Since there are so many comments, I doubt anybody will see this, but if I can help just a single person, it'll be worth taking the time to do this. STARTING 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR SURGERY, begin practicing things you normally do with your soon-to-be unusable arm. For example, once you start driving again, if your left shoulder was the one repaired, you won't be able to use that arm to shut your car door after you get in. Think about that. My solution was to get my crow bar, rubber band a sock around the curved end so I don't scratch anything, and then use that with my right arm to grab the door handle to shut the door. Practice brushing your teeth with your other hand if your dominant arm will be the compromised one. Practice wiping with your other hand after going #2 if the hand you usually use is the one being disabled. Practice eating with your other hand - and see which foods are easy or hard to eat with one arm disabled. See what you can or cannot cook with one arm. Start using your computer mouse with your other hand. I could go on and on. What I did was dedicate an entire day where I basically kept my soon-to-be unusable arm behind my back and forced myself to use the other arm to see what I'd have trouble with, and then use the next 2-3 weeks to get used to using the other arm. Trust me on this, folks...you will thanks me a million times over. Good luck to you. Btw, I've had this surgery four times, so I know the drill. And one final piece of advice: your physical therapy is the only opportunity you have to control your own destiny in terms of the quality of your repair. You can have the best surgeon in the nation (mine certainly is one of them), but his or her work will be rendered useless if you don't work your ass off on the PT. The surgeon's success is largely determined by what you do at PT, not their ability.
Thank you for sharing your insights to help others. That's exactly what I wanted to do making all 31 videos in this series. I and many others appreciate your contribution.
i'm on week 4 and can not believe how much rom you achieved so quickly............. therapy isn't pleasant .... some people are blessed with more flexability than others... some are double jointed.... some can do the splits... some will never do the splits no matter how much they stretch... everyone is the same but different ... everyone will heal at different rates...everyone's body deals with swelling differently... some people are dealing with arthritis also...some people can tolerate repeated pain on a repair better than others... i think you are the poster child for this type of rehab. You look like you are in great shape which makes a tremendous difference showing you have a great work ethic and determination... i'm sure you made your therapist's life easier... thanks so much for all of your content and your contribution to this community...
@les moore Therapy can definitely be unpleasant and uncomfortable, but if you are consistent with it, will help you tremendously. Believe it or not, I am less flexible in my shoulders than most, which is part of what landed me to get a shoulder surgery. Much of that is from sitting behind a desk with very poor posture, lengthening some muscles and shortening others. In short, it put me in a bad position when doing normal things and/or working out. Several months prior to surgery and post surgery, I have been working on increasing that range of motion. I also immediately started Passive Range of Motion (PROM) movements post surgery, like on Day 2. I've continued to work on that, including to this day. I literally work on mobility almost daily even 8 months PO. It has helped me tremendously, but can be time consuming to say the least. I'm down to about 10 minutes 4-5 times a week now and can maintain good posture and shoulder mobility. So yes, I absolutely agree with your statements for genetics, body makeup, health conditions, tolerance, time, and quality of repair, etc. You are totally on point with that. With hard work and consistency, everyone can improve their condition. Haha, yes. My therapist and surgeon loved my drive and progress. They both said they wished more patients worked as hard to improve their condition. The good news is, everyone can! Thank you for your feedback on the channel, it is much appreciated. I have spent a lot of time on all the content in the hope it will help others.
You explained this to perfection. I had my first shoulder done 3 years ago, and am going in for my other shoulder in June. How you described the pre and post was exactly what I had experienced. I've shared your video with a friend who is getting Rotator Cuff Surgery for the first time. I think he will find it helpful. Thank you!
I am 64 and 12-days post-op and feel pretty good. I began PT 5-days post-op after all stitches were removed earlier that day. I used the Polar Ice Cube the first three days and did take Percocet that threw my system into a fit. Took stool softener as directed and thankfully, I’m back to normal. Today was first day of at-home passive PT. I have mild ache at ball of shoulder from pendulum swings but otherwise I’m fine. Did squats and may work abs (hollow holds) later. I live alone and don’t have anyone to help me off the floor, so a bit skeptical about any floor exercises at this time. 😂 My journey will be made more challenging because of my living situation, but I won’t allow that to deter me from making a full recovery and getting back to fitness. My goal is to get in better shape than I was before surgery. Thank you for your detailed timeline. Mine was almost a mirror image; however, I didn’t journal until today. The notes will be helpful when communicating with my doctor and therapists. I know this recovery is lengthy and I don’t intend to do anything to cause a setback although I’m dying to cut my grass, I won’t. 😊
We have many similarities for sure. I’m glad you are doing well now. I’ve put out 31 videos on recovery, including several with exercises you can do at different stages of recovery. One example is to do Hollow Holds on a couch or bed. That way you are already elevated and won’t have to worry about getting off the floor. Hollow holds on a couch are super effective. I made a short video on it, which you can find on the channel. I love that you are making yourself better while recovering from shoulder surgery. That was my approach as well. Keep up the good work!
I gave an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this week. My anxiety is high. I'm dreading the news that I will need surgery. I'm a single mother with no friends or family around to help. Scared and need encouragement.
Hey Kristi! It wont be as easy, but is totally doable on your own. Perhaps try churches, clubs, neighbors, or hire in-home healthcare for a week. It’s likely all you will need. I’m other words there are ways to be successful.
I’ve got a ton of videos on this channel with a lot of information on each. Your healthcare team can also support you. Here is one video that may be helpful prior to surgery… ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
I'm a 60 year old, installing blinds for 43 years, fell off a ladder 300 mm off the ground and landed on my elbow, thus tearing my rotator cuff off the bone. Your video both inspired me but also scared me to the point whether I can even get back to my self employed role of income. Many thanks for the informative post operation expectations.
Hi Robert! I’m sorry to hear about your injury. It’s possible to fully recover with physical therapy. You can always try that before opting for surgery. You can absolutely get back to your self-employed role of income. Unfortunately, it will take some time if you do opt for surgery. Sending healing takes a long time. If you follow the direction of your healthcare team, it will likely be about 16 to 24 weeks until you can put your arm over your head with any reasonable amount of weight. I have 30 other videos on the channel that go through that process. I would recommend checking out the week 16 video. It will give you an idea of where you will possibly be then, post surgery. Hope that helps.
I have two full tears of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons with retraction. Ortho consult said I will need a speed bridge technique with 5 anchors. I'm so scared of injury post op as I have dogs and horses. I'm also afraid I will never be the same or able to saddle my horses, ride with comfort and range of motion. I also show my dogs I'm concerned I would be able to show them due to ROM limitations. My biggest concern is injury during recovery and being permanently handicapped with my left arm.
Thank you brother for this positive video. My anxiety is high, as i also work out 5/6 days a week, headed into surgery next week. Im older than you,but im prayin for similar results as yours.peace
You are most welcome! I'm glad the video helped. My anxiety was high as well. I almost decided not to go through with the surgery, but am glad I did. You already have the mindset for a higher quality of life through fitness. That mindset will help you immensely through the recovery process. You got this!
@Happy Chappy Life Day 3 can be one of the most brutal. If it doesn't hurt too bad, you are doing really well! Anesthesia and opioids in conjunction with lying around more than we usually do can definitely cause other side effects. Once your pain is completely under control, try moving around as much as pain will allow you. The more you move and the more you hydrate, the better you will feel. I'm glad you liked the video.
Summary was impressive, thank you. You are a blessing. I’m currently in recovery from a horrible motorcycle accident which tore both of my shoulders. Left-full tear, right-partial tear. We went to see a surgeon and he told me that I had a “frozen shoulder”, he didn’t recommend surgery. I ended up seeing a second surgeon which did not recommend surgery either. Currently I’m curious after speaking to some folks what to push for, they said surgery is the last choice. After watching your video it seemed like is not as bad as I was told.
You’re welcome, I’m glad the video helped. Sorry to hear about your extensive injuries. That’s awful. I agree with the advice that you’ve been given, surgery should be the last option. While shoulder surgery recovery is long, I have a very good outcome. It wasn’t that bad for me. I am completely normal, pain free life.
I'm day 11 from rotator cuff surgery sleeping has been the hardest part pain is more of a dull ache stopped taking pain medication after 4days Thank you for the video
Yes, sleeping is a challenge for sure. I had to get mine in chunks, some days with naps or splitting up my sleep at night. I too had a full ache from guarding and inactivity of that arm. The good news is it gets better. Keep staying positive, it’s a long recovery, but definitely gets better. You are most welcome!
Really really appreciate this video! You helped me calm down a bit as I am preop for this surgery ...much appreciated !!!your a gem for doing this video for us all!
You are most welcome! I'm so glad the video helped you. If you're going through shoulder surgery, I put another 30 videos on the channel with a ton more details and information. Best wishes!
Thank you so much for this. I'm due for rotator cuff surgery and torn bicep repair. I'm not looking forward to it, but your experience is encouraging as well as uninformative.
Angela, you are most welcome! I'm sorry to hear you require surgery, but hopefully you will have an amazing outcome like I did. I'm linking my recovery playlist for you below. It may be helpful to find the "How to Prepare for Shoulder Surgery" video. It's long, but has a lot of important details. Best wishes with your surgery and recovery! ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=3mjbQp02pRPySJP9
Your videos are spot on . I had a 90% full thickness tear and bicep tear. Sleep and the sling have been my toughest problem. Surg was end of last month and I bumped my elbow by accident today😢
Thank you! I'm glad you liked the video. The production quality got even better with my later videos, once I could use both arms again. I agree, sleep and the immobility from the sling were the toughest things for me as well. The good news is that will change. It starts getting better once you get the sling off. You get another boost once you can do active assisted ROM and another when you start light strength training. A few weeks after that is when the magic really starts happening. Stay careful with that shoulder, but the odds are the bump you had is insignificant to your recovery.
Thanks for posting the videos and journey of your experience. Very helpful informative and inspiring. I am at week three and recovery has been better than expected. Only took Tylenol and used ice packs to relieve mild pain. I was able to sleep in a bed with pillows on my back fairly comfortably. I am also taking melatonin at bedtime to help Fall asleep easier. I’m doing basic hand wrist and arm range of motion exercises and shoulder shrugs. my PT starts week four. Excited but anxious to start the PT sessions. Also, just started working again today, computer desk job from home. Only limitation is to not use my injured arm.
