doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Torn Rotator Cuff

My doc said he could give me cortisone shots for the shoulder, but I opted out of that because I don't really want to mask my awareness of what's going on in there. He did prescribe some transdermal patches that I can apply at bedtime to help me sleep, and I have those but am avoiding using them. Pain is nature's way of telling you something is wrong.

Re Stan's question about strengthening things around the joint to prevent future injury, I suspect that's a good idea. My shoulder had been stiff for about ten years, so I probably had some prior damage. When I tore the tendon last January, it wasn't a strength thing, as far as I could tell. I was operating as normal, unloading granite counter slabs from my truck with a helper, and I felt a burning sensation in my shoulder as I was lowering a piece. From a muscular standpoint, I was fine, but it appears that the tendon just let go.

Tamid,
The cortizone shots helped my right shoulder, and with routine therapy I was able to stave off any surgical intervention. The left one was so bad that it would frequently dislocate, and I couldn't stand it any longer, hence the surgery.
If in doubt, seek several medical opinions.
Karl

I've been there and done that.

In December 2007 I fell on ice in my office parking lot while getting out of my Ford Expedition. To steady myself and prevent such a fall I was holding onto a grab handle on the door frame of my vehicle. Well, I fell and all my weight snapped my right arm straight up and behind my head/neck. Long story short, my bicep tendon and the subscapularis were entirely detached. There wasn't any debate about my need for surgery, and this wasn't something that could be fixed by an arthroscopic procedure.

Here I am taking a photograph in the bathroom mirror 10 days following surgery:





Recovery from surgery was painful as hell. Physical therapy was tedious and painful. But in the end I got back my full function. I'm right handed. This is my right shoulder. I shoot heavy recoiling rifles - no problem.

You and your physician must make the decision. My case was easy to decide. If I had a marginal case with limitation of function I think I would go ahead and bite the bullet. Get the surgery, do the PT faithfully, and get your shoulder function back. Life is short, don't gimp around.

JMHO, YMMV.

Curl

Surgery is not the LAST resort; it's the FIRST resort. If you have a for real tear, it's never going to get better, it's never going to fix itself, that muscle is not going to stretch itself out and reattach itself. If it's really torn and you wait too long, you can wait so long it can't be fixed.

Then you're crippled for life. If you can live with that, it's your business. I wanted the use of my arm back. Again, the surgery is not that bad.

Get a professional opinion meaning NOT your general practitioner, get an MRI, then take the surgeon's advice.

Hell, I have to throw out decoys underhand, like a girl. That's reason enough to get the surgery.

Although not in the shoulder, I had a similar situation to yours a few years ago. I was on the first day of one of my jobs when I tore the tendon that attaches the bicep in my right elbow. I had grabbed a couple sheets of OSB like I'd done so many times before. Only this time, there was a noticeable "snap". Dropped the OSB and look down to see my bicep pulled up to my shoulder. MRI showed a single acute tear but the surgeon discovered a second tear during the surgery. Thankfully, all is well now but as with the surgery being discussed, it takes a long time to heal.