconds I was flying through the air I decided to save my face and sacrifice my shoulder so I turned my face away, tucked my head and my left shoulder and arm took the main impact hitting the ground and then I somersaulted over a couple of times and when I got up my face was fine but my arm was dangling and my shoulder was hanging several inches lower than it was supposed to. I don't remember much from that day other than being in shock and trying to climb back on my horse to finish the class and then a vet stabilizing me and then going to the hospital. I didn't have a mark on my face but my shoulder was sure messed up. They did surgery and I had a sling on it for a couple of weeks but I do know that they wanted me to get it moving as soon as possible so that it WOULDN'T freeze up. I was told I would lose my range of motion if I didn't take care of it properly, let it heal and also do all the exercises to strengthen it and keep the range of motion. Per doctors orders I didn't lift anything heavy with that arm for a long time (nothing over 10 lbs which is the equal to about a gallon of milk) but I did make sure I did all the exercises and stretches. I still had pain and tightness in that shoulder and sometimes a pain and tingling sensation in it for a long time which finally went away when I went to a chiropractor that did the deep muscle/tissue stimulation with one of those machines, deep tissue massage, chiropractic adjustment and accupuncture. It has been about two years since I saw the chiropractor for the last time and my shoulder has been good as new ever since. I really believe the surgeon did a good job fixing it but the chiropractor and the accupuncture made it feel back to normal and good again.

What I have learned over the years and through many injuries (yes I am accident prone)

Don't put off getting it fixed.....wait too long and you will never get your full strength or range of motion back.

Insist on getting an MRI so everybody knows exactly what is going on inside -- x-rays and exams don't always tell everything. I am claustrophobic so the MRI was awful but I made it through by NOT opening my eyes and by seriously talking myself through the ordeal.

Don't put off surgery. Get it over with and follow doctors orders and I have no idea if you smoke or not but smoking is the number one reason that this sort of surgery fails because your body doesn't heal properly, something about lack of nutrients and oxygen going through the injured area.

Follow doctors orders. Do all the stretching and exercises and don't lift more than you should.

Be prepared to sleep sitting up for a few nights, so have a comfortable recliner chair ready. You will not be able to lay on your back or side without being in horrible pain.

Look into other methods later on for the final stages of healing....massage, accupuncture, infared heat therapy, etc.

 

[Bluerocket]

Wow - did not know so many forum friends had suffered through this -- have enjoyed the stories and sure can relate to the pain.

Had the 1st Dr appt this am and they took xrays. I have an arthritic spur in my shoulder -- at the top edge that is pushing into one of the rotator cup tendons -- and probably tearing at it. Dr. said he could tell I had done a lot of heavy labor --lifting bales, feed bags, manure etc.. as there was quite a bit of wear and tear in there.

We are doing the MRI on Monday with a followup appt on the next Thursday.

From the way it feels now -- and from what I saw -- I will most likely have surgery -- as I don't see how PT can help any with the spur constantly increasing in size (albeit slowly) -- and pressing on the tendon.

Nice to have an explanation of other stuff that has been going on --- my arm fall asleep a lot -- (working computer mouse, having hold of stick shift etc..) as the spur has done those things too.

Will let you know what I find out next. Thanks for the input, advice and morale support!!

JJay