You are most welcome. I’m glad the videos have helped! It sounds like you are doing really well. That’s fantastic! You are doing all the right things. PT is great. Hard at times, but super helpful. Keep up what you’re doing. It keeps getting better!
Thanks for documenting your progress so people like me can figure out what to expect as best we can! Great video and thanks again for all your insight!
thank you for sharing your experience, very informative and educational. I'm scheduled to have my surgery in two weeks--complete tear of the supraspinatus with tendon retraction. I'm trying to absorb as much information as I can that could help me my recovery.
You are most welcome, I'm glad the information has helped you. In case you haven't already seen, I put out 31 videos about recovery. If this one helped, the others may also. Best wishes for your surgery and recovery!
if I can offer some advice; try and have someone around for about 5 days afterwards; my surgeon did not stress that, or warn me of the pain I had to endured..."
@@sherp2u1 Totally agree! Great advice!! I also talk about that in my "How to Prepare for Shoulder Surgery" video. Having that person to help made a big difference for me. Specifically with the passive range of motion movements my healthcare team wanted me to do reguarly. I literally could not have done that myself. Having good mobility in that shoulder made a huge difference in my recovery. Here is that video for shoulder surgery prep: ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
I'm 15 days post-op and most of the pain is gone. I had several tears and grinding of the bone. Big difference for me was that the surgeon didn't want any movement of my arm for three weeks. Limited PT will start after 3 weeks. I was advised to start taking oxycodone when I got home to get ahead of the block wearing off. Block started wearing off about 24 hours after surgery. At about the 30 hour point, the pain started to ramp up. At that point I started taking acetaminophen along with the oxycodone. I finally came off the oxycodone after day 5. Now fairly pain free, waiting to go first PT session on day 21 after surgery.
You are most welcome! I'm sorry to hear you require surgery, but am glad you are more comfortable with the recovery process. It will likely be different, but possibly better! Listen to your healthcare team's advice, be consistent with your therapy, and stay positive. You got this!
I'm 7 days post op, the pain is horrendous I felt good for about 1 day. I can't eat or sleep and the meds aren't even helping now. Praying this gets better
Unfortunately, that can happen. Ice, rest, and Tylenol helped me. If you are already doing these things and taking your opioids, talk to your healthcare team. They don't want you to be in pain and can adjust your medications to help. The good news is it does get better over time.
I am now around 11 or 12 weeks post op. I am so much better than I was. This last week has been a good week although I still have a lot of pain and still very little movement my mood is much better and the pain isn't constant which helps. Lack of sleep is getting to me though, had a steroid shot this week hoping it works quickly so I can start lifting my arm and getting some strength back. 😊
Great video and very though! I am a chiropractor and had the same injury lifting, which ripped the supraspinatus off the bone, guess a bone spur cut it off. My other shoulder was fixed two years ago and was way worse. It is crazy, I had the bicep tenodesis and and it took 4 anchors to reattach my supraspinatus. The crazy thing is my surgeon has me totally out of any sling and does not want me wearing one. This was the same advice with my other shoulder. I am limited to 3lbs of lifting with my bicep for 8 weeks. Surgeon also wanted me to start passive range of motion on day 1. I have done this using a short 3/4 pvc pipe, I can do it in bed or standing. I also use a pulley system to have my good are pull up my bad arm for passive range of motion. Using the pulley system you can add resistance after 8 weeks and the range of motion is back to normal. You don't want to rush things on this surgery. Remember we need to very slowly add exercises, not do the same ones everyday, and just go slow. Ice is your friend!! I am not into drugs at all, after the first surgery I needed nothing. This past surgery, I had to take Oxy for 2 days (even with nerve block) and Tylenol and naproxen. My surgeon had me take aspirin for blood clots, what I was told it not to take aspirin with naproxen. Take aspirin 30 min before or after. My arm on day 10 is still yellowish and purple so I will continue to take aspirin until that is gone. I'm against polluting the body, but a stroke would be much worse.
I just had shoulder surgery and I’ve been reading about NSAIDs. Some studies show that they can slow or delay healing if it’s taken right after surgery. I have a nerve block so I didn’t need to relieve pain right away. These OTC drugs also can inhibit bone healing. Therefore, I suggest relying for an ice packs to reduce inflammation if you are not experiencing terrible pain. There are many studies you can review online.
Thanks for the video I’m happy to say that I am 100% release back to work in less than three months could not have done it without the help that you’ve provided. I ordered a whole bunch of bands, rollers, pull up bar for stretching and went to work on my PT from home. I would work out for 1 hour and do your mini stretch for 10 minutes.
Thanks for such an informative video. Helpful! The key is getting in good shape before surgery. I have two full tears and expect surgery in October. I’m a swimmer and have pretty strong shoulders so I hope the swims will pay off for rehab!
You are most welcome! I love hearing from people that this information has helped. Having been active prior to surgery will help physically and mentally. You know how to train. That will help substantially in recovery. Best of wishes with your upcoming surgery.
I appreciate your great video I too. have a full tear same tendon and scheduling surgery soon I need to be prepared for what's coming. But I have help and know this is my only real options I'll get though it, thank you for posting your own recovery
Hey Thomas! You're most welcome! Yes, the process of tendon healing takes a very long time. Just be patient, stay positive, and follow your healthcare team's instruction. It feels like forever, but you will get there too. Here is a playlist of my full recovery with tons of information on that process. Hopefully this will help you too. ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=gSLSeJJZpkRKeoRB
Thanks for sharing your experience postop. Im about to go for surgery arthroscopic extensive debridement, subacromium decompression, large tear repair supraspinatis on November 9, 2022.
Hi Suresh! At first I thought so too, but most Orthopedic Surgeons and Physical Therapists have not actually gone through the surgery and experience this type of recovery for themselves. It's a LOT different experiencing something like this firsthand. I'm glad you found the video help. If you're going through recovery, check out the other 30 videos on the channel. Those will give you a lot more information. Best wishes.
Thank you for the heads up about your post surgery. I'm 64 and I'm having mine done next week. It's fully torn probably due to over lifting at the gym so it has to be re-attached. I realize it's not going to be a picnic but thanks to you I'll know from a patient's perspective what to expect. I'll be referring back to this video for support after the surgery. Thanks again for this excellent video!
You are most welcome. I’m glad the video was helpful. The good news is I created 30 other videos you can find on the channel, which provide a lot of detailed information on recovery through the first 5 months. I hope you enjoy that guided information as well. Best wishes on your recovery!
Its been a few years from my similar surgery - but even today I can recall the painful recovery with the therapist - I'd rather live without the surgery then go thru that ever again 🥴
I wouldn’t choose to repeat my shoulder surgery either, unless of course I couldn’t live with that pain anymore. Shoulder surgery recovery is a very long process. I couldn’t live with the pain I had, which is why I opted for surgery. Now, my shoulder is pain-free. It was worth it for that shoulder.
I don't understand, if you saw a picture of my shoulder on day 5 after surgery it looks 10 times worse, I have a lot of bruising all around my shoulder and my whole bicep muscle area is purple, I was in a LOT of pain for the first 6 days and they did not want me (and anyone else I knew that had surgery) to move my arm or take it out of the sling for 2 weeks!
We all definitely have different conditions, surgeons, and recoveries. I wasn't able to get my sling off until week 6. I'm sorry to hear you had so much bruising and pain. Shoulder surgery is a long recovery. What's important is what happens next. Listen to your healthcare team's advice, be consistent with your therapy, and stay positive. Most come out with a much better result than prior to surgery. You got this!
I have to see a surgeon tomorrow, for a torn rotator cuff 😢... I'm NOT, in no hurry to get, surgery...i hope it helps with my headaches. I have a pinched nerve, bone spurs and arthritis in my neck. My orthopedic doctor told me, he can't do nothing for my neck, it is too far gone 😢. I'm hoping with this surgery, it will relieve, some of these headaches. I get head aches so bad, makes me cry 😭... I can't tolerate pain.. after I get better from this surgery, I'm going for my back..😢... it's probably to late, too...I have a pinched nerve in my back, scoliosis, arthritis, vertebrae's over lapped, & between my vertebraes are gone... The surgeon said, he didn't know, what he was going to do, between my vertebrates...😢... I had a MRI, like 8 years ago. Then i had, another, MRI about 4 or 5 years ago, now I have three, where between my vertebrates are gone....😢... Doctor, told me, my back, was from a birth defect...SMH...The surgeon wanted to put 6pins and 4rods (OUCH) In my back...😓...My back has got worse through the years. I clean my house, and my back, kills me...i cry, it hurts so bad...😭. I will be 60 in September...😢
Wow! I’m sorry to hear you are experiencing so many difficulties. I wasn’t in a hurry to get surgery either. Shoulder surgery recovery is a long process. Make sure you find a good healthcare team. Once you have, follow their guidance. I cannot say if a shoulder surgery will help with your headaches, but I’m sure your doctor will give you a better idea. I wish I could make it go away for you. I do absolutely sympathize with your situation. Stay positive and follow your healthcare team’s plan. Best of wishes to your journey.
How didbyour surgery go? How are you feeling now? My mom's surgery is tomorrow and we're very scared. She is in a lot if pain and besides the rotator cuff has neck issues too.
You are most welcome. I’m glad the video was helpful. If you do go through shoulder surgery, be sure to check out the other 30 videos on the channel. I created them to help others with a step-by-step process through the first five months.
Thanks for this video it is very encouraging. -How are you feeling now? -Any regrets about the surgery? -How is your mobility and ability to do pushups, benchpress etc.?
Hey Colin. Thank you. You're most welcome. I was able to change out my T-shirt the first week. It was around Day 5 or 6 I believe. I made a video on it. Here is the link: ruclips.net/video/hfjeIKQ18IE/видео.htmlsi=BH_8Q-xyBvAOrg7v
I tore my supraspinatus and bicep tendon doing a heavy bench press 12 days ago and have surgery scheduled in 10 days from now. I hope you're doing well now that you're completely healed up. Do you feel like your tendon is back to full strength? Are you able to do everything you could do before your surgery? I'm devastated that I'm possibly going to have to give up bodybuilding as I've been doing it for over 30 years.
Glad I came across your video. I'm heading into shoulder surgery in a few weeks. Main thing I'm worried about is sleep. I sleep on my stomach, so I've been trying to figure out what's going to work for me.
These videos are so useful. I do have a question for you. My mom lives by herself and may be having this surgery soon. Do you have any opinions on how long she might need to have someone stay with her afterwards? A few days, a few weeks, a few months? Any input you may have would be helpful. Thanks!
Sorry for the late response. I’m not sure how old your mom is or what condition she is in. I was 52 and a really good shape and it was helpful for me to have someone with me for about a week. I would say essential for the first three or four days. Everyone is of course different. Best of wishes to your mom‘s recovery.
You are most welcome! I'm glad the video helped. It's a long recovery process, but keep the faith. You got this! I made 31 videos on recovery. Here is the full playlist with a ton of information. I hope it helps! ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=gSLSeJJZpkRKeoRB
Thanks for the video. You are doing great. I am 1 week post op rotator cuff, bicep tendon repair right shoulder. Minimal pain after block wore off. Same sensation of dead hand. Shower day 3 after dressing removed. PT starts Monday. Im a 65 year old retired male. Stay active by bicycling. My complaint is the sling and length of recovery. I stopped pain meds at day 5. They fog your brain and constipate you. Tylenol would have been better. Im taking 1 day at a time. THE SLING SUCKS! I will burn it week 6. 😂
Well I had rotator cuff and Inpeingment surgery by Dr. Marc Aiken from wataga otlrthopedtics in Johnson city TN. And he's so great. I didn't even have one bit of pain after the nerve block went away . No lie. That man is awesome.
I am having rotator cuff surgery this month. Scared to death. I have a high grade partial thinkness articular tear - supraspinatus 2.4 cm and some other things...thank you for your feedback...but I know everyone is diffenent.. I am preparing and getting ready in the home.
Hey Kat D! I'm sorry to hear you require surgery. It's normal to be apprehensive beforehand, I was too. The good news is most people end up with a good result and have better quality of life. It's just that whole recovery portion we have to deal with. I have a how to prepare for surgery video on this channel as well. There are a lot of details I go over, to make sure you think about. I've linked the video below for your convenience. Stay positive, work hard in PT and you will come out better than ever! How to Prep for Shoulder Surgery ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
Hi Kat i am 7 weeks post op for a full rotator cuff tear, these are really good videos, some of the best you could see. I understand why you might be fearful but if you don't mind I can give you a bit of advice from my experience. They will give you a nerve block that works brilliantly for up to 24 hours, it's a bit like the cocaine you get at the dentist. Just make sure you start taking your painkilling meds well before the nerve block wears off, mine wore off after 18 hours in the middle of the night before I had chance to build up resistance and it was a bit rough to say the least. They also recommend ice to ease the pain but i found heat worked better. I just had a hot water bottle wrapped in a thin towel and this worked well. Please don't worry, the first few days can never difficult but things get better quite quickly. I wish you all the very best take care john b
HOw are u doing now because you have a full thickness tear.? MIne is 4mm size partial tear but i have been having pain for 3 months and it doesnt go away. I am thinking of going for a surgery to get rid of the pain.
@@edm8037 go for it. Get it done. If you were told you need surgery, the sooner the better. Rehab will be better also. Glad I did it and it’s done. Still some soreness but nothing like it was before surgery. I was out biking in three months
This was awesome and so helpful. Sounds like the extent of our damage is the same. I got a steroid shot a month ago to help me sleep and it worked miracles. Can even do all the exercises my PT gave me. I have to wait now 2 more months until the surgery because I had the shot. Here's a question for you---do all these exercises I'm doing really help going into surgery? I've quit tennis (and golf) and just concentrating on the exercises. Will they make my tears worse, meaning will surgery become more extensive? The doctor I went to said "don't worry about PT" but I was told how very important it is to have your shoulder strong going into it. What exercises were you doing prior to surgery and can you let me know if you had pain while doing them? Did you have a steroid shot when you first had pain in your shoulder? Thanks for any input!
I tried PT prior to surgery and it didn't help to the extent I wanted, so I opted for surgery. I had already been in good shape, doing fitness quite a bit. I believe having been in good shape AND doing PT for my rotator cuff prior to surgery did help with my recovery. I too had to give up certain activities, but after my full recovery am back to 100% doing everything I want pain-free. The PT I performed, did not hurt my shoulder more. If something is hurting your shoulder prior to surgery, don't do it. I was doing movements with and without light therabands, dumbbells, and unweighted like W.I.T.Y., presses, side raises, upright rows, and certain protocols that are just too hard to describe here. I am linking all 31 videos I made in my playlist below. If you watch them, you will see ALL the movements I did for yourself. I explain them in the videos as I progress through the weeks. It's a progression and it really just depends on where you are at now if you're considering doing "pre-hab". I personally chose to do "pre-hab" for my shoulder prior to surgery, but your surgeon isn't wrong either. If you require surgery, no movement will likely help with those injuries. It is my personal belief that doing those movements prior to surgery did help. I just had to discover and then avoid those movements that gave me pain. So yes, you can feel pain if you're doing movements that exacerbate the injuries you have. Avoid those of course. I created a video "Pain vs Discomfort" as well, which was on my Week 11. You may enjoy. Do what you think will help you most and listen to your body. No one knows it better than you. ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=otpWEj-cgjV-cSGr
No pain pills!?.... MAD RESPECT, SIR!!!! I had that surgery, and I took pain pills 4 months into it. I'm 7 months in and working on weights. Low weight and low reps.
I was very lucky indeed. It's not normal to not need opioids. I did use copious amounts of ice and and ice machine, as well as, Tylenol and in later weeks, Advil. You are past the tough point. It took me 12 months to get to normal. So will you! Keep at it.
I am 10 days out from rotator cuff surgery. I only had I partial thickness tear. The surgeon repaired the tear, released my bicep tendon, shaved of some bone on the bottom side of my clavicle and removed some bursitis. I stopped wearing the sling after three days. I did my home exercises the next day. I have not yet started pt. I have steri-strips now, making showering a lot easier. My concern is overdoing it after watching your five week video. It sounds like your injury was more severe. Any suggestions?
Hi Frank. I'm sorry to hear you required surgery. You had most of the same repairs I did. I did have a full thickness tear of my Supraspinatus, minor tearing of the Subscapularis and Infraspinatus, and Labrum issues. So yes, a bit different than yours. I started surgeon directed exercises on Day 2 and Physical Therapy on Day 6. I'm glad you are doing so well, that's fantastic! I would check with your healthcare team to see what they recommend for you. What was right for me, may not be right for you. Some surgeons direct their patients to get out of the sling almost immediately. Others, like mine require 6 weeks in the sling. Check out information about the tendon healing process. While it's different for everyone, research has shown the average tendon repair strength is 30% at 6 weeks, 60% at 12 weeks, 80%+ at 6 months. In other words, it takes a LONG time to truly recover that tendon strength back. Check out my Day 10 video, where I go over that information in more detail. Here is the timestamped link at 7:16 into that video: ruclips.net/video/bj8JeXsqx84/видео.html. The best advice I can give you is NOT to rush your recovery. You've already done the hard part. There is no need to rush recovery. Rushing can only lead to potential issues. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I hope that helps.
Seeing the ortho next week for a high grade near full thickness supraspinatus tear. Its been about 6 weeks since I injured it lifting weights and it feels almost to fully normal now. But I fear surgery is in my future. I'm very apprehensive about a extended layoff from working out and whether at my age, 60s, I'll be able to regain the lost strength and muscle mass. In any case, I plan on putting the surgery off as long as possible.
I’m sorry to hear about your injury. If it’s feeling almost normal now, you may want to consider trying physical therapy and/or giving it more time before opting for surgery. If you can function well without pain, you may be able to avoid surgery. I was ahead of most and it took 6 months until I could do some things and a full year before being completely unrestricted. Tendon healing takes a long time! If you require surgery, the recovery is long, you will lose muscle mass, but will also gain it back.
@@livelongerlivestronger thanks, that's pretty much what the ortho said. He pointed out that in order to fix the tendon he would have to sever it completely and he recommended against that. He suggested strengthening exercises and advised me to stick with higher reps and lower weight on my benching and overhead pressing. That was disappointing to hear but it's not the end of the world. He gave me the idea that, regardless of what I do, it's likely to progress to a full tear. Interestingly, he said that full tears don't always require fixing. Sometimes the other muscles are able to compensate for the torn one
@@jerseyjim9092 I agree with your ortho. I would try adding PT. If you get a good, sports specific PT it will help you a lot. When we train, we focus on the large muscles. What I do now is focus on the smaller muscles as well. It has helped my involved shoulder AND my other shoulder which has some issues. I also started doing Crossover Symmetry Shoulder Protocol, which has helped a ton. Stay away from shoulder surgery IF you can without pain. Strengthen those small rotator cuff muscles. If it does turn into a full tear and you’ve been focusing on the rotator cuff muscles, it may not matter and you may not require surgery.
my wife is going in tomorrow for her surgery,any tips for me helping her get back to normal? i am looking at recipes though,since i'll be cooking for the next 5 weeks or so.
Hi, i just had my left clavicle broken a week ago and am told that i dont need surgery aka conservative management. I am searching for a comfortable arm sling such as used in the video. My current armsling is the basic one, and my ribs are starting to hurt. I cant sleep for long periods of time as pain will wake me up. I need a more comfortable arm sling tq.
I used a Donjoy Ultra 3 sling with an abduction pad, which was comfortable and worked well. There is an Ultra 4 model available now. Hope that helps. I’m glad you did not require surgery.
Yes, that’s exactly right. I used the ice machine and ice packs liberally for the first several days then continued with the ice packs for the first full week.
You're most welcome, I'm glad you liked it. I did use an ice machine for the first few days, but only ice packs after. Both are helpful and I would definitely recommend having both if you can. There are 25 other videos on the channel and new videos are being released weekly. Check out the "How to Prep for Surgery" video before your operation as one. The link is below. Good luck on your surgery! ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
I’m glad the video was helpful. You are most welcome. If you do, go through the shoulder surgery, recovery, make sure to check out the 30 other videos on the channel. I created that information to help others through their recovery. Best wishes.
I am due for this surgery in a few weeks. I am concerned about when to go back to work. Were you out of work at all? If so, how long were you out of work. I have a desk job, but I need my right arm and hand to do my job. Any insights?
Yes, I was out of work, normally working a desk job. It was my dominant hand, so I couldn't use a standard mouse and keyboard for about 6 weeks. Even after that, it took about 12 weeks until I felt more comfortable and 16 weeks until I was closer to normal. I used my non-dominant, non-involved arm to type VERY slowly and used dictation features on my devices. I was able to make calls normally after pain was under control.
Great video..have my surgery in a week.I work in an industrial chemical manufacturing plant where I lift heavy objects for a big part of my day. and work out 5 days a week.Wondering how fast I’ll be able to get back to both.
For me it was about 16 weeks until I was able to do most normal routine tasks. It was 6 months until I could work out doing most exercises and one year until fully unrestricted.
That's a highly individual question since we are all so different, as are our conditions. Many people suffer injuries and don't require surgery but for others that is the best course of action. Only you can decide with your healthcare team what is right for you. For me, I tried other recovery methods and they did not provide the pain relief I was looking for. Surgery was the answer for me and I would do it again because I have no pain and better range of motion that before surgery. It's a LONG road and is not easy, but it was the right answer for me.
Thanks so much for the video. My surgery is this week. My biggest concerns are sleeping and staying in shape. Ill walk as much as i can and i see you touched on a few things like the bike and hollow hold, but do you have a list of exercises you began? What about squats, wall foot taps, knee ups, etc? Thank you!
It was about 16 weeks until I felt comfortable using BOTH arms in normal situations. About 4 weeks after starting strength training with light bands and weights, my shoulder started feeling a bit more normal. I could have driven prior to 16 weeks, but I felt it would have put my repair at risk if something came up where I was forced to make an abrupt movement.
Just had my surgery last Monday and have pretty much the same experience as you so far. No real pain to speak of and therefore no need to take the narcotics. Quick question: how long did it take you to be able to use a keyboard and mouse with your surgical arm?
I’m going for rotator and labrum surgery next week but the funny thing is like you had mentioned my non surgical shoulder is hurting worse than the one that needs surgery. Possibly from compensating in the gym. Has your other shoulder calmed down?
After I got full use of my involved shoulder my good shoulder was better. Now, since I have no pain in my operated shoulder, I have some minor pain in my good shoulder. Not enough to have a surgery though. I made a video on Week 17 on this topic. Good Shoulder Hurting After Surgery? Week 17 Shoulder Surgery Recovery ruclips.net/video/hXVKfsi-Utk/видео.html
I tore my supraspinatus completely off on December 19. Exercised shoulder to be useful. Finally decided to look into surgery. Have my last pre-op test tomorrow. But strangely enough my ‘ good ‘ shoulder feels exactly as my torn shoulder ( after about a week of exercising it ) now I’m wondering if the ‘ good ‘ shoulder is torn or just tendinitis. Tomorrow I visit doctor for final pre op test and will mention this issue . ( there’s nooooo way my wife can handle an old guy with two messed up arms after the surgery lol 😂)
Yikes! I made a video about my good shoulder hurting. It’s the week 17 video. I’m not sure it’s the same thing but it may be worth a watch. Hope all goes well for you.
So crazy. All this stuff is so different than why my surgeons said to do. I want to do exercises right away but they said no. Not until like a couple of weeks after
Many healthcare teams are super conservative because they know shoulder surgery recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Of course recommendations vary due to all sorts of factors, such as patient health, severity/type of repair, medical training, etc. I found a surgeon and physical therapist that had the same type of believe I did. To safely allow the repair to heal, while doing very conservative therapy. The down side of waiting to start therapy is that mobility may be harder or take longer to achieve. You may be in the position to get another opinion. I got several before choosing my surgeon. In the end, your team is doing what they believe is right for you. I wish you the best!
My surgeon also is recommending different things. I’m doing some very minor exercises I got from physical therapy 5 days after surgery. I can’t go back to PT until 8 weeks after the surgery. Ugh. I’m so ready to move it more. I was taking Norco and found out I have an allergy too it. That was more bothersome than my arm hurting. The body aches were horrible. Luckily I can take Tylenol if needed and/or use my TENS unit for pain relief. My bicep has started to cramp. I see the doctor next week so hopefully the doctor will explain What to do about that
@@melissaknotts788 I was also doing very minor exercises a few days after surgery and PT the first week. Definitely take your healthcare team's advice, but not being able to do PT until week 8 seems like a long time. I would definitely double check that and/or get a 2nd opinion to confirm. Tylenol and ice helped me a lot. Be careful with the TENS unit. You don't want the repair to get too much stimulus. It needs time to adhere and heal. My Biceps tendon cramped about 5 months in. There are some simple, mild stretches you can do consistently to alleviate that issue. Hopefully your healthcare team will provide that information to you when you see them this week.
@@livelongerlivestronger I just saw the doctor today. He said I can start PT on May 8 which is a month earlier than PT said I could start. He said my tear was small and he did a biceps tenotomy. I haven’t been using my TENS unit as much because sometimes it feels like it doesn’t help. I can take my arm out of the sling when sitting at a chair and lay it next to my side. That is helping a lot. I can’t go back to work yet which was a surprise because he originally said I could go back after 2 weeks because I would just be doing computer work. I had a HORRIBLE pain in my bicep last night. That came out of nowhere and was the worst pain I’ve had in a week.
@@melissaknotts788 I experienced a lot of pain trying to use my mobile device and computer too much too soon. Backing off a few weeks and taking it slow made all the difference. It’s good to hear you got into therapy earlier. By now, I’m guessing you are progressing well and are doing most light daily tasks with ease.
They locked my shoulder in a sling for 12 weeks !!! When I started pt it had no range of motion. It was terrible trying to get rom back. 18 therapy sessions later I probable had 70 % that's about all I ever got !! If I had it to do over again id want passive ROM as soon as possible.
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. I started with passive ROM (person assisted) the 2nd day and was in physical therapy the 6th day. I had my ROM back to normal in about 3 weeks. I contribute that as a big part of my very successful recovery. I'm hopeful you get there too.
I am in so much pain... broke my glenoid and dislocated it. There are screws placed.... but still cannot move it. Doctor does not want my shoulder moved for 3 more weeks... Did I loose the use of my arm?
I'm due for my surgery in 3 days. I have already been in PT for 6 months. I have 3 tears, with one being a full separation. My PT thinks the recovery for me should be good since I do have some strength, and I do have full range of motion. Any idea's on this? I don't know if this is common to have PT prior to the surgery.
Many do pre-hab prior to surgery. I had been working out so my surgeon did not recommend it for me. Based on what you wrote, I would guess you will have a good outcome. The biggest thing is to take your time, gradually get to full mobility, then when your surgeon clears you, bring that strength back up. It’s a long process. Just don’t rush it. The process is tendon healing takes 12-24 months.
Since there are so many comments, I doubt anybody will see this, but if I can help just a single person, it'll be worth taking the time to do this. STARTING 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR SURGERY, begin practicing things you normally do with your soon-to-be unusable arm. For example, once you start driving again, if your left shoulder was the one repaired, you won't be able to use that arm to shut your car door after you get in. Think about that. My solution was to get my crow bar, rubber band a sock around the curved end so I don't scratch anything, and then use that with my right arm to grab the door handle to shut the door. Practice brushing your teeth with your other hand if your dominant arm will be the compromised one. Practice wiping with your other hand after going #2 if the hand you usually use is the one being disabled. Practice eating with your other hand - and see which foods are easy or hard to eat with one arm disabled. See what you can or cannot cook with one arm. Start using your computer mouse with your other hand. I could go on and on. What I did was dedicate an entire day where I basically kept my soon-to-be unusable arm behind my back and forced myself to use the other arm to see what I'd have trouble with, and then use the next 2-3 weeks to get used to using the other arm. Trust me on this, folks...you will thanks me a million times over. Good luck to you. Btw, I've had this surgery four times, so I know the drill. And one final piece of advice: your physical therapy is the only opportunity you have to control your own destiny in terms of the quality of your repair. You can have the best surgeon in the nation (mine certainly is one of them), but his or her work will be rendered useless if you don't work your ass off on the PT. The surgeon's success is largely determined by what you do at PT, not their ability.
Thank you for sharing your insights to help others. That's exactly what I wanted to do making all 31 videos in this series. I and many others appreciate your contribution.
Why have you had 4 surgeries?
May I ask? How come you’ve had this surgery 4 times ? Thank you for this information
I had the same thought. I wish I had done that prior to my surgery last week
Yup neem doing that myself - repetition is the mother of success
i'm on week 4 and can not believe how much rom you achieved so quickly............. therapy isn't pleasant .... some people are blessed with more flexability than others... some are double jointed.... some can do the splits... some will never do the splits no matter how much they stretch... everyone is the same but different ... everyone will heal at different rates...everyone's body deals with swelling differently... some people are dealing with arthritis also...some people can tolerate repeated pain on a repair better than others... i think you are the poster child for this type of rehab. You look like you are in great shape which makes a tremendous difference showing you have a great work ethic and determination... i'm sure you made your therapist's life easier... thanks so much for all of your content and your contribution to this community...
@les moore
Therapy can definitely be unpleasant and uncomfortable, but if you are consistent with it, will help you tremendously. Believe it or not, I am less flexible in my shoulders than most, which is part of what landed me to get a shoulder surgery. Much of that is from sitting behind a desk with very poor posture, lengthening some muscles and shortening others. In short, it put me in a bad position when doing normal things and/or working out.
Several months prior to surgery and post surgery, I have been working on increasing that range of motion. I also immediately started Passive Range of Motion (PROM) movements post surgery, like on Day 2. I've continued to work on that, including to this day. I literally work on mobility almost daily even 8 months PO. It has helped me tremendously, but can be time consuming to say the least. I'm down to about 10 minutes 4-5 times a week now and can maintain good posture and shoulder mobility.
So yes, I absolutely agree with your statements for genetics, body makeup, health conditions, tolerance, time, and quality of repair, etc. You are totally on point with that. With hard work and consistency, everyone can improve their condition.
Haha, yes. My therapist and surgeon loved my drive and progress. They both said they wished more patients worked as hard to improve their condition. The good news is, everyone can!
Thank you for your feedback on the channel, it is much appreciated. I have spent a lot of time on all the content in the hope it will help others.
You made a good valid point that is so correct. Everyone is different & will recover different. I can contest as I went thru it.
Btw: yes therapy sucks 🤦
You explained this to perfection. I had my first shoulder done 3 years ago, and am going in for my other shoulder in June. How you described the pre and post was exactly what I had experienced. I've shared your video with a friend who is getting Rotator Cuff Surgery for the first time. I think he will find it helpful. Thank you!
Thank you, I appreciate that and I’m glad to hear you liked the content. Best wishes on your upcoming surgery.
I am 64 and 12-days post-op and feel pretty good. I began PT 5-days post-op after all stitches were removed earlier that day. I used the Polar Ice Cube the first three days and did take Percocet that threw my system into a fit. Took stool softener as directed and thankfully, I’m back to normal. Today was first day of at-home passive PT. I have mild ache at ball of shoulder from pendulum swings but otherwise I’m fine. Did squats and may work abs (hollow holds) later. I live alone and don’t have anyone to help me off the floor, so a bit skeptical about any floor exercises at this time. 😂 My journey will be made more challenging because of my living situation, but I won’t allow that to deter me from making a full recovery and getting back to fitness. My goal is to get in better shape than I was before surgery. Thank you for your detailed timeline. Mine was almost a mirror image; however, I didn’t journal until today. The notes will be helpful when communicating with my doctor and therapists. I know this recovery is lengthy and I don’t intend to do anything to cause a setback although I’m dying to cut my grass, I won’t. 😊
We have many similarities for sure. I’m glad you are doing well now. I’ve put out 31 videos on recovery, including several with exercises you can do at different stages of recovery. One example is to do Hollow Holds on a couch or bed. That way you are already elevated and won’t have to worry about getting off the floor. Hollow holds on a couch are super effective. I made a short video on it, which you can find on the channel. I love that you are making yourself better while recovering from shoulder surgery. That was my approach as well. Keep up the good work!
hang in there, living solo at a time like this is hard but definitely manageable and very rewarding, you'll see
I gave an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this week. My anxiety is high. I'm dreading the news that I will need surgery. I'm a single mother with no friends or family around to help. Scared and need encouragement.
How did it go?
Hey Kristi! It wont be as easy, but is totally doable on your own. Perhaps try churches, clubs, neighbors, or hire in-home healthcare for a week. It’s likely all you will need. I’m other words there are ways to be successful.
I’ve got a ton of videos on this channel with a lot of information on each. Your healthcare team can also support you. Here is one video that may be helpful prior to surgery…
ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
people like you make the world a better place, thanks!!!~
Robert, thank you. That is very appreciated!
Watch this , my husband will have this surgery in April
How did it go ?
Best wishes with your husband’s recovery!
Im two weeks after surgery,and stitches out tomorrow after havving mumford procedure and cuff repair.This is my second repair,and not been too bad.
Glad to hear that it hasn’t been too bad. Mine wasn’t either and the result is amazing.
I'm a 60 year old, installing blinds for 43 years, fell off a ladder 300 mm off the ground and landed on my elbow, thus tearing my rotator cuff off the bone. Your video both inspired me but also scared me to the point whether I can even get back to my self employed role of income.
Many thanks for the informative post operation expectations.
Hi Robert! I’m sorry to hear about your injury. It’s possible to fully recover with physical therapy. You can always try that before opting for surgery. You can absolutely get back to your self-employed role of income. Unfortunately, it will take some time if you do opt for surgery. Sending healing takes a long time. If you follow the direction of your healthcare team, it will likely be about 16 to 24 weeks until you can put your arm over your head with any reasonable amount of weight. I have 30 other videos on the channel that go through that process. I would recommend checking out the week 16 video. It will give you an idea of where you will possibly be then, post surgery. Hope that helps.
I have two full tears of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons with retraction. Ortho consult said I will need a speed bridge technique with 5 anchors.
I'm so scared of injury post op as I have dogs and horses. I'm also afraid I will never be the same or able to saddle my horses, ride with comfort and range of motion. I also show my dogs I'm concerned I would be able to show them due to ROM limitations.
My biggest concern is injury during recovery and being permanently handicapped with my left arm.
My mother will be undergoing rotator cuff surgery next week. This information definitely helps prepare. Much appreciated.
Thank you brother for this positive video. My anxiety is high, as i also work out 5/6 days a week, headed into surgery next week. Im older than you,but im prayin for similar results as yours.peace
You are most welcome! I'm glad the video helped. My anxiety was high as well. I almost decided not to go through with the surgery, but am glad I did. You already have the mindset for a higher quality of life through fitness. That mindset will help you immensely through the recovery process. You got this!
I'm on day 3. It hurts not bad . Got the nausea. Got chest congestion This is so good thanks for all the in-depth vid.
@Happy Chappy Life Day 3 can be one of the most brutal. If it doesn't hurt too bad, you are doing really well! Anesthesia and opioids in conjunction with lying around more than we usually do can definitely cause other side effects. Once your pain is completely under control, try moving around as much as pain will allow you. The more you move and the more you hydrate, the better you will feel. I'm glad you liked the video.
How u doin now?
Awesome service you provide, I am having my 2nd Rotator Cuff surgery, non-dominant arm this time. Dreading it, your video was encouraging.
It’s a long process of healing but it can be game changing. You got this!
Summary was impressive, thank you. You are a blessing. I’m currently in recovery from a horrible motorcycle accident which tore both of my shoulders. Left-full tear, right-partial tear. We went to see a surgeon and he told me that I had a “frozen shoulder”, he didn’t recommend surgery. I ended up seeing a second surgeon which did not recommend surgery either. Currently I’m curious after speaking to some folks what to push for, they said surgery is the last choice. After watching your video it seemed like is not as bad as I was told.
You’re welcome, I’m glad the video helped. Sorry to hear about your extensive injuries. That’s awful. I agree with the advice that you’ve been given, surgery should be the last option. While shoulder surgery recovery is long, I have a very good outcome. It wasn’t that bad for me. I am completely normal, pain free life.
Your info is spot on! I'm at the end of week 2 and have done pretty good. I'm looking forward to your next check in! Great job!
Thank you. I’m glad the videos have been helpful.
I'm day 11 from rotator cuff surgery sleeping has been the hardest part pain is more of a dull ache stopped taking pain medication after 4days Thank you for the video
Yes, sleeping is a challenge for sure. I had to get mine in chunks, some days with naps or splitting up my sleep at night. I too had a full ache from guarding and inactivity of that arm. The good news is it gets better. Keep staying positive, it’s a long recovery, but definitely gets better. You are most welcome!
Really really appreciate this video! You helped me calm down a bit as I am preop for this surgery ...much appreciated !!!your a gem for doing this video for us all!
You are most welcome! I'm so glad the video helped you. If you're going through shoulder surgery, I put another 30 videos on the channel with a ton more details and information. Best wishes!
Thank you so much for this. I'm due for rotator cuff surgery and torn bicep repair. I'm not looking forward to it, but your experience is encouraging as well as uninformative.
Angela, you are most welcome! I'm sorry to hear you require surgery, but hopefully you will have an amazing outcome like I did. I'm linking my recovery playlist for you below. It may be helpful to find the "How to Prepare for Shoulder Surgery" video. It's long, but has a lot of important details. Best wishes with your surgery and recovery!
ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=3mjbQp02pRPySJP9
Great post, amigo. My surgery is in two days and I'm going to apply your lessons.
Best wishes in your recovery!
I am waiting for a date for my surgery, thank you for explaining, God willing everything goes well for me.
Your videos are spot on . I had a 90% full thickness tear and bicep tear. Sleep and the sling have been my toughest problem. Surg was end of last month and I bumped my elbow by accident today😢
Thank you! I'm glad you liked the video. The production quality got even better with my later videos, once I could use both arms again. I agree, sleep and the immobility from the sling were the toughest things for me as well. The good news is that will change. It starts getting better once you get the sling off. You get another boost once you can do active assisted ROM and another when you start light strength training. A few weeks after that is when the magic really starts happening. Stay careful with that shoulder, but the odds are the bump you had is insignificant to your recovery.
@@livelongerlivestronger Thank u!
@@riod7559 Rio, you are most welcome! Best of wishes in your recovery!!
Prayers for comfort healing and protection. ❤🙏
Thank.
You for sharing?I have the same exact diagnosis and I go into the knife this Friday.You have really made it a little bit easier for me!
I’m sorry to hear you require surgery, but I am glad to know these videos have helped. Best wishes on your surgery and recovery!
Getting all these procedures next month - thanks-definitely prepping in advance
Best wishes on your recovery!
Thanks for posting the videos and journey of your experience. Very helpful informative and inspiring. I am at week three and recovery has been better than expected. Only took Tylenol and used ice packs to relieve mild pain. I was able to sleep in a bed with pillows on my back fairly comfortably. I am also taking melatonin at bedtime to help Fall asleep easier. I’m doing basic hand wrist and arm range of motion exercises and shoulder shrugs. my PT starts week four. Excited but anxious to start the PT sessions. Also, just started working again today, computer desk job from home. Only limitation is to not use my injured arm.
You are most welcome. I’m glad the videos have helped! It sounds like you are doing really well. That’s fantastic! You are doing all the right things. PT is great. Hard at times, but super helpful. Keep up what you’re doing. It keeps getting better!
Thanks for documenting your progress so people like me can figure out what to expect as best we can! Great video and thanks again for all your insight!
My pleasure! Glad to help.
thank you for sharing your experience, very informative and educational. I'm scheduled to have my surgery in two weeks--complete tear of the supraspinatus with tendon retraction. I'm trying to absorb as much information as I can that could help me my recovery.
You are most welcome, I'm glad the information has helped you. In case you haven't already seen, I put out 31 videos about recovery. If this one helped, the others may also. Best wishes for your surgery and recovery!
if I can offer some advice; try and have someone around for about 5 days afterwards; my surgeon did not stress that, or warn me of the pain I had to endured..."
@@sherp2u1 Totally agree! Great advice!! I also talk about that in my "How to Prepare for Shoulder Surgery" video. Having that person to help made a big difference for me. Specifically with the passive range of motion movements my healthcare team wanted me to do reguarly. I literally could not have done that myself. Having good mobility in that shoulder made a huge difference in my recovery. Here is that video for shoulder surgery prep:
ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
I'm 15 days post-op and most of the pain is gone. I had several tears and grinding of the bone. Big difference for me was that the surgeon didn't want any movement of my arm for three weeks. Limited PT will start after 3 weeks. I was advised to start taking oxycodone when I got home to get ahead of the block wearing off. Block started wearing off about 24 hours after surgery. At about the 30 hour point, the pain started to ramp up. At that point I started taking acetaminophen along with the oxycodone. I finally came off the oxycodone after day 5. Now fairly pain free, waiting to go first PT session on day 21 after surgery.
Thank you for this video! I go in in a week for surgery and feel a little more comfortable understanding what the recovery process might look like.
You are most welcome! I'm sorry to hear you require surgery, but am glad you are more comfortable with the recovery process. It will likely be different, but possibly better! Listen to your healthcare team's advice, be consistent with your therapy, and stay positive. You got this!
I'm 7 days post op, the pain is horrendous I felt good for about 1 day. I can't eat or sleep and the meds aren't even helping now. Praying this gets better
Unfortunately, that can happen. Ice, rest, and Tylenol helped me. If you are already doing these things and taking your opioids, talk to your healthcare team. They don't want you to be in pain and can adjust your medications to help. The good news is it does get better over time.
@@livelongerlivestronger I truly hope so. Thankyou.
How u doin now? 🙏
@@comcast831Doing really well, thank you. I have definitely made a complete recovery and have returned to sport.
I am now around 11 or 12 weeks post op. I am so much better than I was. This last week has been a good week although I still have a lot of pain and still very little movement my mood is much better and the pain isn't constant which helps. Lack of sleep is getting to me though, had a steroid shot this week hoping it works quickly so I can start lifting my arm and getting some strength back. 😊
Great video and very though! I am a chiropractor and had the same injury lifting, which ripped the supraspinatus off the bone, guess a bone spur cut it off. My other shoulder was fixed two years ago and was way worse.
It is crazy, I had the bicep tenodesis and and it took 4 anchors to reattach my supraspinatus. The crazy thing is my surgeon has me totally out of any sling and does not want me wearing one. This was the same advice with my other shoulder. I am limited to 3lbs of lifting with my bicep for 8 weeks. Surgeon also wanted me to start passive range of motion on day 1. I have done this using a short 3/4 pvc pipe, I can do it in bed or standing. I also use a pulley system to have my good are pull up my bad arm for passive range of motion.
Using the pulley system you can add resistance after 8 weeks and the range of motion is back to normal. You don't want to rush things on this surgery. Remember we need to very slowly add exercises, not do the same ones everyday, and just go slow. Ice is your friend!!
I am not into drugs at all, after the first surgery I needed nothing. This past surgery, I had to take Oxy for 2 days (even with nerve block) and Tylenol and naproxen. My surgeon had me take aspirin for blood clots, what I was told it not to take aspirin with naproxen. Take aspirin 30 min before or after. My arm on day 10 is still yellowish and purple so I will continue to take aspirin until that is gone. I'm against polluting the body, but a stroke would be much worse.
Our recoveries had many similarities and differences. Thank you for sharing your experience to help others!
I just had shoulder surgery and I’ve been reading about NSAIDs. Some studies show that they can slow or delay healing if it’s taken right after surgery. I have a nerve block so I didn’t need to relieve pain right away. These OTC drugs also can inhibit bone healing. Therefore, I suggest relying for an ice packs to reduce inflammation if you are not experiencing terrible pain. There are many studies you can review online.
I completely agree with what you wrote here. That was my approach and it ended up working well for me.
I will be having my surgery in two weeks. Thank you for all this information.
Thank you so much.... I'm still at the MRI stage of my injury but researching if i have to do surgery.
You’re welcome. I’m glad they helped. Hopefully you don’t have to have surgery.
Thanks for the video I’m happy to say that I am 100% release back to work in less than three months could not have done it without the help that you’ve provided. I ordered a whole bunch of bands, rollers, pull up bar for stretching and went to work on my PT from home. I would work out for 1 hour and do your mini stretch for 10 minutes.
Thanks SO much for posting these videos of your experiences!
You are most welcome. I hope they helped!
Thanks for such an informative video. Helpful! The key is getting in good shape before surgery. I have two full tears and expect surgery in October. I’m a swimmer and have pretty strong shoulders so I hope the swims will pay off for rehab!
You are most welcome! I love hearing from people that this information has helped. Having been active prior to surgery will help physically and mentally. You know how to train. That will help substantially in recovery. Best of wishes with your upcoming surgery.
I appreciate your great video I too. have a full tear same tendon and scheduling surgery soon I need to be prepared for what's coming. But I have help and know this is my only real options I'll get though it, thank you for posting your own recovery
Hey Thomas! You're most welcome! Yes, the process of tendon healing takes a very long time. Just be patient, stay positive, and follow your healthcare team's instruction. It feels like forever, but you will get there too. Here is a playlist of my full recovery with tons of information on that process. Hopefully this will help you too. ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=gSLSeJJZpkRKeoRB
Thank you for the video. I'm getting this surgery on Wednesday so this was helpful to give me an idea of what's to come.
He is blessed, I am just going into day 2 and have taking hydro as told and muscle relaxers and ain't nothing blocking the pain
We are all different and may have different experiences during our recoveries. Sorry to hear you were in pain. Hopefully that’s better now.
This was excellent . Thank you.
I'm super happy the video was helpful. You are most welcome!
Thanks for sharing your experience postop.
Im about to go for surgery arthroscopic extensive debridement, subacromium decompression, large tear repair supraspinatis on November 9, 2022.
@vbBegin957 you are most welcome! It sounds like we have some similar repairs. I'm glad the videos have helped. Best of wishes to a speedy recovery!
Thank you! Very informative. I think I'll be watching a lot more of your shoulder surgery prep and recovery videos, unfortunately.
Excellent info. Very helpful , Thanks. Orthopedics should make such video.
Hi Suresh! At first I thought so too, but most Orthopedic Surgeons and Physical Therapists have not actually gone through the surgery and experience this type of recovery for themselves. It's a LOT different experiencing something like this firsthand. I'm glad you found the video help. If you're going through recovery, check out the other 30 videos on the channel. Those will give you a lot more information. Best wishes.
You were very lucky. Strong man!👍👍
Thank you! It was a long process, but I came out better and without pain.
Thank you for the heads up about your post surgery. I'm 64 and I'm having mine done next week. It's fully torn probably due to over lifting at the gym so it has to be re-attached. I realize it's not going to be a picnic but thanks to you I'll know from a patient's perspective what to expect. I'll be referring back to this video for support after the surgery. Thanks again for this excellent video!
You are most welcome. I’m glad the video was helpful. The good news is I created 30 other videos you can find on the channel, which provide a lot of detailed information on recovery through the first 5 months. I hope you enjoy that guided information as well. Best wishes on your recovery!
Its been a few years from my similar surgery - but even today I can recall the painful recovery with the therapist - I'd rather live without the surgery then go thru that ever again 🥴
I wouldn’t choose to repeat my shoulder surgery either, unless of course I couldn’t live with that pain anymore. Shoulder surgery recovery is a very long process. I couldn’t live with the pain I had, which is why I opted for surgery. Now, my shoulder is pain-free. It was worth it for that shoulder.
Thanks for sharing the journey
You are most welcome!
I just had a 3rd total shoulder .i like reading your stories
I love the gym setup that you have.
Excellent recap!
Much appreciated!
I don't understand, if you saw a picture of my shoulder on day 5 after surgery it looks 10 times worse, I have a lot of bruising all around my shoulder and my whole bicep muscle area is purple, I was in a LOT of pain for the first 6 days and they did not want me (and anyone else I knew that had surgery) to move my arm or take it out of the sling for 2 weeks!
We all definitely have different conditions, surgeons, and recoveries. I wasn't able to get my sling off until week 6. I'm sorry to hear you had so much bruising and pain. Shoulder surgery is a long recovery. What's important is what happens next. Listen to your healthcare team's advice, be consistent with your therapy, and stay positive. Most come out with a much better result than prior to surgery. You got this!
Sounds like you had a shitty and or inexperienced Doctor to me.
I have to see a surgeon tomorrow, for a torn rotator cuff 😢... I'm NOT, in no hurry to get, surgery...i hope it helps with my headaches. I have a pinched nerve, bone spurs and arthritis in my neck. My orthopedic doctor told me, he can't do nothing for my neck, it is too far gone 😢. I'm hoping with this surgery, it will relieve, some of these headaches. I get head aches so bad, makes me cry 😭... I can't tolerate pain.. after I get better from this surgery, I'm going for my back..😢... it's probably to late, too...I have a pinched nerve in my back, scoliosis, arthritis, vertebrae's over lapped, & between my vertebraes are gone... The surgeon said, he didn't know, what he was going to do, between my vertebrates...😢... I had a MRI, like 8 years ago. Then i had, another, MRI about 4 or 5 years ago, now I have three, where between my vertebrates are gone....😢... Doctor, told me, my back, was from a birth defect...SMH...The surgeon wanted to put 6pins and 4rods (OUCH) In my back...😓...My back has got worse through the years. I clean my house, and my back, kills me...i cry, it hurts so bad...😭. I will be 60 in September...😢
Wow! I’m sorry to hear you are experiencing so many difficulties. I wasn’t in a hurry to get surgery either. Shoulder surgery recovery is a long process. Make sure you find a good healthcare team. Once you have, follow their guidance. I cannot say if a shoulder surgery will help with your headaches, but I’m sure your doctor will give you a better idea. I wish I could make it go away for you. I do absolutely sympathize with your situation. Stay positive and follow your healthcare team’s plan. Best of wishes to your journey.
@@livelongerlivestronger , Thank You, so much. You brought tears, to my eyes. 😥. Wish you was my, Dr...
How did the surgery go?
How didbyour surgery go? How are you feeling now?
My mom's surgery is tomorrow and we're very scared. She is in a lot if pain and besides the rotator cuff has neck issues too.
Excellent! Lots of food for thought. Thanks.
You are most welcome. I’m glad the video was helpful. If you do go through shoulder surgery, be sure to check out the other 30 videos on the channel. I created them to help others with a step-by-step process through the first five months.
Thanks for this video it is very encouraging.
-How are you feeling now? -Any regrets about the surgery?
-How is your mobility and ability to do pushups, benchpress etc.?
Thank you and good luck
Thank you!
Great video! Thanks for sharing. When were you able to put it on a t-shirt under your sling?
Hey Colin. Thank you. You're most welcome. I was able to change out my T-shirt the first week. It was around Day 5 or 6 I believe. I made a video on it. Here is the link: ruclips.net/video/hfjeIKQ18IE/видео.htmlsi=BH_8Q-xyBvAOrg7v
I tore my supraspinatus and bicep tendon doing a heavy bench press 12 days ago and have surgery scheduled in 10 days from now. I hope you're doing well now that you're completely healed up. Do you feel like your tendon is back to full strength? Are you able to do everything you could do before your surgery? I'm devastated that I'm possibly going to have to give up bodybuilding as I've been doing it for over 30 years.
Same thing happened to me.
Glad I came across your video. I'm heading into shoulder surgery in a few weeks. Main thing I'm worried about is sleep. I sleep on my stomach, so I've been trying to figure out what's going to work for me.
These videos are so useful. I do have a question for you. My mom lives by herself and may be having this surgery soon. Do you have any opinions on how long she might need to have someone stay with her afterwards? A few days, a few weeks, a few months? Any input you may have would be helpful. Thanks!
Sorry for the late response. I’m not sure how old your mom is or what condition she is in. I was 52 and a really good shape and it was helpful for me to have someone with me for about a week. I would say essential for the first three or four days. Everyone is of course different. Best of wishes to your mom‘s recovery.
great detail, thx
Great Infos, thank you! Day 2 here.
You are most welcome! I'm glad the video helped. It's a long recovery process, but keep the faith. You got this! I made 31 videos on recovery. Here is the full playlist with a ton of information. I hope it helps!
ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=gSLSeJJZpkRKeoRB
Great summary. I love the graphs.
@Kay Berends Thank you!
Great video.
Thank you
Thanks for the video. You are doing great. I am 1 week post op rotator cuff, bicep tendon repair right shoulder. Minimal pain after block wore off. Same sensation of dead hand. Shower day 3 after dressing removed. PT starts Monday. Im a 65 year old retired male. Stay active by bicycling. My complaint is the sling and length of recovery. I stopped pain meds at day 5. They fog your brain and constipate you. Tylenol would have been better. Im taking 1 day at a time. THE SLING SUCKS! I will burn it week 6. 😂
Well I had rotator cuff and Inpeingment surgery by Dr. Marc Aiken from wataga otlrthopedtics in Johnson city TN. And he's so great. I didn't even have one bit of pain after the nerve block went away . No lie. That man is awesome.
I am having rotator cuff surgery this month. Scared to death. I have a high grade partial thinkness articular tear - supraspinatus 2.4 cm and some other things...thank you for your feedback...but I know everyone is diffenent.. I am preparing and getting ready in the home.
Hey Kat D! I'm sorry to hear you require surgery. It's normal to be apprehensive beforehand, I was too. The good news is most people end up with a good result and have better quality of life. It's just that whole recovery portion we have to deal with. I have a how to prepare for surgery video on this channel as well. There are a lot of details I go over, to make sure you think about. I've linked the video below for your convenience. Stay positive, work hard in PT and you will come out better than ever!
How to Prep for Shoulder Surgery
ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
Hi Kat i am 7 weeks post op for a full rotator cuff tear, these are really good videos, some of the best you could see. I understand why you might be fearful but if you don't mind I can give you a bit of advice from my experience. They will give you a nerve block that works brilliantly for up to 24 hours, it's a bit like the cocaine you get at the dentist. Just make sure you start taking your painkilling meds well before the nerve block wears off, mine wore off after 18 hours in the middle of the night before I had chance to build up resistance and it was a bit rough to say the least. They also recommend ice to ease the pain but i found heat worked better. I just had a hot water bottle wrapped in a thin towel and this worked well. Please don't worry, the first few days can never difficult but things get better quite quickly. I wish you all the very best take care john b
HOw are u doing now because you have a full thickness tear.? MIne is 4mm size partial tear but i have been having pain for 3 months and it doesnt go away. I am thinking of going for a surgery to get rid of the pain.
@@edm8037 go for it. Get it done. If you were told you need surgery, the sooner the better. Rehab will be better also. Glad I did it and it’s done. Still some soreness but nothing like it was before surgery. I was out biking in three months
This was awesome and so helpful. Sounds like the extent of our damage is the same. I got a steroid shot a month ago to help me sleep and it worked miracles. Can even do all the exercises my PT gave me. I have to wait now 2 more months until the surgery because I had the shot. Here's a question for you---do all these exercises I'm doing really help going into surgery? I've quit tennis (and golf) and just concentrating on the exercises. Will they make my tears worse, meaning will surgery become more extensive? The doctor I went to said "don't worry about PT" but I was told how very important it is to have your shoulder strong going into it. What exercises were you doing prior to surgery and can you let me know if you had pain while doing them? Did you have a steroid shot when you first had pain in your shoulder? Thanks for any input!
I tried PT prior to surgery and it didn't help to the extent I wanted, so I opted for surgery. I had already been in good shape, doing fitness quite a bit. I believe having been in good shape AND doing PT for my rotator cuff prior to surgery did help with my recovery. I too had to give up certain activities, but after my full recovery am back to 100% doing everything I want pain-free. The PT I performed, did not hurt my shoulder more. If something is hurting your shoulder prior to surgery, don't do it. I was doing movements with and without light therabands, dumbbells, and unweighted like W.I.T.Y., presses, side raises, upright rows, and certain protocols that are just too hard to describe here. I am linking all 31 videos I made in my playlist below. If you watch them, you will see ALL the movements I did for yourself. I explain them in the videos as I progress through the weeks. It's a progression and it really just depends on where you are at now if you're considering doing "pre-hab". I personally chose to do "pre-hab" for my shoulder prior to surgery, but your surgeon isn't wrong either. If you require surgery, no movement will likely help with those injuries. It is my personal belief that doing those movements prior to surgery did help. I just had to discover and then avoid those movements that gave me pain. So yes, you can feel pain if you're doing movements that exacerbate the injuries you have. Avoid those of course. I created a video "Pain vs Discomfort" as well, which was on my Week 11. You may enjoy. Do what you think will help you most and listen to your body. No one knows it better than you.
ruclips.net/p/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo&si=otpWEj-cgjV-cSGr
No pain pills!?.... MAD RESPECT, SIR!!!!
I had that surgery, and I took pain pills 4 months into it. I'm 7 months in and working on weights. Low weight and low reps.
I was very lucky indeed. It's not normal to not need opioids. I did use copious amounts of ice and and ice machine, as well as, Tylenol and in later weeks, Advil. You are past the tough point. It took me 12 months to get to normal. So will you! Keep at it.
I am 10 days out from rotator cuff surgery. I only had I partial thickness tear. The surgeon repaired the tear, released my bicep tendon, shaved of some bone on the bottom side of my clavicle and removed some bursitis. I stopped wearing the sling after three days. I did my home exercises the next day. I have not yet started pt. I have steri-strips now, making showering a lot easier. My concern is overdoing it after watching your five week video. It sounds like your injury was more severe. Any suggestions?
Hi Frank. I'm sorry to hear you required surgery. You had most of the same repairs I did. I did have a full thickness tear of my Supraspinatus, minor tearing of the Subscapularis and Infraspinatus, and Labrum issues. So yes, a bit different than yours. I started surgeon directed exercises on Day 2 and Physical Therapy on Day 6. I'm glad you are doing so well, that's fantastic! I would check with your healthcare team to see what they recommend for you. What was right for me, may not be right for you. Some surgeons direct their patients to get out of the sling almost immediately. Others, like mine require 6 weeks in the sling. Check out information about the tendon healing process. While it's different for everyone, research has shown the average tendon repair strength is 30% at 6 weeks, 60% at 12 weeks, 80%+ at 6 months. In other words, it takes a LONG time to truly recover that tendon strength back. Check out my Day 10 video, where I go over that information in more detail. Here is the timestamped link at 7:16 into that video: ruclips.net/video/bj8JeXsqx84/видео.html. The best advice I can give you is NOT to rush your recovery. You've already done the hard part. There is no need to rush recovery. Rushing can only lead to potential issues. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I hope that helps.
Wow in. Uk don't see physio until wk4. I'm in day 1
Tried the passive exercises they recommended, had killed me so . Try again tomorrow
Seeing the ortho next week for a high grade near full thickness supraspinatus tear. Its been about 6 weeks since I injured it lifting weights and it feels almost to fully normal now. But I fear surgery is in my future. I'm very apprehensive about a extended layoff from working out and whether at my age, 60s, I'll be able to regain the lost strength and muscle mass. In any case, I plan on putting the surgery off as long as possible.
I’m sorry to hear about your injury. If it’s feeling almost normal now, you may want to consider trying physical therapy and/or giving it more time before opting for surgery. If you can function well without pain, you may be able to avoid surgery. I was ahead of most and it took 6 months until I could do some things and a full year before being completely unrestricted. Tendon healing takes a long time! If you require surgery, the recovery is long, you will lose muscle mass, but will also gain it back.
@@livelongerlivestronger thanks, that's pretty much what the ortho said. He pointed out that in order to fix the tendon he would have to sever it completely and he recommended against that. He suggested strengthening exercises and advised me to stick with higher reps and lower weight on my benching and overhead pressing. That was disappointing to hear but it's not the end of the world. He gave me the idea that, regardless of what I do, it's likely to progress to a full tear. Interestingly, he said that full tears don't always require fixing. Sometimes the other muscles are able to compensate for the torn one
@@jerseyjim9092 I agree with your ortho. I would try adding PT. If you get a good, sports specific PT it will help you a lot. When we train, we focus on the large muscles. What I do now is focus on the smaller muscles as well. It has helped my involved shoulder AND my other shoulder which has some issues. I also started doing Crossover Symmetry Shoulder Protocol, which has helped a ton. Stay away from shoulder surgery IF you can without pain. Strengthen those small rotator cuff muscles. If it does turn into a full tear and you’ve been focusing on the rotator cuff muscles, it may not matter and you may not require surgery.
my wife is going in tomorrow for her surgery,any tips for me helping her get back to normal? i am looking at recipes though,since i'll be cooking for the next 5 weeks or so.
I made this video just for that reason!
ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.htmlsi=l8cDu_Tt2NVWTuLH
1. How many hours later the stitches were removed, if necessary to be removed.
2. Arm rotation angle better be shown/described in video
Thanks for sharing
You bet!
Hi, i just had my left clavicle broken a week ago and am told that i dont need surgery aka conservative management.
I am searching for a comfortable arm sling such as used in the video.
My current armsling is the basic one, and my ribs are starting to hurt. I cant sleep for long periods of time as pain will wake me up. I need a more comfortable arm sling tq.
I used a Donjoy Ultra 3 sling with an abduction pad, which was comfortable and worked well. There is an Ultra 4 model available now. Hope that helps. I’m glad you did not require surgery.
How did you ice with the surgical gauze the first couple days? Just put it right over it?
Yes, that’s exactly right. I used the ice machine and ice packs liberally for the first several days then continued with the ice packs for the first full week.
Thanks great. Detail information next month it’s my operation
? You didn’t use ice machine to much and prefer ice pack. Why ?
You're most welcome, I'm glad you liked it. I did use an ice machine for the first few days, but only ice packs after. Both are helpful and I would definitely recommend having both if you can.
There are 25 other videos on the channel and new videos are being released weekly. Check out the "How to Prep for Surgery" video before your operation as one. The link is below. Good luck on your surgery!
ruclips.net/video/_ir4_uy9MU8/видео.html
very helpful.tyvm
I’m glad the video was helpful. You are most welcome. If you do, go through the shoulder surgery, recovery, make sure to check out the 30 other videos on the channel. I created that information to help others through their recovery. Best wishes.
I am due for this surgery in a few weeks. I am concerned about when to go back to work. Were you out of work at all? If so, how long were you out of work. I have a desk job, but I need my right arm and hand to do my job. Any insights?
Yes, I was out of work, normally working a desk job. It was my dominant hand, so I couldn't use a standard mouse and keyboard for about 6 weeks. Even after that, it took about 12 weeks until I felt more comfortable and 16 weeks until I was closer to normal. I used my non-dominant, non-involved arm to type VERY slowly and used dictation features on my devices. I was able to make calls normally after pain was under control.
Great video..have my surgery in a week.I work in an industrial chemical manufacturing plant where I lift heavy objects for a big part of my day. and work out 5 days a week.Wondering how fast I’ll be able to get back to both.
I’m on day 7,I had rotator repair with 2 cyst removed along with some arthritis.
In everyone's experience, how long until you can typically move both arms around and complete normal Tasks
For me it was about 16 weeks until I was able to do most normal routine tasks. It was 6 months until I could work out doing most exercises and one year until fully unrestricted.
Being a smoker for so many years do you advise me to have the surgery or no? Asking because I am afraid of getting a blood clog or worse.
I am 63 years old
Is it possible to go without surgery with a full rotator cuff tear? Somebody told me the body will adapt if there’s no surgery
That's a highly individual question since we are all so different, as are our conditions. Many people suffer injuries and don't require surgery but for others that is the best course of action. Only you can decide with your healthcare team what is right for you. For me, I tried other recovery methods and they did not provide the pain relief I was looking for. Surgery was the answer for me and I would do it again because I have no pain and better range of motion that before surgery. It's a LONG road and is not easy, but it was the right answer for me.
@@livelongerlivestronger thanks for the reply. Continued good health to you
How much work time did you miss if any?
I’m scheduled next month. In your opinion was the ice machine worth it?
Yes, absolutely!
Thanks so much for the video. My surgery is this week. My biggest concerns are sleeping and staying in shape. Ill walk as much as i can and i see you touched on a few things like the bike and hollow hold, but do you have a list of exercises you began? What about squats, wall foot taps, knee ups, etc? Thank you!
How long until you were able to drive a car and what indicators or progress told you it was time?
It was about 16 weeks until I felt comfortable using BOTH arms in normal situations. About 4 weeks after starting strength training with light bands and weights, my shoulder started feeling a bit more normal. I could have driven prior to 16 weeks, but I felt it would have put my repair at risk if something came up where I was forced to make an abrupt movement.
This is the most painful surgery I've ever had done in my life. I am now able to use my arm and shoulder again.
Shoulder surgery is no picnic. I’m glad you are doing better now.
Just had my surgery last Monday and have pretty much the same experience as you so far. No real pain to speak of and therefore no need to take the narcotics. Quick question: how long did it take you to be able to use a keyboard and mouse with your surgical arm?
About 6-8 weeks
I’m going for rotator and labrum surgery next week but the funny thing is like you had mentioned my non surgical shoulder is hurting worse than the one that needs surgery. Possibly from compensating in the gym. Has your other shoulder calmed down?
After I got full use of my involved shoulder my good shoulder was better. Now, since I have no pain in my operated shoulder, I have some minor pain in my good shoulder. Not enough to have a surgery though. I made a video on Week 17 on this topic. Good Shoulder Hurting After Surgery? Week 17 Shoulder Surgery Recovery
ruclips.net/video/hXVKfsi-Utk/видео.html
How many hours does it take for surgery? I will be having surgery in october
It's going to vary for everyone, but as one example mine took about 1.5 hours.
@@livelongerlivestronger oh ok..Thanks!
@@irmagarza4305 you’re most welcome. Best wishes with your upcoming surgery and recovery!
Thanks😊 Take care
I tore my supraspinatus completely off on December 19. Exercised shoulder to be useful. Finally decided to look into surgery. Have my last pre-op test tomorrow. But strangely enough my ‘ good ‘ shoulder feels exactly as my torn shoulder ( after about a week of exercising it ) now I’m wondering if the ‘ good ‘ shoulder is torn or just tendinitis. Tomorrow I visit doctor for final pre op test and will mention this issue . ( there’s nooooo way my wife can handle an old guy with two messed up arms after the surgery lol 😂)
Yikes! I made a video about my good shoulder hurting. It’s the week 17 video. I’m not sure it’s the same thing but it may be worth a watch. Hope all goes well for you.
4 weeks in and still in pain and its worse at night. I'm surprised they started pt so soon with you. Im just scheduled to start at 6 weeks
So crazy. All this stuff is so different than why my surgeons said to do. I want to do exercises right away but they said no. Not until like a couple of weeks after
Many healthcare teams are super conservative because they know shoulder surgery recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Of course recommendations vary due to all sorts of factors, such as patient health, severity/type of repair, medical training, etc. I found a surgeon and physical therapist that had the same type of believe I did. To safely allow the repair to heal, while doing very conservative therapy. The down side of waiting to start therapy is that mobility may be harder or take longer to achieve. You may be in the position to get another opinion. I got several before choosing my surgeon. In the end, your team is doing what they believe is right for you. I wish you the best!
My surgeon also is recommending different things. I’m doing some
very minor exercises I got from physical therapy 5 days after surgery. I can’t go back to PT until 8 weeks after the surgery. Ugh. I’m so ready to move it more. I was taking Norco and found out I have an allergy too it. That was more bothersome than my arm
hurting. The body aches were horrible. Luckily I can take Tylenol if needed and/or use my TENS unit for pain relief. My bicep has started to
cramp. I see the doctor next week so hopefully the doctor will explain
What to do about that
@@melissaknotts788 I was also doing very minor exercises a few days after surgery and PT the first week. Definitely take your healthcare team's advice, but not being able to do PT until week 8 seems like a long time. I would definitely double check that and/or get a 2nd opinion to confirm. Tylenol and ice helped me a lot. Be careful with the TENS unit. You don't want the repair to get too much stimulus. It needs time to adhere and heal. My Biceps tendon cramped about 5 months in. There are some simple, mild stretches you can do consistently to alleviate that issue. Hopefully your healthcare team will provide that information to you when you see them this week.
@@livelongerlivestronger I just saw the doctor today. He said I can start PT on May 8 which is a month earlier than PT said I could start. He said my tear was small and he did a biceps tenotomy. I haven’t been using my TENS unit as much because sometimes it feels like it doesn’t help. I can take my arm out of the sling when sitting at a chair and lay it next to my side. That is helping a lot. I can’t go back to work yet which was a surprise because he originally said I could go back after 2 weeks because I would just be doing computer work. I had a HORRIBLE pain in my bicep last night. That came out of nowhere and was the worst pain I’ve had in a week.
@@melissaknotts788 I experienced a lot of pain trying to use my mobile device and computer too much too soon. Backing off a few weeks and taking it slow made all the difference. It’s good to hear you got into therapy earlier. By now, I’m guessing you are progressing well and are doing most light daily tasks with ease.
Does your surgeon recommended you an ice machine? and did you bought it on your own?
My surgeon recommended an ice machine, but we borrowed one. You can also purchase or rent them.
How are you doing now, years later? I'm having mine done this week, supraspinatus tear and SLAP tear with biceps tendonesis.
They locked my shoulder in a sling for 12 weeks !!! When I started pt it had no range of motion. It was terrible trying to get rom back. 18 therapy sessions later I probable had 70 % that's about all I ever got !! If I had it to do over again id want passive ROM as soon as possible.
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. I started with passive ROM (person assisted) the 2nd day and was in physical therapy the 6th day. I had my ROM back to normal in about 3 weeks. I contribute that as a big part of my very successful recovery. I'm hopeful you get there too.
I am in so much pain... broke my glenoid and dislocated it. There are screws placed.... but still cannot move it. Doctor does not want my shoulder moved for 3 more weeks...
Did I loose the use of my arm?
Thanks!
I'm due for my surgery in 3 days. I have already been in PT for 6 months. I have 3 tears, with one being a full separation. My PT thinks the recovery for me should be good since I do have some strength, and I do have full range of motion. Any idea's on this? I don't know if this is common to have PT prior to the surgery.
Many do pre-hab prior to surgery. I had been working out so my surgeon did not recommend it for me. Based on what you wrote, I would guess you will have a good outcome. The biggest thing is to take your time, gradually get to full mobility, then when your surgeon clears you, bring that strength back up. It’s a long process. Just don’t rush it. The process is tendon healing takes 12-24 months.